August 2016 | MotorSafety.org

Engine Room Connections in Some Sentras Could be Faulty [Video]

August 30, 2016 admin Nissan Recalls, Video

Franklin, Tenn. — August 30, 2016 — Nissan has recalled more than fifteen hundred Sentra autos from the 2016 model year. These units could have control issues that affect engine performance. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration statement said that the engine room harness could lead to terminal connection issues that would determine whether the engine functions normally, potentially stalling.

The official recall is scheduled to start August 26th. During an April investigation, Nissan both addressed the problem themselves and prompted the component supplier, Yazaki, to investigate as well.

Because terminal pins in these vehicles could be too large to fit, the remedy will see dealers replace the pin entirely.

Read more about recent Nissan recalls in our blog.

Volvo Truck Recall Addresses Axle Issues

August 29, 2016 admin Volvo Recalls

Greensboro, N.C. — August 29, 2016 — A new recall concerns several Volvo truck models that leave drivers potentially at risk of losing control during operation. The official 473 Safety Recall Report explained that 1 percent of the 129 recalled vehicles in the U.S. were estimated to have the defect. While the action affects certain VNL and VNM models, both stem from the same range of production dates: April 16 to May 4 in 2012.

The recall addresses a problem associated with an axle from the manufacturer Meritor. The report said that some of the axles were “improperly heat-treated.” As a result, a beam included in the car could fracture. While it didn’t explain specifics, the report said that the fracture areas “could indicate some level of warning,” showing the driver that the fault exists.

A Safety Recall Alert from June 27, 2016 said that the recall affects 19 trucks outside of the country: 16 in Canada and three in Mexico. The dealers were instructed to increase awareness of the recall among their staff, correcting these issues in affected trucks before they were sold.

Meritor is a U.S. company based in Troy, Michigan. The original planned dealer notification date was June 24, with owners notified just five days later. However, owner notices and repair instructions were said to ship at July 29 at the very latest.

Before this recall, the 2013 VNL was also part of a different recall announced in October, 2015. In this action, 101 units were said to have electrical system defects. The metal housing mounting points in the electric auxiliary power units in these trucks were said to potentially “crack and tear,” according to the NHTSA-filed report.

Small Number of 2016 Vehicles Part of Volkswagen Recalls

August 19, 2016 admin Volkswagen Recalls

Auburn Hills, Mich. — August 19, 2016 — Some 2016 Volkswagen Golf R vehicles could bear incorrect information on the Safety Certification Label, one recent recall stated. According to a Part 573 Safety Recall Report from May 20, 11 vehicles are potentially involved in this action, and a full 100 percent of them are thought to have the defect.

The Report, available through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, said that these vehicles could contain an incorrect rear-axle weight limit. The displayed weight could be more than 1000 pounds off from the actual maximum amount of 2227 pounds.

The concerned vehicles were produced between May 17 and 23, 2016. The inaccurate labels were discovered April 13 this year and were reportedly caused by “”new printer installation,” the source said. As a result, the printers accidentally produced labels with default weight values. Assuming this number is correct, numerous owners could misjudge their vehicles’ weight capacity and potentially overload them.

All 11 of the Golf R vehicles involved in this action are located in the United States, a dealership communication from May 24 said. The document stated that “parts were allocated to address affected dealer inventory vehicles” because of the small number of vehicles involved.

This issue has led to recent Toyota recalls as well. Last month, Car Complaints reported on a series of Toyota and Scion models recalled for weight label discrepancies. Model years ranged between 2015 and 2016, and included 2,520 total vehicles.

Due to inaccurate load-carrying-capacity modification labels, a report filed with the NHTSA said that these vehicles could fail to comply with federal standards. The problem was discovered in May, and owner notification is planned for July 14 and 15. While it was making calculations, the manufacturer halted production on the impacted vehicles.

New Round of Ford Recalls Start Off July 2016

August 18, 2016 admin Ford Recalls

Dearborn, Mich. — August 18, 2016 — Ford ended June 2016 by announcing three new recalls in a single press release. All of the vehicles involved in these efforts are from either the 2015 and 2016 model years. While each of these cases extend outside of the United States, the majority of vehicles in all three recalls are in the U.S.

According to the source, only one of these is a safety recall, while the other two are safety compliance recalls. The manufacturer is not aware of any injuries or accidents connected to any of these issues. All together, the three Ford recalls concern approximately 8,218 vehicles.

The safety recall concerns transmission assembly problems in both 2015 and 2016 Ford Focus Electric autos produced at either the Michigan or Saarlouis assembly plants. A certain coating could lead to fractures in the differential pinion shaft of these vehicles, so dealers will replace the assembly completely with a setup that includes the right friction-reducing coating.

One of the safety compliance recalls addresses 6,661 Ford F-150 and Ford Explorer units, both from model year 2016 and possibly containing improperly welded driver seat backs. The other involves 608 2016 Ford Transit Connect vehicles that may have a brake hydraulic control unit.

Before this, the most recent recall-related Ford press release involved the Takata air bag inflator recall. In that statement, the manufacturer said that it was adding several brands to the existing recall numbers for issues with nondesiccated passenger-side frontal airbag inflators. Model years for these vehicles collectively ranged from 2005 and 2011.

As of June 17, Ford had completed 20.2 percent of passenger-side air bag repairs, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said. On a larger scale, Ford has finished just 7.1 percent of its total air bag repairs.

Toyota Issues Recall for Seat Heating Issues

August 17, 2016 admin Toyota Recalls

Jacksonville, Fla. — August 17, 2016 — A June 8 statement posted on the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration website described a new Toyota recall affecting 14 different models. According to this letter, a total of 7,749 vehicles may potentially be at risk for a fire hazard due to possibly damaged electrical wiring in seat heaters.

If some of these cushions are compressed, the source said, a short circuit could occur. This would happen because of worn electrical wiring within the copper strand heating element. The model years for the affected vehicles range from 1988 to 2012 – some of the brands include the Toyota Avalon, Camry, Tacoma and Tundra. Together, all of the vehicles were produced between Dec. 5, 1987 and Jan. 27, 2012.

The Part 573 Safety Recall Report said that a short circuit could potentially injure an occupant and burn through the seat cover. The component manufacturer involved in this case, Marketing World Wide, Inc., was said to no longer be in business.

While the report set June 1 and 2 as the dealer notification date, owners aren’t scheduled for notice until later this month, between July 14 and 29. The recall will include “all potentially affected vehicles,” the report said, and dealers will disconnect the relevant seat heaters.

A press release from the manufacturer announced another pair of Toyota recalls in late June. The U.S. arm of the company recalled “approximately 482,000” units for possible cracks in the weld area of the air bag inflators.

This could cause the inflator to separate, putting occupants in possible danger. To remedy this, dealers will reportedly add retention brackets to the impacted vehicles’ curtain shield air bag inflators. This issue seems unrelated to the millions of vehicles involved in the widespread Takata air bag recalls.

Recall for 2016 Mercedes-Benz Vehicles Addresses Drive Shaft Problems

August 16, 2016 admin Mercedes-Benz Recalls

Montvale, N.J. — August 16, 2016 — Approximately 136 2016 Mercedes-Benz vehicles are potentially involved in a recent recall, according to a National Highway Traffic Safety Administration document submitted May 16. This Safety Recall Report also stated that 23 percent of the vehicle population were estimated to have the defect, with production rates ranging from June 1 to July 24, 2015.

All of the suspected autos are two-door light Mercedes-Benz AMG GTS vehicles with a gas power train. The drive-shaft adhesive in these vehicles could be weak, leading to a dangerous separation between it and the flange. Drivers can lose traction in this case and may see an instrument cluster warning signal. The report doesn’t list any other possible identifiers.

Daimler AG reportedly discovered this issue in October 2015, though it wasn’t seriously analyzed until around two months later. Though the first field case listed in the report was in the U.S., other instances were later found in Japan and Saudi Arabia.

Though no specific notification date was given in the original report, owners were said to be notified sometime in June. To remedy this issue, dealers were instructed to replace carbon-fiber drive shafts if needed.

A later document from the manufacturer said the recall is scheduled once parts become available July 1. It also stated that it will send letters to customers “approximately one week after the recall launch.” This action also includes a stop sale for any two 2016 AMG GTS vehicles.

Other newer Mercedes-Benz recalls include a October 2015 action for 52 autos, including GLE63 and GLE450 units, also with the 2016 model year. Rear drive-shaft bolts in these vehicles could possibly loosen and detach the shaft from the transmission altogether. Dealers were prompted to tighten these bolts if necessary.

Software Problems Part of New Fiat Chrysler Recall

August 12, 2016 MotorSafety.org Chrysler Recalls, Fiat Chrysler Recalls, Jeep Recalls, RAM Recalls

Auburn Hills, Mich. — August 12, 2016 — Some relatively recent model year FCA vehicles could leave passengers in danger because of a wire harness problem. Autoblog recently featured a press release from the manufacturer of the 323,361 U.S. vehicles involved in the recall. These include the 2014 and 2015 Chrysler 200, Jeep Cherokee and other vehicles.

According to this source, affected vehicles were produced before Sept. 23, 2014. Though the vast majority of these are in the U.S., a total of 43,927 are outside of the NAFTA region, with thousands more in both Canada and Mexico.

The issue itself involves a wire-crimping problem, which could be temporarily fixed if drivers turn their vehicles on and off. The newer versions of these models will benefit from an updated harness manufacturing system.

Crimping a wire can require the right hardware. including a crimp cap or an appropriate crimping tool. The quality of the wire makes a difference, too, as it needs to match the appropriate engine system.

Last year, the 2015 Cherokee was part of multiple Jeep recalls. One of these was in December and involved a possible short circuit in the power liftgate module that may have left drivers at risk of fire. Dealers were instructed to add a water shield in an acknowledgement statement dated for December 17.

Another recent recall with the same make and model was reported in October. That action concerned Jeeps with air conditioning hose issues that could have also left the occupants at risk of fire. The solution involved replacing the hose after inspection to keep it from contacting the exhaust manifold.

In Recalled GM Vehicles, Key Could Be Removed in Wrong Gear

August 11, 2016 admin GMC Recalls

Warren, Mich. — August 11, 2016 — According to National Highway Traffic Safety Administration documents, a new GM recall addresses ignition concerns in some vehicles. The Part 573 Safety Recall Report said that approximately 2 percent of 7,620 vehicles are estimated to have this defect.

Altogether, the impacted model years encompass a wide range, from 2010 to 2017. The earliest collective production date is September 28, 2009 and the latest is May 27, 2016. The latter of these applies to the latest recalled model, the 2017 Buick Verano. Buick, Chevrolet and GMC vehicles are all included in the recall.

In these vehicles, the ignition system could allow users to remove the keys. This not only represents a possible Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard violation, but it also could put the car and any occupants in danger if the driver removes the key without first engaging the parking brake or putting the vehicle in park.

Unlike with many recalls, the Part 573 Report said that this outcome is also one of the ways to identify that the issue is present: If the key can be taken out while a different gear is in use, the recall may apply. This problem seems to stem from Electronic Park Lock damage in some steering column assemblies.

According to the report, dealers will inspect and replace the lock housing. A July 2016 bulletin updated the original response method, which includes nine steps. Three of these involve a repeated testing of the ignition key and transmission. This is supposed to help dealers see whether or not they can remove the key in gears aside from park. If the vehicle contains the defect, dealers are instructed to hold it and keep it from further sale.

Lock Issues Affect Several Aston Martin Recalls

August 8, 2016 MotorSafety.org Aston Martin Recalls

Gaydon Warwick, U.K. — August 08, 2016 — Several Aston Martin vehicles may not meet Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard requirements, according to a recent press release.

The manufacturer will recall 6,076 vehicles with model years ranging from 2010 to 2016 to address ineffective door locks. While the manufacturer’s initial investigations began last year, owners will not be notified until August.

The defect

Using the locks in affected models could accidentally prevent occupants from being able to unlock the car from the inside. This is intended to be a security precaution, but could instead go against FMVSS No. 206, which specifically concerns “door locks and door retention components.”

As much of a risk as this could pose, owners have some resources at their disposal. First of all, the release said that the horns inside would still work, allowing users to warn others and avoid being trapped.

Certain vehicles will also come with an alarm system that sounds off if it detects an occupant.

Finally, the company explained its remedy in a Part 573 Safety Recall Report submitted to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration last month.

This source said that reprogramming the system software in the affected vehicles will disable the double locking mechanism and fixed the problem. Most of the cars targeted in this recall (5,845 exactly) are said to be with customers, while 231 remain with the dealers.

Timeline of events

The report listed the owner notification date as July 1 and the owner notification period as the days between August 1 and 15. The assertions of noncompliance date back to a recall meeting on December 11, 2015.

In 2014, Reuters reported on a 17,590-Aston Martin recall because some parts contained counterfeit plastic. Around three quarters of the right-hand drive models built since May 2012 were affected, as well as left-hand drive vehicles dating back to 2007.

Check your car’s recall status using MotorSafety’s free vehicle lookup tool.

Transit Vans Part of New Ford Recalls

August 4, 2016 admin Ford Recalls

Dearborn, Mich. — August 04, 2016 — Approximately 605 Transit Connect vans are included in a new Ford recall, according to official National Highway Traffic Safety Administration documents. The action addresses recent vehicles produced between February 22 and April 9 this year. The Part 573 Safety Recall Report said that affected vehicles could include a hydraulic control unit pump with metallic debris.

While the source did not give an estimate for the percentage of these vehicles with the defect, it did describe said potential defect in greater detail. Debris in the Hydraulic Control Units could potentially render these vehicles unfit under the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard. It would particularly represent noncompliance with FMVSS 126: “Electronic Stability Control Systems.” The debris is said to come from a “poorly modified piercing tool.”

The report did not list any specific signs of the defect, though it said that brake system performance could degrade “without warning.” Ford first observed the issue through its Critical Concern Review Group on May 19.

The Field Review Committee approved an official field action just over a month later on June 20. While the dealer notification date was listed as June 28, owners are not scheduled to hear about the issue until the four-day period between August 8 and 12. During this time, owners will be directed to contact an appropriate dealer to address the issue, perhaps removing the HCUs as necessary.

This is only the most recent of Ford recalls to impact this brand and model year. Earlier this year, the 2016 Transit Connect was subject to a separate action involving 37,066 potentially affected units. That was due to a badly oriented side curtain air bag fold, according to other NHTSA documents.