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Ford Announces Series of Recalls

October 14, 2015 admin Ford Recalls, Mercury Recalls

Dearborn, MI — October 13, 2015 — Ford has begun the new month with several recalls affecting some of its most visible brands, including the Ford Escape, F-150, Taurus and Explorer models. The manufacturer has currently received a minimal number of reports in response to five different Ford recalls, but dealers are taking action to fix the issues for free.

Ford announced these recalls in one single press release on September 30, explaining the individual conditions that have collectively affected hundreds of thousands of vehicles. While the recalls encompass all of North America, the United States is the source of most of the recovered units.

Model years range as far back as 2001 for the transmission issues associated with Ford Escape and Mercury Mariner vehicles. This particular recall concerns a shift control lever bolt that could be loose. The transmission systems in these vehicles were actually remanufactured between this June and July, and will concern nearly 70 individual autos.

The largest of the five recalls involves a range of 342,271 Ford Windstars produced between 1997 and 2003. These were built at the company’s Oakville Assembly Plant and will have the rear axle replaced if the reinforcement brackets are found to have been installed improperly. The rear axle in these vehicles could fracture despite the effects of a previous recall meant to address this issue by adding safety brackets.

Other issues that prompted this recall include fuel tank noncompliance, adaptive cruise control radar and shift control brackets in stripped chassis vehicles. All told, the combined recalls reportedly involve as many as 380,000 vehicles, according to MLive.

Volvo Trucks North America Issues Recall Over Service Brakes

October 13, 2015 admin Volvo Recalls

Greensboro, NC — October 13, 2015 — Last month, Volvo Trucks North America released a safety recall alert regarding thousands of recently manufactured trucks. While no reports of accidents have yet surfaced, the affected vehicles could be subject to either wheel end fires or tire blowouts, due to a fault that forces the service brakes to stay in the “on” position.

Repairs are expected to start on October 13, which is also the deadline for owner notification letters and repair instructions. The potential safety issue was first noticed this April, and the manufacturer submitted its official defect report to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) on August 13.

According to the official Part 573 Safety Recall Report, the trim panel in recalled trucks may have a slot too small for the hand brake to settle after being engaged. As part of the remedy, the newer trim panel will have a longer slot. A total of 2,854 vehicles are possibly involved in this action, including VNL trucks produced between 2011 and 2014.

In the alert document released August 19, Volvo addresses the responsibilities of dealers in this situation.

“Dealers should make their personnel aware of the safety recall. In the event that a dealer has a vehicle included in the safety recall in their inventory to be sold, the condition must be corrected before releasing it to a customer,” the statement reads.

As Land Line magazine notes, other Volvo recalls for trucks have surfaced, including one for the VAH brand concerning vehicles with model years between 2012 and 2016. This pertains to draglink ball socket problems rather than the trim panel.

Another airbag fear leads to Volvo XC90 recall

October 9, 2015 admin Volvo Recalls

Rockleigh, NJ — October 09, 2015 — Volvo Cars of North America is recalling more than 580 XC90 vehicles because of a problem that may affect airbag deployment. Unlike the Takata airbag recalls that have received massive media attention and resulted in record-setting numbers, this one stems from an improperly established Side Impact Protection System wiring harness in the front seats. Passengers in the affected autos could potentially be more at risk of injury in the event of a crash, although no accidents have yet been traced back to it.

Based on the Part 573 Safety Recall Report from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), this recall has a recent history, stemming from a rejection report issued this may. This makes sense, seeing as the affected vehicles are for model year 2016 and represents a relatively fast recall process.

This report both describes the cause of the recall and what owners may need to look out for as a warning.

“If the electrical wiring is incorrectly assembled (clamped between seat back frame and SIPS bracket), there may be a risk of damage to the wiring insulation,” the report states. “The Supplemental Restraint System (SRS) warning light will illuminate and the vehicle On Board Diagnostic system will immediately alert the driver by a message in the Driver Information Module (DIM).”

Back in May, Volvo reportedly sent dealers “a delivery stop action with inspection instructions,” paving the way for proper recall actions to begin in July, although owners were expected to receive a letter by June. Speed in issuing recall statement is essential to launch an action effectively with minimal room for negative developments.

In recalled Dodge Chargers, airbags may activate unexpectedly

October 7, 2015 admin Dodge Recalls

Detroit, MI — October 07, 2015 — Inadvertently deployed airbags aren’t just inconvenient, but dangerous as well. According to a recall acknowledgement posted on the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration website, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles US (FCA US) has instituted a new airbag-related recall that may affect as many as 284,153 Dodge Chargers. In these vehicles, something as common as slamming a door could cause side airbags to inflate. This could also be triggered by what the safety recall report terms “kick events or heavy road inputs.”

The actual source of the fault is sensitive impact sensor calibrations, and the effects could also include activating seat belt pre-tensioners. The report also states that a mere 1 percent of the entire vehicle population is estimated to have the defect, and while the majority of the cars are distributed among the United States, several thousand others are in Canada, Mexico and other countries. Despite this varied area, the recall concerns just one make and model year range: Chargers from between 2011 and 2014.

Unlike some similar recalls, there have reportedly been some incidents connected to this danger. The Associated Press said that the manufacturer has acknowledged “three potentially related injuries,” which, although minor, indicate some of the possible seriousness of this fault. The report doesn’t indicate a timeframe for this recall, but does state that the fix will involve updating calibration.

“To ensure consistency, FCA US, as part of the owner letter, will request that customers send the original receipt and/or other adequate proof of payment to the company for confirmation of the expense,” it reads.

When a vehicle fault is tied to an easy trigger or occurrence, the best course of action is a comprehensive recall solution that communicates this properly.

Airbag failure leads to Volkswagen recall

October 6, 2015 admin Volkswagen Recalls

Berlin, Germany — October 06, 2015 — Several different models of Volkswagen cars are being recalled due to an airbag failure concern across North America. While the manufacturer has yet to discover any actual occurrences, the affected vehicles could suffer from a steering wheel clock spring” problem that will interfere with the system responsible for airbag deployment. The recall will include popular models such as the Passat and Jetta.

As Reuters reports, more than 420,000 of the recalled vehicles are in the United States, as opposed to the 41,300 in Canada subject to the same source. Model years for the recalled vehicles fall between 2010 and 2014.

The Part 573 Recall Safety Report available through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration details the specific conditions which could lead to airbag failure in these vehicles. Although the spring itself won’t keep the airbag from inflating, it is susceptible to contamination from outside debris, leading to a lost electrical connection.

“Should the cable tear, the electrical connection to the driver’s front airbag may be lost, causing the airbag monitoring indicator light to illuminate,” the source says. “In a crash that warrants a driver front airbag deployment, the airbag may not deploy, leading to a risk of driver injury.” The source also says that such contamination can be caused by “long hair or long fibers” displacing the guide loops.

As of July 30, the nature of the remedy for this condition as well as a timeline for its implementation had yet to be determined. However, drivers can refer to the airbag monitoring indicator light, which should correctly alert them to problems with the clock spring.

Engine stalling issue prompts Hyundai recall [Video]

October 5, 2015 admin Hyundai Recalls, Video

A new Hyundai recall will affect hundreds of thousands of Hyundai Sonatas in the United States.

This action is in response to defective engines that could force these vehicles to stall. Owners and dealers have at least two ways to tell if this fault is present in a vehicle: the engine warning light and a knocking noise coming from the engine. Although the manufacturer didn’t originally consider this a safety threat, it has launched the recall after meetings with the Office of Defects Investigation.

The Hyundai recall is estimated to affect 2 percent of the recalled 2011 and 2012 Hyundai Sonatas. The engines in these cars may contain debris from the machining process at Hyundai’s Alabama plant.

Thanks for watching, and be sure to check back for more of the latest auto recall news.

GM Finally Settles Ignition Switch Recall

October 5, 2015 admin GMC Recalls

New York City, NY — October 05, 2015 — General Motors has been grappling with the fallout of its ignition switch recall for more than two years, and now the manufacturer seems to finally be reaching a settlement with federal authorities. The Associated Press reports that the company is scheduled to pay a fine by September 24, in response to a recall of 2.6 million vehicles, including models under the Chevrolet brand.

The company is expected to pay $900 million over this case, with $1 million going to the families of victims of fatal accidents connected to these autos, and $625 million dedicated to additional compensation. The agreement comes after GM received a $35 million fine from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) last year, the highest civil penalty for recall-related actions.

A timeline from the AP shows the sequence of events leading to this agreement. The roots of the ignition switch recall trace back to 2002, when the offending switch design was first approved. The first death connected to these faulty systems was reported on July, 19, 2005. CEO Mary Barra reportedly didn’t learn about the switches until 2013.

Back in the 2014 NHTSA press release, acting administrator David Friedman affirmed the organization’s dedication to pursuing proper actions.

“No excuse, process, or organizational structure will be allowed to stand in the way of any company meeting their obligation to quickly find and fix safety issues in a vehicle,” he said then. “It’s critical to the safety of the driving public that manufacturers promptly report and remedy safety-related defects that have the potential to lead to deaths or injuries on our nation’s highways.”

FCA Recalls Dodge Darts Over Transmissions Concerns

October 2, 2015 admin Dodge Recalls

Auburn Hills, MI — October 2, 2015 — Approximately 23,688 Dodge Darts in the United States with model years between 2013 and 2015 are part of a new auto recall from Fiat Chrysler. According to documents from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), conditions within selected vehicles could lead to a problematic Transmission Control Module fault that forces cars into neutral.

The recall traces back to last May, when 12 claims related to clutch problems in these vehicles were discovered. In July, engineers noticed the solder joints within the transmission module related to the difficulty and the following April the Vehicle Safety and Regulatory Compliance department began monitoring the interim bracket design warranty. The recall was decided upon as of August 18, and the Part 573 Safety Recall Report was submitted to the NHTSA on August 26.

As this report describes, 15 percent of the total target vehicle population are thought to be affected. The report also listed some of the problems related to this issue that could harm drivers and passengers.

“If a transmission shift to neutral event occurs, the customer may experience a loss of motive power,” the source describes. “In the event of a transmission shift to neutral event, the engine does not shut off, and safety systems, like airbags continue to function.”

The Fiat Chrysler recall includes a corrective replacement of the module and the bracket in these vehicles. Dealers will be informed through the “established methods used in the past,” according to an announcement from the Customer Services Field Operations of FCA, also dated for August 26.

Second round of Nissan recalls could be forthcoming [Video]

September 24, 2015 admin Nissan Recalls, Video

According to the New York Times, 990,000 Nissan vehicles could be subject to a new round of recalls for an unresolved airbag deployment issue. Back in 2014, the manufacturer recalled several brands of vehicles, including Altima, Pathfinder and Infiniti JX35, to correct a systems defect that would prevent an airbag from releasing in the passenger seat during an accident.

While a Nissan spokesman stated that the vehicles have been fixed, more than 1,000 complaints have been sent to the federal government claiming that the problem persists. The source speculates that the company may have to respond more thoroughly with a new recall that permanently fixes the vehicles.

Nissan is also mitigating another recall at the same time which involves nearly 300,000 Versa and Versa note autos. This action pertains to a rare but concerning console trim panel problem that could catch the shoes of drivers in mid-operation.

Thanks for watching.

GM Issues Cadillac Recall For Defroster Risk

September 22, 2015 admin Cadillac Recalls

Detroit, MI — September 22, 2015 — A new recall action centers around more than 120,000 Cadillacs at risk of fire damage.

According to the Associated Press, there have been no reports of injuries connected to this issue, but four documented instances of a fire starting in these vehicles after a window defroster overheated.

The defect

In total, the recall concerns approximately 97,000 Cadillac ATS vehicles in the United States and 24,000 elsewhere. Fewer than 1 percent of the vehicle population are considered vulnerable, and the defect has been localized in the “driver’s side rear pillar,” as the source describes.

Timeline of events

Although the models span three years, the manufacturer said that vehicles produced before September 2 are the only ones at risk.

The article describes the source of the possible fires, which could occur after defroster units for the rear windows are used too much. Fortunately, the fix is described as being simple and will not interfere with standard operation once implemented.

The solution

“Dealers will update climate control software to remove a function that automatically turns the defroster on,” the article states. “Drivers will still be able to turn on the defroster manually.”

Automotive News provides additional context for this action, stating that ATS sales have dropped as of last month, down 13 percent when compared to the previous year.

This decline seems to parallel the growth in recall actions regarding the brand, since this most recent one also follows a pair of Cadillac recalls from the same manufacturer for problems with Cadillac sedan sunroofs.

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