Kia Recalling Fortes For Brake Pad Stopper Issue

Kia Recalling Fortes For Brake Pad Stopper Issue

December 22, 2017 admin

 

Irvine, California – Dec. 22, 2017 – Kia Motors America recently announced that it would need to recall more than 134,000 of its Forte sedans and Forte Koups from model years 2012 to 2014, due to concerns about brake pedal stopper pads, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

Specifically, the stopper pads – which are installed between the switch that lights up a vehicle’s brake lights and the brake pedal arm itself – can deteriorate over time and potentially lead to a greater risk for crash and injury. That’s because the brake lights may get stuck in the on position, among other potentially serious issues.

Of all the vehicles in the recall, which were produced from May 2, 2012, to Feb. 28, 2014, only about 1 percent of them are expected to have this issue. The affected cars were determined through a review of vehicle production records.

The Defect

The brake pad stoppers that can deteriorate in these cases may not only lead to brake lights becoming stuck on – potentially increasing the risk of crash for trailing traffic specifically – but can also result in the dashboard traction control warning lamp lighting up unexpectedly. Furthermore, the problem may allow drivers to move the shift level without actually pressing down on the brake pedal, or even activate the vehicle’s brake pedal override feature.

The only way drivers may be able to determine if this issue has affected their vehicles during operation is if the traction control warning lamp comes on.

Timeline of Events

From July to October, 2017, Kia began to receive warranty claim data about the brake pedal stopper pads on various Fortes, and noted that the rate of such filings was increasing over time. From Nov. 3 to 16, the company contacted its supplier to investigate the issue, and during that time the supplier identified a change to its polymer mix cycle times for those stoppers made on Feb. 28, 2014. That investigation found that pads with shorter cycle times would likely have less durability.

As such, on Nov. 24, Kia decided to issue the safety recall based on 183 warranty claims and two complaints from owners of their brake lights staying on even after they took pressure off the brakes in their vehicles from the 2014 model year. However, no accidents or injuries were reported during this time.

The Solution

Drivers will be able to bring affected vehicles to their local Kia dealers, where improved replacement brake pedal stopper pads will be installed free of charge. Kia will also reimburse owners for expenses they incurred stemming from this issue prior to the recall.

The company will notify dealerships of the recall on Jan. 24, 2018, and owners will receive notifications six days later.

adminKia Recalling Fortes For Brake Pad Stopper Issue

Mercedes-Benz recalls vehicles for power steering problem [Video]

December 22, 2017 admin ,

Hello and welcome to another vehicle recall update.

Mercedes-Benz USA recently issued a recall for 72 vehicles from the 2017 model year, including E 300 sedans, S 65 AMG coupes, and Maybach S 600s.

All vehicles in the recall were produced between July 29, 2016 and February 14, 2017.

They all have defects related to brackets on the power steering columns, which could break due to vibration and temperature fluctuation.

If that happens, the power steering assist could become disabled during operation, potentially increasing the risk of a crash.

Mercedes-Benz is asking drivers with affected vehicles to return the vehicles to their dealers for complementary repairs. Owners will be notified of the recall in January 2018.

Thanks for watching, and be sure to check back again for more recall news.

adminMercedes-Benz recalls vehicles for power steering problem [Video]
Hyundai Elantras recalled due to brake pedal issue

Hyundai Elantras recalled due to brake pedal issue

December 21, 2017 admin

 

Fountain Valley, California – Dec. 21, 2017 – Hyundai Motor America recently announced a recall of 320,000 of its popular Elantras from the 2013 and 2014 model years, due to issues with the brake pedal stopper pad, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

The brake pedal stopper pad rests between the stop lamp switch (which tells the car to engage the brake lights) and the arm of the brake pedal itself, but in the affected vehicles, the stopper pad may deteriorate over time, potentially leading brake lights to be stuck in an “on” position without the driver knowing about it, as well as other potential issues that could increase the risk of crash or injury.

Of the 320,000 Elantras in the recall – including the Elantra Sedan, Elantra Coupe and Elantra GT cars – only 1 percent of them are expected to carry this defect. All were produced from May 1, 2012, to Feb. 28, 2014.

The Defect

Specifically, the affected brake pads have “insufficient polymer content” that causes them to break down over time. In addition to brake lights staying on even after the pedal has been released, other issues stemming from the defect include the traction control warning light in the dashboard remaining on, the ability to move the shift lever without pressing on the brake pedal, or the vehicle’s engine management system activating the brake pedal override.

The two signs of the issue drivers would likely be able to identify are the vehicle’s brake lights and the traction control warning lights in the dashboard remaining on.

So far, Hyundai has not seen any incidents related to the defect that led to accidents or injuries.

Timeline of Events

On July 25, 2016, Hyundai decided to begin an initial recall on brake pedal stopper pads in certain Hyundai Elantra Sedans from the 2013 model year, but also continued analysis going forward. Then, in the second quarter of 2017, such incidents began to rise for Elantras not in the original recall, especially in Elantra Coupes and GTs.

Consequently, Hyundai Motor America started to collect more brake pedal stopper pads from vehicles involved in field incidents and sent them back to Hyundai Motor Company in Korea to be analyzed. HMC identified the issue for all Elantras affected in the recall, stemming from a change in the brake pedal stopper pad’s polymer mix cycle time.

As such, on Nov. 21, HMA issued the full recall.

The Solution

Owners of affected Elantras will be asked to bring their vehicles to a local Hyundai dealership, where the brake pedal stopper pads will be replaced free of charge with those that had additional polymer mix cycle time. Owners who previously paid for such repairs out of their own pockets will be reimbursed.

Dealers will receive formal recall notifications starting Feb. 8, 2018, the same day as owners begin receiving them. However, owner notification is expected to be completed Feb. 22, 2018.

adminHyundai Elantras recalled due to brake pedal issue
Mitsubishi issues recall on i-MiEV subcompacts

Mitsubishi issues recall on i-MiEV subcompacts

December 21, 2017 admin ,

 

Cypress, California – Dec. 21, 2017 – Mitsubishi Motors North America recently issued a recall for a relatively small number of its i-MiEV subcompact cars from the 2016 and 2017 model years, citing issues with air bag inflators, according to a letter filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

Specifically, the defect in these vehicles relates to certain air bag inflators that are part of passenger front air bag modules, which may suffer inflator rupture in the event of a crash, caused by “propellant degradation” as a result of long-term exposure to humidity and temperature changes.

The recall affects just 144 vehicles from the model years above.

The Defect

When the 2016 and 2017 i-MiEV vehicles in the recall are exposed to high humidity for long periods of time, the propellant in the air bag module will degrade and cause a failure of the inflator.

If this happens, metal fragments may launch from the air bag compartment in the event of a crash, and potentially cause serious injury or even death to vehicle passengers.

Timeline of Events

Recall notices began being issued Dec. 15, 2017, to both owners and dealers, one week after the manufacturer filed its initial report on the issue. Repairs related to the recall were expected to begin that same day.

The Solution

Owners of affected vehicles are asked to bring their affected i-MiEVs to a local dealership, where repairs will be conducted free of charge to replace the passenger side frontal air bag inflator.

Owners are encouraged to contact Mitsubishi’s customer service line at 1-888-648-7820 if they have any questions about the issue or the recall itself. They can also contact the NHTSA’s Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236.

adminMitsubishi issues recall on i-MiEV subcompacts

Nissan recalls cars with defective seats [Video]

December 21, 2017 admin ,

Welcome to another vehicle recall update video.

Nissan North American recently recalled 210 Nissan Rogues from model year 2016 due to non-conforming seat frames that may be improperly welded.

{marker:fullscreenjump-photo} The recalled vehicles were affected by a manufacturing issue that could lead to increased risk of injury in a crash. This issue was discovered by a supplier investigation when front passenger seats would not properly lock into place.

{marker:fullscreenjump-photo} Nissan has asked all owners of affected vehicles to take the SUVs to a dealer, where the seats’ back assemblies will be replaced free of charge. Owners are expected to begin receiving recall notifications as of January eighth, two thousand eighteen.

Be sure to check back soon for more information on other breaking vehicle recall news.

adminNissan recalls cars with defective seats [Video]
Volkswagen Recalls Atlases Over Potential Fuel Tank Leaks

Volkswagen Recalls Atlases Over Potential Fuel Tank Leaks

December 20, 2017 admin

 

Auburn Hills, Michigan – Dec. 20, 2017 – Volkswagen Group of America recently issued a recall for 58 of its Atlas sport utility vehicles from the 2018 model year, citing concerns over fuel tanks and potential leakages, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

Specifically, the fuel tanks installed in the recalled vehicles did not have a thick enough wall to meet specifications, due to a problem during a supplier’s production process. This issue may result in fuel leaking from the tank and, if near an ignition source, could result in fire.

In all, 50 percent of the vehicles in the recall are expected to have experienced this problem. The vehicles in question were produced between May 16, 2017, and June 10, 2017.

The Defect

Due to a production problem with the supplier YAPP, fuel tanks built within a short period of time may not have the proper wall thickness in certain areas, with these thin spots stemming from “undetected material starvation during the manufacturing process.” The problem was spotted and corrected in short order on the manufacturer’s end, but not noticed by a Volkswagen dealer until several months later.

The best way for owners to determine if their vehicle is affected by this issue is if they smell gasoline while in or around their vehicles, or if they notice fuel puddles under their vehicles.

Timeline of Events

On Sept. 15, 2017, Volkswagen opened an investigation into the issue after receiving a claim from a dealer about the potential defect. On Sept. 28, a test of the affected fuel tanks’ wall thickness was proposed as a temporary solution, and on Oct. 5, the company began weighing both the tanks and the waste flash together to determine the total amount of material that had been present during the manufacturing process.

A little more than two months after the investigation began, on Nov. 22, Volkswagen’s Product Safety Committee received more information from its investigators and determined to issue the recall based on the findings.

The Solution

All vehicles affected by the recall are still within the automaker’s New Vehicle Limited Warranty, and owners will therefore be able to have the defect fixed free of charge at a dealership. When the Atlases are taken in for service, dealers will simply replace the affected fuel tanks.

Both dealers and Atlas owners are expected to be contacted about the recall on or about Dec. 29, 2017.

adminVolkswagen Recalls Atlases Over Potential Fuel Tank Leaks
Toyota 4Runners Recalled Due to Grill Overlay Issue

Toyota 4Runners Recalled Due to Grill Overlay Issue

December 19, 2017 admin

 

Deerfield Beach, Florida – Dec. 19, 2017 – Southeast Toyota Distributors, LLC, recently issued a recall for 431 Toyota 4Runner sport utility vehicles from model years 2015 to 2018, citing concerns over the front grille of the vehicles, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

The recall revolves around billet grille overlay kits sold by Southeast Toyota Distributors with U-nuts that can fracture, potentially leading the overlay to detach from the grille itself and potentially lead to a road hazard for following traffic. That, in turn, can increase the risk of crashes and injuries.

In all, 100 percent of the recalled vehicles are expected to have this issue, one from the 2015 model year, five from 2016, and the rest from either 2017 or 2018. These vehicles were produced from Dec. 5, 2014, to Oct. 26, 2017.

The Defect

Southeast Toyota Distributors began receiving accessory billet grille overlays in October 2014, but in mid-July 2017 those kits began coming with revised U-nuts treated with phosphate. Soon after, the organization began receiving reports from technicians about fractures, as well as two field reports in which the U-nuts fractured. However, only the newer U-nuts have reportedly fractured.

Timeline of Events

In November 2017, reports of these issues started to come into Southeast Toyota Dealers, leading to the company contacting the grille overlay supplier, T-Rex Truck Products in Corona, California. However, neither company could replicate the conditions that led to the phosphate-treated U-nuts fracturing, even when applying torque above and beyond normal conditions. Despite that, SET has issued a recall for all vehicles with the grille overlay made since the revised U-nut was added to the kit.

Beginning Nov. 20, the parts supplier is issuing new hardware for the grille overlay kits.

The Solution

SET is currently working with IHS Automotive to get as much current contact information for owners of the 4Runners in the recall, and will mail recall notification letters on or around Jan. 26, 2018. Dealers were already notified in late November.

Owners who take the vehicles into local dealerships will have the U-nuts replaced with upgraded hardware free of charge.

adminToyota 4Runners Recalled Due to Grill Overlay Issue
Jeep Compasses recalled over instrument panel lighting

Jeep Compasses recalled over instrument panel lighting

December 15, 2017 admin

 

Auburn Hills, Michigan – Dec. 15, 2017 – Chrysler recently issued a recall of nearly 26,000 Jeep Compass sport utility vehicles from the 2017 and 2018 model years over concerns related to the photo sensor calibrations that may lead to the instrument panel not lighting up during day-to-night transitions, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

Federal vehicle safety standards require that backlighting for dashboard panels come with at least two brightness settings, but this issue means some Compasses may not meet that standard. Moreover, the dimmer settings on the dashboard panel will not be able to manually override the setting, putting the vehicles out of compliance with federal standards.

In all, about 10 percent of the Compasses in the recall – all produced between July 29 and Sept. 11, 2017 – are expected to carry this defect.

The Defect

Specifically, an investigation found two engineering changes made to the light sensors’ calibrations affected its ability to allow the dashboard panel lighting to transition properly from day mode to night mode. That means that when drivers are operating the vehicle late in the afternoon or before dawn, the dashboard panels might not dim properly as natural light fades.

That issue, in turn, may lead to reduced driver visibility and a higher risk of crash or injury.

Chrysler was able to identify many of the vehicles affected by the issue using part traceability.

Timeline of Events

In mid-October 2017, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration informally asked Chrysler to investigate a complaint about an inability to dim a Compass’s instrument panel cluster. Five days later, the company’s Vehicle Safety and Regulatory Compliance organization started that investigation after reviewing a number of similar complaints and records, and in doing so identified the engineering changes that affected the dimmer.

The same day, Chrysler and the supplier of the parts in question reviewed the light sensor performance to determine just how widespread the issue might have been, then began a thorough search of part numbers and vehicle ID numbers to determine the plants from which these problems may have arisen.

By Oct. 31, Chrysler and the supplier reviewed a sample field return of the panel cluster, and on Nov. 31, Chrysler’s Vehicle Regulations Committee determined it would initiate a recall.

The Solution

Chrysler plans to reimburse owners for any costs they incur – or have already incurred – repairing the issues in the recall, and asks Compass owners send the original receipt or other proof of payment to confirm the cost.

On Nov. 21, Chrysler announced it would notify both dealers and owners of the recall on Jan. 10, 2018.

adminJeep Compasses recalled over instrument panel lighting
Chrysler recalling nearly 27,000 Jeep Compasses

Chrysler recalling nearly 27,000 Jeep Compasses

December 14, 2017 admin

 

Auburn Hills, Michigan – Dec. 14, 2017 – Fiat Chrysler USA recently announced the recall of 26,971 Jeep Compasses from the 2018 model year, over concerns that there may be loose inflator mounting nuts in the passenger airbag module assembly.

Specifically, it is believed that a small number of the 2018 Compasses were manufactured outside of specification, with some vehicles having a box of inflator mounting nuts kept above the module assembly area before the airbag inflator was installed. In those instances, nuts could be resting within the airbag assembly and, in case of a crash and airbag deployment, those nuts could become projectiles and significantly increasing the potential for injury.

It’s expected that this defect impacts only about 1 percent of the vehicles in the recall, and all of them were produced between Sept. 4 and Nov. 19, 2017.

The Defect

The issue was first noticed when Chrysler’s Supplier Quality Engineering organization noted a rattle inside the instrument panel of one of the vehicles that would later be recalled. That prompted an investigation, which determined that with the box resting above the assembly area, it was possible for loose nuts to fall into module assembly due to its having multiple openings.

In the event of a crash in which the airbags deploy, it’s possible that these nuts would be launched at high velocity toward an occupant, even through the cushion of the airbag itself.

Timeline of Events

Chrysler’s SQE reported the initial concern about the rattling in the instrument panel on in early November, prompting an investigation from the company’s Vehicle Safety and Regulatory Compliance organization. Once the cause of the potential issue was determined within the manufacturing process, it was discovered that five airbag module assemblies – all produced between Oct. 20 and Nov. 2, 2017 – were found to have loose mounting nuts inside. Of those five, two of the assemblies had the nuts outside the fabric of the airbag itself.

Then, on Nov. 17, the company determined it would conduct a recall of the affected vehicles.

The Solution

Chrysler is conducting a voluntary recall to replace all the airbag module assemblies for the vehicles in the recall, and will reimburse drivers for any repair costs they incur getting the airbag problem remedied. It asks that any proof of payment, such as the receipt for the transaction, be forwarded to the company.

The automaker announced in late November that it would notify both dealers and vehicle owners of the recall on Jan. 10, 2018.

adminChrysler recalling nearly 27,000 Jeep Compasses
Ford issues massive F-150, Explorer recall

Ford issues massive F-150, Explorer recall

December 13, 2017 admin

 

Dearborn, Michigan – Dec. 13, 2017 – The Ford Motor Company recently issued a recall for more than 177,000 vehicles from the 2016 model year, for both F-150s and Explorers, stemming from concerns over power seats for both drivers and front-seat passengers.

For both types of seats, there is a concern with the upper left pivot bolt, which can loosen and fall out. This increases the risk of seat deflection and injury in the event of a crash if occupants are not properly restrained by their safety belts.

In all, Ford estimates that about 20 percent of the vehicles in the recall will be affected by the defect.

The Defect

Three separate factors can potentially come together to lead these bolts to loosen or fall out, including the extrusion height of the adjuster link being out of specification and side member extrusion heights not being properly specified in the first place. Furthermore, the threadlock material on the pivot bolts themselves may not meet required specifications.

Drivers or passengers of affected trucks or SUVs may be able to detect the problem if they find their seats sliding unexpectedly as the vehicle is speeding up or slowing down, or if they find a bolt on the floor of the vehicle.

Timeline of Events

Between June and July 2017, loose driver seats in certain F-150s were reported to Ford’s Critical Concern Review Group, which requested a comprehensive search of data for any associated symptoms, as well as requesting parts in the field.

Over the next two months, the CCRG reviewed field reports and other information, and found that the driver’s seat bolts were most likely to fail on vehicles produced between February and March 2016, and Ford determined that the same seat mechanisms were used in Explorers produced during the same period.

In October and November, Ford analyzed the pivot bolt’s threadlock material, and identified performance lapses in the production months in question. On Nov. 20, the company’s Field Review Committee approved field action on the recall.

The Solution

Ford encourages F-150 owners with affected vehicles to call its toll-free hotline at 1-866-436-7332 or contact a local dealer that can give them more information from the company’s online database. This is important because the vehicles in question were not produced in VIN order, meaning that some may be affected while others are not.

Owners of affected vehicles will be notified by mail that they should take the trucks to their local dealers to measure the torque on power seat pivot link bolts. If the bolt passes the assessment, dealers will remove and clean it, apply a new threadlock and re-install it. However, if it fails the inspection, another threadlock will be added until parts are available for a final repair, slated to be completed in the first quarter of 2018. All these efforts will be completed free of charge, and Ford will also reimburse drivers for any repairs they covered out-of-pocket before the safety recall.

Dealers were first notified of the recall on Nov. 30, 2017, and owner notifications should arrive between Jan. 15 and Jan. 19, 2018.

adminFord issues massive F-150, Explorer recall
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