More than 165,000 Nissan and BMW vehicles recalled

Detroit, MI — April 10, 2015 — A fuel pump-related difficulty was the source of a recent recall which concerned thousands of Nissan and BMW vehicles. Though the acknowledged problem comes from loose nickel plating in the pumps, the possible repercussions could affect the total workings of the engine, keeping the pump from working and causing the engine to either stall or stop completely. The recall includes more than 70,000 BMW models and 95,000 Nissan SUV’s produced between last year and 2014.

While a sudden stall is potentially dangerous in vehicles, Nissan has assured customers that vehicle airbags will still work in its Rogue cars even when the engine is affected, as Autoblog documents. The engines are apparently more likely to not start at all than stall during use.

In a letter to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) sent at the end of last month, Nissan documented the timeline that led to its voluntary recall. It said that Bosch was the supplier of the nickel it used for plating, and that it has been aware of the issue since last March.

“Owners of all potentially affected vehicles will be notified to take their vehicle to a Nissan dealer,” the letter read. It further insists that, “to date, Nissan is not aware of any vehicle crashes confirmed to be attributable to this issue,” that date presumably being March 31, the date on the letter.

Once a recall has been issued, owners and dealers have to pay attention to the necessary data and follow the proper guidelines to improve vehicle performance. If replacement parts will be needed, dealers should feel as if they can easily find them based on instructions from the manufacturers. The affects of a single particular flaw could be varied, and the “symptoms” difficult to spot without guidance.

Recall MastersMore than 165,000 Nissan and BMW vehicles recalled

Monoxide concerns lead to Chevrolet Volt recall

Detroit, MI — April 9, 2015 — The Wall Street Journal reports that General Motors has recalled thousands of hybrid cars after the discovery of a possible emissions problem in these vehicles. Chevrolet Volts produced between 2011 and 2013 could have a systems fault that leaves some users accidentally running the car for too long. In garages and other enclosed spaces, continuous time active could lead to a buildup of emissions and the threat of monoxide carbon monoxide poisoning.

Although a software update from the manufacturer is intended to fix the problem, there are reportedly two known cases of people being injured because they did not understand the car was still running after they had exited it, even though the cars do already emit a warning.

If the battery drains itself, the Volt is designed to automatically switch to standard fuel power, creating the emissions danger. Because the car is turned on and off via a button, users that aren’t aware of this could relatively easily make a hazardous mistake.

The company’s solution to this issue is a software change that institutes an “automatic shutdown” protocol. This prevents Volts from being left idling too long by shutting them down after being left stationary for an hour and a half, as CNN states. Owners of the affected cars can also have the software change administered to their vehicles.

Defects in cars could be so impactful that they require a thorough response, including not just a recall but some action on behalf of the affected customers. A strong recall alert program will advise all the necessary parties about how to react, and disperse the message in an appropriate timeframe. In addition to spreading the word, vehicle owners will need to know what they can do to mitigate risk.

Recall MastersMonoxide concerns lead to Chevrolet Volt recall

Honda airbag safety recall affects millions of vehicles

Tokyo, Japan — April 8, 2015 — Honda hopes to address concerns in multiple models linked to a potentially dangerous airbag issue with its latest recalls. As part of an ongoing attempt to attend to risk, the manufacturer has been extending the existing recall to more and more vehicles, currently encompassing more than 5 million cars, according to the Associated Press. These include SUV’s and Civics produced over a ten-year period, beginning in 2001.

To allay operational concerns, owners can have airbags in these vehicles replaced by dealers for free. Honda is just one of several major names, including BMW, Chrysler and Nissan, that are participating in similar recalls, all of which stem from faulty airbag deployments systems installed by Takata Corporation.

The source described the possible life-threatening hazards associated with this defect. Due to the sensitive chemicals needed to trigger airbag inflation, some Takata systems could deploy too quickly, leading to vehicle damage and injury. Six people have been killed by this problem, and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has been overseeing Takata’s attempts to test and improve its airbags for safety.

In a press release from the NHTSA last month, Administrator Mark Rosekind affirmed his organization’s continuing involvement in this matter.

“There is a strong public safety interest in ensuring that testing moves forward, and that NHTSA has access to all test data,” he said. “We have worked closely with attorneys for private plaintiffs to construct this order so that it protects plaintiffs’ legal rights while also supporting our efforts to protect public safety.”

When recalls affect this many different companies and vehicles, the recall information needs to be accurate, comprehensive and up-to-date. Affected parties should pay attention to all of the related data while still performing the actions relevant to their specific case.

Sources:

http://www.nhtsa.gov/About+NHTSA/Press+Releases/2015/takata-ordered-to-preserve-defective-air-bag-inflators

http://www.al.com/business/index.ssf/2015/03/honda_recall_2015_air_bags_can.html

http://www.washingtonpost.com/cars/honda-expands-takata-airbag-recall-to-include-2001-accord-2004-civic-2008-pilot/2015/03/25/103ab792-d33e-11e4-8b1e-274d670aa9c9_story.html

Recall MastersHonda airbag safety recall affects millions of vehicles

Multiple issues lead to Ford recall

Detroit, MI — April 7, 2015 — Several different vehicle concerns have led to a series of Ford recalls. Taken together, they show the variety of possible safety violations that can be detected at once, leading to a need for quick action on the part of a manufacturer.

Though the three recalls all concern different kinds of mechanical issues, they are similar in that they target specialty vehicles for different uses. In a press release, Ford outlined each separate recall and explained what it consisted of and who it would affect.

The first recall applies to 213,000 Ford Explorer and Police Interceptor Utility vehicles produced between 2011 and 2013. These vehicles could include a flaw with the interior door handle that spring that could cause the door to open unexpectedly in certain circumstances. The release states that dealers will look at all handles for possible problems.

The other two recalls refer to a group of limo and hearses and a series of ambulance and emergency vehicles, respectively. The former concerns defective vacuum pump relays that would possibly lead to fires, and the latter stems from problems with faulty temperature sensors in the vehicle engines. None of these recall issues have been linked to accidents, the source said.

Each recall case needs to be clearly identified and come with an appropriate plan of action for dealers and consumers to follow. The text of a recall itself is only part of the solution, since it needs to also reach the right individuals within a proper amount of time. Writing for Michigan Radio, Tracy Samilton said that digital channels are providing new opportunities for manufacturers to get their message out.

“Automakers are increasingly turning to social media to try to boost completion rates,” Samilton says. “As Internet-connected infotainment devices in cars become more common and sophisticated, automakers will be able to send notices of recalls directly to the vehicle.”

Compliant and advanced recall solutions make successful response to a recall more likely.

Recall MastersMultiple issues lead to Ford recall