November 2015 | MotorSafety.org

Honda Models at Highest Risk in Ongoing Takata Recall

November 30, 2015 admin Honda Recalls, Takata Airbag Recalls

Washington, DC — November 30, 2015 — Earlier this month, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration announced that it would impose a record fine on Takata after the massive recalls following concern over its potentially explosive airbag inflators. More recently, the organization has sought out possible applicants to work as a monitor as described in a Consent Order and Coordinated Remedy Order.

Though the recalls have affected 12 manufacturers, including Toyota, Ford and Nissan, the brand with the largest amount of models at high risk is Honda, which claims to have fixed 44 percent of its recalled vehicle population.

Honda vehicles have also been involved in the accidents the faulty inflators have caused. Most recently, a Utah woman named Randi Johnson sued the company for an explosion that damaged her vocal cords this September. This incident involved a 2003 Honda Civic: Honda reportedly has nine models at the highest levels of risk, dating back as far as model year 2001. There have been eight fatal accidents traced to these inflators so far.

Late last month, the New York Times reported on a different Honda recall centered on hundreds of thousands of Accords. Improper sensors in these vehicles could activate airbags if doors were slammed too hard: complaints surrounding this issue reportedly stretch as far back as last year.

After Honda, the manufacturer with the highest number of affected models is Fiat Chrysler, responsible for seven models at the highest level of risk. As CNBC notes, Priority One vehicle owner demand has to be met by March 31 of next year.

Kia Recalls Soul Hatchbacks

November 25, 2015 admin Kia Recalls

Washington, DC — November 25, 2015 — The most recent of two Kia Motors recalls issued this year began this month, as the manufacturer has responded to five related warranty claims, none of which are related to any reports of injuries. Nearly 256,460 Soul vehicles are part of this new voluntary recall action, affecting those vehicles with model years between 2014 and 2016, according to Car and Driver. In these autos, weak adhesive can cause gears within the steering assemblies to separate.

Drivers who experienced this failure would have more difficulty steering their vehicles, putting them and passengers at risk. The remedy, listed on the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), will require owners and dealers to replace the pinion plug and add a set gear if necessary.

The decision to launch this recall began on October 29, and the order will officially take place on December 22. Kia initially evaluated the steering gear assembly in 2015MY Soul vehicles this September, with the analysis itself being conducted between October 12 and 21.

During this time, Kia discovered “that a thread locking adhesive of insufficient bonding strength had been applied” within the assembly. A chronology released by the NHTSA notes both this and the fact that none of the reported cases led to loss of control.

The earliest manufactured vehicles included in this recall trace back to a January 18, 2014 manufacture date. On its official website’s FAQ, Kia advises owners to contact its Roadside Assistance if they experience a “clunking noise” while steering so they can tow the vehicle to the nearest dealer.

Mustang seatbelt recall set to begin in December [Video]

November 24, 2015 admin Ford Recalls, Video

Late last month, Ford announced that it would recall certain Mustangs for seatbelt issues. As Car and Driver reported, this was part of a series of recalls that accounted for nearly 113,000 vehicles. The Mustang seatbelt concern, however, only applies to 1,900 cars.

This recall is scheduled to begin December 14, and will focus on Mustangs produced this September and October, with the model year 2016. These seatbelts reportedly don’t comply with the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard and could fail to properly protect passengers in the event of a crash.

To fix this, dealers are going to overhaul the seatbelts, including the affected child seat tether anchors and the front and rear belt assemblies.

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Honda Fit Recall Addresses New Airbag Issue

November 24, 2015 Sean Reyes Honda Recalls, Video

Despite the concern over the Takata airbag recalls, some unrelated airbag issues are also plaguing the same manufacturers affected by Takata. Cars.com reports that thousands of cars are being recalled for a defect that may puncture airbags as they are being deployed, due to badly manufactured rear grab-handle brackets.

Though Honda discovered this problem earlier this year, it has conducted tests before two years ago and found no concern with the brackets.

Nearly 26,000 Honda Fit LX 2015 and 2016 models are subject to this action, and owners will be notified on December 4. While there have been no injuries reported, a puncture could lessen the safety impact of a side curtain airbag and make accidents more dangerous for passengers.

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Five Models of BMW Recalled for Child Seat Safety Risk

November 23, 2015 admin BMW Recalls

Woodcliff Lake, NJ — November 23, 2015 — BMW owners with children should be wary of a new recall action from the manufacturer centered around a series of vehicles made for model year 2016. These cars may reportedly violate the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard by making it impossible for child seats to engage with lower child seat restraint anchors. This would leave children more vulnerable if an accident occurred, as a recall acknowledgement on the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) site states.

According to the Part 573 Safety Recall Report, 70 percent of a group of 7,162 vehicles were considered potentially defective. Affected models include the 528i, 535i, 535d and 550i sedans, as well as their xDrive counterparts. Of these, the 528i group has the highest number of autos at possible risk (2,377).

“During vehicle assembly, the inboard lower anchor on the left rear seat may have been bent downwards,” the report states. “It may not be possible to securely attach a child restraint system to the lower anchors on the vehicle’s left rear seat, which would increase the risk of injury to a child in an accident.”

The problem was discovered earlier this year and the recall is currently scheduled for December 24. A service information bulletin shows where to find the faulty bracket and instructs dealers to make the repair without any additional parts.

While these vehicles are still awaiting repair, owners are required to cease selling new models under the threat of “substantial civil penalties.” They also can’t deliver vehicles covered by the BMW recalls under any agreement, including a lease.

New Volkswagen Recall Centers on Porsche

November 20, 2015 Sean Reyes Porsche Recalls, Video, Volkswagen Recalls

While Volkswagen is still reeling from a scandal involving emission cheats, it has announced a new worldwide recall for thousands of Porsches. In a press release, the company noted that consumer complaints have prompted this voluntary action, which will address faulty fuel lines in Macan S and Macan Turbo cars.

In affected vehicles, a leak in the low-pressure fuel line could require the entire line to be replaced. No injuries have been traced to this issue, and the entire range includes nearly 59,000 autos. Of these, only 21,000 are in the United States.

Vehicle owners will work closely and directly with the manufacturer to have the affected units overhauled in the workshop for approximately one hour. The other Volkswagen recall concerns 11 million cars for the emissions cheating software in their engines.

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Honda Fit recall in effect to address airbag issue [Video]

November 18, 2015 admin Honda Recalls, Video

Though Honda discovered this problem earlier this year, it has conducted tests before two years ago and found no concern with the brackets.

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Recalled Nissans Could Deactivate Airbags

November 18, 2015 admin Nissan Recalls, Takata Airbag Recalls

Franklin, TN — November 18, 2015 — Some Nissan vehicles may sport a defect that puts passengers at risk during a crash. A letter from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) announced that six different models of Nissan cars, including three types of Infiniti vehicles as well as Altimas, Pathfinders and Sentras, are part of a new recall action first reported on October 20. Model years range from 2013 to 2015, and 919 units total are affected.

The key issue concerns malfunctioning Occupant Classification Systems. In these cars, a bad control unit could deactivate a passenger-side airbag after falsely determining that no one was sitting there. This problem comes from faulty parts acquired through a “supply chain error,” according to the Part 573 Safety Recall Report, also from the NHTSA.

As the recall plays out over this month, dealers can prepare for the official remedy actions, which include updating the software after connecting to the vehicle. A bulletin from the company instructs dealers to repair the OCS using the ASIST software system, as long as no people or objects are in the vehicle at the time of operation.

“Only specific vehicles identified in Service COMM (VIN specific) are subject to this campaign because they may have previously been serviced with an incorrect part,” the bulletin states. “Other vehicles within the specified date range are not subject to this campaign.”

Nissan has previously conducted an OCS-related recall campaign in 2014. This latest action was sparked after further investigations begun earlier this year: the company issued the recall after determining how widespread the effects would be.

GM Windshield Wiper Motor Fire Risk

November 17, 2015 Sean Reyes GMC Recalls, Video

Warren, MI — November 13, 2015 — In a press statement, General Motors recently announced a new recall for more than 30,000 of its SUVs across North America. Owners of these vehicles could, in extreme cases, be at risk of fire.

Although the manufacturer noted that the fire risk is only present in “some cases,” the windshield wiper motor could overheat to the point that it causes the motor cover to catch fire. The recall effort officially began on September 30, a day after the report receipt date.

Makes and models associated with this recall include the 2016 Chevrolet Traverse, Buick Enclave and GMC Arcadia, all produced within a range of a few weeks this year between August and September. To remedy the situation, GM states that dealers will replace the wiper motor cover assembly on the front of the affected vehicles.

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Only One Car Affected in Rolls-Royce Recall

November 16, 2015 admin BMW Recalls

Woodcliff Lake, NJ — November 16, 2015 — A new recall impacts just one Rolls-Royce vehicle, according to documents available through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). This source reports that a recall action identified late last month will involve a single 2015 Rolls-Royce Ghost, built in January 24 and possibly vulnerable to front air bag problems that may put occupants at high side impact risk during a crash.

In addition to posing an occupant risk, the vulnerability could mean that this affected vehicle doesn’t meet Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard regulations. The official launch date of the recall was October 22, and the dealer remedy was specifically focused on the thorax air-bag modules.

An aftersales bulletin from the manufacturer describes the actions taken to address the non-compliance issue. Recipients of this bulletin included Rolls-Royce dealer service managers, parts managers and service technicians.

“A delivery stop has been implemented for one vehicle that has the incorrect thorax airbag fitted to both front seats causing a possible non-compliance with NHTSA regulations,” the bulletin reads. “Rolls-Royce Motor Cars took immediate action on discovering this issue and have stopped deliveries of affected vehicles and has authorized the replacement of the affected thorax airbag modules.”

The Ghost has been recalled before in recent years: Hundreds were part of a 2011 action concerning overheating circuit boards. While this latest issue is not connected with the Takata airbag recalls, Rolls-Royce parent company BMW Group is one of the 12 major manufacturers involved in that ongoing situation, which has already involved 19 million vehicles and a fine as high as $200 million for Takata.