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Volkswagen Moving Forward with Recall Plans in California

February 15, 2016 admin Volkswagen Recalls

Sacramento, CA — February 15, 2016 — With the revelation that Volkswagen vehicles were deliberately engineered to fool emissions tests, pressure has been on the manufacturer to correct this fault. Although the scandal involved hundreds of thousands of cars with 2.0 liter engines, Reuters reports that the auto company recently proposed to adjust the emissions levels of vehicles with 3.0 liter engines.

The source says that Volkswagen’s plan will address the high emissions generated by 80,000 units, including VW, Porsche and Audi models dating as far back as the 2009 model year. The engines in these vehicles reportedly produce pollution “nine times” higher than regulations allow, while emissions from the 2.0 liter engines were as high as 40 times the acceptable amount.

Both the Environmental Protection Agency and the California Air Resources Board (CARB) are reviewing the proposal. The latter organization published a press release announcing its intent to do so.

“VW has stated this plan is intended to remedy the presence of one or more defeat devices in 2009-2015 model year 3.0 liter diesel vehicles,” it said. “CARB will respond following a thorough and complete review to make sure the plan addresses the presence of the illegal defeat device and follows the necessary environmental, vehicle and public health and safety regulations,” the statement adds.

The Federal Transport Authority in Germany recently approved Volkswagen recalls for its 2.0-liter engine vehicles in Europe. Altogether, the company will need to recall 11 million vehicles from around the world, with the majority in Europe.The Wall Street Journal reports that this action is scheduled to conclude by the end of this year.

New Nissan Recall Addresses Hood Latch Issues

February 11, 2016 admin Nissan Recalls

Franklin, TN — February 11, 2016 — Because of issues with the hood latches in hundreds of thousands of Altimas, Nissan has issued a recall, set to take effect sometime later this month. The Part 573 Safety Recall Report, submitted through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration on January 21, states that 846,000 vehicles manufactured at plants in Tennessee and Missouri are at possible risk in this action.

“The new remedy replaces the latch entirely.”

The report further describes the latch problem as the result of improper plating at the supplier, Ontario-based Intier Automotive, Inc. Paint can flake off of the affected latches, potentially leading to corrosion that leaves the secondary hood latch in a vulnerable open position.

The hood could then open while the vehicle is moving, causing a visual hazard for the driver. Model years for these 4-door light vehicles range from 2013 to 2015.

This issue was the subject of previous recalls, in which the solution involved lubricating the latch joint after a sufficient inspection. The new remedy replaces the latch entirely, and should be taken by owners that were part of the earlier recall actions.

“The hood latch in the subject vehicles will be replaced with a new one, even if the customer received a new latch as part of the repair for the previous recall,” the report reads.

While there are no crashes currently connected to this problem, Reuters notes that the manufacturer has received complaints regarding hoods that unlatch and open unexpectedly, and that the two other similar Nissan recalls happened within the past two years. The new recall also reportedly concerns 58,644 vehicles outside of North America.

More than 300,000 Vehicles Recalled in New Toyota Action

February 10, 2016 admin Takata Airbag Recalls, Toyota Recalls

Tokyo, Japan — February 10, 2016 — Toyota’s new recall involves roof-mounted side airbags in a variety of models. The Associated Press featured a list of the affected vehicles, which include Tundras, Sequoias, Land Cruisers, 4-Runners and Lexus LX and GX 470s with model years ranging from 2003 to 2006. According to this source, occupants of these vehicles are at risk due to badly programmed air bag control computers.

“Occupants of these vehicles are at risk due to badly programmed air bag control computers.”

Altogether, the recall will involve 320,000 vehicles, which will be inspected by the appropriate dealers. Although no official notification date was listed, a press release from the manufacturer said that owners will be notified “by first class mail” as part of the recall.

This statement also added that the replacement airbag control module will have “improved programming” that unnecessarily triggers the Curtain-Shield-Airbags (CSAs), which could actually cause more danger. Earlier this month, a similar recall concerned thousands of Lexus RX 350 and RX 450h vehicles for knee airbag modules: in that case, the modules were said to be improperly manufactured.

“Due to improper programming in the airbag control modules, there is a possibility that, under certain specific and limited conditions shortly after startup, the CSAs and seat belt pretensioners could activate when not necessary,” the statement said. “Unexpected activation of the CSAs could increase the risk of injury to the occupant,” it added.

As Automotive News stated, neither of these Toyota recalls are connected to the Takata airbag inflator concerns that have affected millions of units. However, 2015 Toyota vehicles are reportedly part of the ongoing investigations.

BMW i8 Vehicles Recalled for Stability Issues [Video]

February 9, 2016 admin BMW Recalls, Video

Westwood, NJ — February 22, 2016 — Just 16 vehicles are part of a BMW recall expected this February. However, a recall acknowledgement document suggests that this issue could lead to serious operator risks.

This action affects i8 vehicles with improper Dynamic Stability Control systems. These affected cars could have holes that were incorrectly drilled, which could keep the brakes from functioning. This action specifically affects i8’s produced between May 29 and June 5 with the model year 2015. Fixing this may require the entire DSC unit to be replaced after inspection.

The manufacturer decided to conduct a recall on December 17, although it isn’t scheduled to take place until next month. There are no reports of accidents traced to this defect, and the supplier first informed BMW of the possible problem this past November.

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New Death Leads to Ford Ranger Recall

February 4, 2016 admin Ford Recalls

Dearborn, MI — February 04, 2016 — In a continuation of the Takata airbag recalls, Ford is recalling 361,692 vehicles equipped with the potentially dangerous airbags. The recall includes 2004-2006 Ford Rangers.

Recall summary

As a chronology document from Ford notes, a tenth death was recently connected to the inflator issue after a 52-year-old man from South Carolina was struck by shrapnel from the exploding airbag inflator canister. While the root cause of the possible defects in these vehicles is not known, the source says that driver-side airbag inflators could rupture in a crash after “excessive internal pressure.” Owners are instructed to take their vehicles to the nearest dealer to have the inflator replaced. The vehicles included in this recall were manufactured as far back as March 24, 2003.

“On January 22, 2016, Ford participated in a vehicle inspection coordinated by NHTSA’s Special Crash Investigation team and observed an inflator anomaly in this vehicle,” this statement reads. “NHTSA requested that Ford file a defect notification based on a defect notification filed by Takata.”

The document notes that Takata had previously tested more than 1,940 airbag inflators “without incident” for vehicles in the 2004 and 2005 model year ranges.

The repair

Ford will notify owners included in this recall beginning March 7. The dealer notification date was scheduled for January 26. The recalled vehicles will receive an “interim repair”⏤essentially the same Takata airbag, but not as old, so less of a risk⏤and will eventually be replaced with an entirely different airbag altogether.

Is your vehicle part of the recall?

Over 360,000 Ford Rangers were originally part of this recall. As of July 28, 2017, only 528 cars had gotten an “interim” airbag installed. On December 11, 2017, the final repair became available. As of April 9, 2021 – the last date information was available – 193,653 airbags had been replaced. To see if your car still needs to be repaired, use MotorSafety’s free lookup tool.

GM Trucks Recalled for Compartment Spring Error

February 3, 2016 admin GMC Recalls, Video

Warren, MI — February 03, 2016 — Some General Motors-produced trucks include door latch assemblies that may not comply with regulations. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, vehicles with this fault may have console compartment doors that will open during a crash.

The NHTSA states this is a possible passenger risk, because the contents of the compartment could fall out. Nearly 9,000 vehicles may potentially be involved in this recall, issued because these doors were built with the incorrect spring in the latch assembly. General Motors’ console supplier, Yanfeng, noticed the issue last September, and the Manufacturer’s report was issued on November 30, the same date on which dealers were notified.

To fix the error, dealers have to replace the wrong assembly spring with the right one. The NHTSA notes that the GM recall affects Chevrolet and GMC Colorado vehicles, both made for the model year 2016.

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Fuel Problems Lead to Ferrari Recall [Video]

January 28, 2016 admin Video

Maranello, Italy — January 28, 2016 — Last month, Ferrari recalled more than 300 vehicles for fuel line issues. A manufacturing problem may trigger a fuel evaporation leak, eventually leading to a fire risk.

As always, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration features a safety recall report on the action. According to this document, the risk comes from incorrect fuel pipe treatment produced by Dytech. This supplier has already developed a remedy component that remove the chance of a fuel vapor leak. The issue affects two different models of Ferrari vehicle: the California T and the 488 GTB.

The leak was determined as a safety defect this past November. The dealer network received a “Stop Sale” notice and the new low pressure fuel line assembly parts were put into production on November 6.

Thank you for watching! Learn more about Ferrari recalls and other major actions by visiting our blog.

Hyundai Elantras Recalled to Fix Stability

January 26, 2016 admin Hyundai Recalls

Fountain Valley, CA — January 26, 2016 — Hyundai will launch a recall for thousands of Elantra vehicles that could lose engine power as a result of a faulty control system. While owners will officially be notified on February 19, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has already posted information on the reasons behind the action, including what users can expect to see when this issue is present.

The recall concerns 155,000 sedans, all of which were built between the Octobers of 2010 and 2011.

“Due to an electronic stability control (ESC) sensor malfunction, the brakes for one or more wheels may be applied unexpectedly and the engine power may be reduced,” the organization’s recall summary states. “These symptoms will be accompanied by illumination of the ESC indicator lamp in the instrument cluster.” This statement also mentions the risk that comes with applying brakes “inappropriately,” which could make it harder to correctly steer the vehicle.

According to Edmunds.com, the recall concerns 155,000 sedans, all of which were built between the Octobers of 2010 and 2011. The source advised owners to start contacting dealers even before the recall launches in case of serious issues. The model years for the affected vehicles are 2011 and 2012, and there are currently no injuries connected to this problem.

The ESC is especially at risk of malfunction in these vehicles when users attempt to make a turn. Normally, the sensor will activate the control to counter sliding in an improper direction, but in this case, the system activates unnecessarily. The remedy will involve an inspection and update, in which dealers change the calibration as needed. Earlier Hyundai recalls included 2011-2013 Elantras for difficulties with the headliner support brackets.

Steering Gearboxes in BMW Vehicles Could Lead to Damage

January 22, 2016 admin BMW Recalls

Westwood, NJ — January 22, 2016 — BMW of North America is recalling just two vehicles for steering gearbox concerns, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration noted. As the official recall acknowledgement states, one of these is a MINI Cooper and the other is a BMW X1.

Both of the recalled vehicles were produced in 2015.

While both of these were produced in 2015, the MINI Cooper has the model year 2016. The gearbox in these vehicles could contain incorrect parts and lead to a dangerous malfunction, launching the recall effort proper on December 28, 2015.

The solution for this error involves replacing the gearbox entirely, which the manufacturer will do for free. In a pair of manufacturer notices to dealers BMW of Anchorage and MINI of Manhattan, the company urged these locations to not “sell, lease or deliver any vehicle covered by this notification until the recall repair has been performed. This means that centers may not legally deliver new motor vehicles to a consumer until it is fixed or use/sell replacement equipment/parts subject to a Recall.”

Back in October, BMW recalls began to address air bag module concerns in 2016 MINI Cooper two-door and four-door vehicles. This recall included more than 6,070 vehicles and the NHTSA notice stated that the air bag defect violated the Occupant Crash Protection requirements of the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard.

The particular air bags cited in this recall were located in the frontal side passenger of the vehicle. Because of manufacturing problems, the vehicles may not deploy airbags correctly when a crash occurs, specifically during what the statement called “a low speed crash.” That recall was originally scheduled for November 20.

Hyundai Recalls New Genesis Vehicles

January 21, 2016 admin Hyundai Recalls

Fountain Valley, CA — January 20, 2016 — As of late last month, Hyundai will recall more than 11,140 vehicles to address an issue in the tire sidewall. Tire sidewall in the affected vehicles could lose air as a result of cracks and rupture, and the manufacturer will officially begin the action on February 19. Dealers will fix the problem by simply replacing the factory-issues Hankook Ventus S1 noble2 tires.

The Genesis vehicles targeted in this recall, number 138, were produced between March 2014 and February 2015, with the 2015 model year, according to a press release included with an article in Autoblog. Owners are encouraged to contact the manufacturer’s customer service line for more information.

This possible danger comes at a conspicuous moment for Hyundai, given the important predictions made for the Hyundai line in the coming years. A different article from Autoblog reports that Hyundai expects to expand the Genesis line over the next few years. Autoblog’s Steven Ewing describes the company’s plans for this brand.

“The official transition from Hyundai Genesis sedan to Genesis G80 happens this summer, with the 2017 model year car,” he said. “We don’t expect the G80 to be too different from the existing 2016 sedan, though Hyundai officials tell us some more Genesis announcements will take place at the New York Auto Show in March.” The upcoming G80 is said to be a new version of the current Hyundai Genesis, and the G90 is considered the first vehicle in the new seris.

Vehicles that suffer the sidewall cracks associated with this recall could be more likely to lose control, sending the occupants into danger.