July 2015 | Page 2 | MotorSafety.org

NHTSA spurs Hummer recall

July 15, 2015 Recall Masters GM Recalls, Hummer Recalls, Miscellaneous Recalls

Detroit, MI — July 15, 2015 — General Motors is issuing yet another recall this month, this one for Hummer H3 vehicles with heating motor issues that may lead to a risk of a fire in the vehicle. According to Jalopnik, the issue stems back at least as far as 2008, and is now being addressed following pressure from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), which is in turn acting in response to consumer concern.

A total number of 196,379 vehicles are being recalled, the majority of which are in the United States. More than 40 fires have been connected to this issue, even though the source says there were “73 incidents involving the HVAC blower motor.” In addition to the threat to drivers, these fires can damage or destroy the vehicles by melting important sections within them.

Although there are other major recalls associated with General Motors, particularly their ignition switch concerns, and this latest recall shows the ways that government pressure can lead to direct action that targets consumer safety.

The H3 models produced between model years 2006 and 2010, as well as the HT3’s in model years 2009 and 2010, are included in this recall measure. To prevent the control units from catching fire, dealers will replace the inefficient modules and make it safer for owners to operate the fan and ventilation systems within their vehicle.

Once a timeline for a recall action has been implemented, dealers need to follow the schedule faithfully and communicate important details to owners in time for them to get the faulty components replaced and avoid further complications from use.

General Motors recalls SUVs for liftgate failure

July 13, 2015 Recall Masters Buick Recalls, Chevrolet Recalls, GM Recalls, GMC Recalls, Saturn Recalls

Detroit, MI — July 13, 2015 — According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), General Motors has discovered a new problem that has prompted a recall for hundreds of thousands of vehicles. The company wants to address possible faults with the power liftgates in certain vehicles, since users could unexpectedly see these gates fail while in use if they don’t follow the prescribed response actions.

The recall acknowledgement document submitted for this case says that the real problem lies with the gas struts that enable affected vehicles to hold the liftgates open when in use. A total of 686,287 vehicles may be affected, including Buick Enclave, Chevrolet Traverse and Saturn Outlook models.

Another problem associated with this recall is the Prop Rod recovery software in these vehicles, which normally works to regulate liftgate operation to prevent injury, but would be unable to do so in the affected SUVs.

In a Safety Recall Report also issued by the government agency, the source explains the warning signs associated with this defect.

“As the vehicle’s gas struts wear, the liftgate’s Prop Rod Recovery system will operate to slowly return the liftgate to the closed position,” it states. “The vehicle will also provide audible warnings and flash the tail lamps to indicate there is a problem.”

While there is no notification schedule associated with this recall as of yet, 56 injuries are reportedly associated with the liftgate error, as CBS stated. The fix will involve a software update for better actuator motor control that will keep the liftgate from crashing.

The specific structure of a vehicle and the features it contains require recalls that match these conditions and give dealers and owners a specific place to work from for recovery and success.

Hyundai recalls Sonatas for seatbelt problems

July 9, 2015 Recall Masters Hyundai Recalls

Ulsan, South Korea — July 9, 2015 — The newest Hyundai recall concerns a safety problem in recently produced vehicles. Reuters reported on this action, which will recall 140,000 Sonata sedans across North America and will reportedly come with an easy and quick fix, provided owners bring their car to the dealer and understand the seriousness of the situation. Fortunately, the failure will trigger a dashboard light, helping alert drivers to its presence.

In the affected Sonata sedans, seatbelts could break and become impossible to secure. The source says that the metal tongue of the seatbelt has to be inserted correctly to avoid jamming the buckle and rendering the belt inoperable. Although these Sonatas were built in 2014, between April and December, they were given the model year 2015.

Other recent recalls have affected Hyundai Sonatas within the past year, but these generally concerned external faults as opposed to features that immediately impacted the driver. Some of these other recalls were for conditions like an incorrectly installed left axle that could separate, as well as brake calipers that may fracture.

The former was listed as an assembly error on the official National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) recall website, while the latter was attributed to a “manufacturing error.” The past few months have also seen complaints filed against the Sonata as well, multiple of which concerned engine or electrical systems issues.

Address recalls quickly and comprehensively with programs that are effective and will take dealer and owner actions into consideration. It’s also important that everyone involves understand the severity of an issued recall and how it differs from complaints or ongoing investigations.

Ford kicks off July with body control module recall [Video]

July 8, 2015 admin Ford Recalls, Video

July has just begun, and Ford has recalled several models for safety compliance issues.

In a recent press release, the manufacturer announced a recall for around 433,000 vehicles built at its Louisville and Michigan assembly plants between 2014 and 2015. Due to problems with the body control modules in these autos, the engines could possibly run for longer than intended, even after the ignition is turned off.

Ford Focus, C-MAX and Escape vehicles are all subject to this possible flaw, and the majority of the affected units are in the United States. The manufacturer states that dealers will address the problem by updating the software in the module.

Thank you for watching!

Brake fluid leaks mean recall for Volkswagen

July 8, 2015 Recall Masters Volkswagen Recalls

Chattanooga, TN — July 8, 2015 — It may be small compared to some of the recent record-setting recall numbers, but Volkswagen is taking action to address brake problems in certain vehicles produced earlier this year. A recall acknowledgement document dated July 6 recorded National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) notice of this recall, which concerns Passat sedans.

A total of 62 units may have been potentially affected by this fault, according to the source, and all of these vehicles were produced within a specific three-day period this past May. Owners are advised to have the vehicle inspected if the brake warning light turns on in their vehicle or if a “wet spot” appears under where the sedans were parked. Dealers should keep affected vehicles separated from others to avoid selling them accidentally.

The acknowledgement statement identifies the particular brake problem, which will not require any extra parts to replace. There have not yet been any accidents or injuries connected to this issue.

“The affected vehicles have a brake line at the left rear wheel area that may not have been properly tightened,” the document states. “If the brake line was not properly tightened, it may leak brake fluid, causing a reduction in braking performance, lengthening the distance needed to stop the vehicle and increasing the risk of crash.”

Although many of the actions needed to correct a vehicle problem may be similar, every recall will have its own specifics and symptoms to watch out for that owners and dealers alike should be aware of. For recalls large and small, entrusting the informative process to professionals ensures that only the right information will reach those that need it.

Ford kicks off July with body control module recall

July 8, 2015 Recall Masters Video

Detroit, MI — July 8, 2015 — July has just begun, and Ford has recalled several models for safety compliance issues.

Thank you for watching!

Chrysler recalls cars for rear control arm problems

July 7, 2015 Recall Masters Dodge Recalls, Jeep Recalls

Detroit, MI — July 8, 2015 — Fiat Chrysler Automobiles has received attention from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) over outstanding recalls, and a new action reported last month will add to the list of current issues the manufacturer is addressing.

According to an acknowledgement statement featured on the NHTSA website, a suspension issue in certain Jeep Grand Cherokee and Dodge Durango vehicles has led to 5,608 being recalled. The specific fault concerns the rear lower control arms in these vehicles, which may break off during use.

Both of the models were produced earlier this year, and the concern reportedly stems back to a notification on June 16, when suppliers informed the manufacturer that the materials “may have been incorrectly heat treated.” This led to an attempt at the Jefferson North Assembly Plant to stall shipment of vehicles with faulty parts on that same day. The component manufacturer is listed by the NHTSA as Chassix.

The safety recall report on this issue went into further detail about the heating problems that affected the supplier’s materials.

“The root cause was determined to be a non-standard heat treating process in which the supplier began hand loading materials in the heat treat oven due to a conveyor issue,” the document states. “The supplier’s manual process adversely affected the heat treat profile. The supplier subsequently shipped materials prior to completion of all required material property testing.”

To remedy this condition, the source reports that vehicles will be inspected before control arms are replaced at the car dealer. FCA will reimburse owners for this inconvenience as part of its “longstanding policy” towards these actions.