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New GM recall targets more than 73,000 Chevrolets

September 19, 2015 admin GMC Recalls

Detroit, MI — September 19, 2015 — Owners of 2010 Chevrolet Cobalts need to be aware of possible defects that may prevent air bag deployment and pose a risk to drivers. According to the Associated Press, General Motors is recalling more than 73,000 vehicles because of this danger, after receiving word of an injury and crash that may be related to this fault. Most of the cars—59,474 to be exact— are in the United States, while 13,950 are in Canada, spreading out the regions where owners might be affected.

The Detroit News has additional details about the recall, including the mechanics behind the wiring problem that keeps the airbag from being released. As this source describes it, the sensor wire harness in the driver side door is to blame. Fortunately, drivers can rely on the vehicle alert system for warning when the air bag isn’t working properly.

“When improperly routed, the window regulator could contact the harness when the window is fully lowered and over time chafe the harness insulation,” the source says. “That could result in a short circuit preventing the driver side roof rail air bag from deploying during a crash. Dealers will inspect all suspect vehicles and any found with the condition will be repaired.”

As the source goes on to note, this is similar to other recent air bag system recalls, some of which have involved wiring problems. This comes in addition to the Takata recall, which, even though it concerns a completely different type of fault and danger to the driver, also concerns problems that will limit airbag effectiveness.

New Fiat Chrysler recall affects more than 85,000 vehicles

September 18, 2015 admin Chrysler Recalls

Detroit, Michigan — September 18, 2015 — Fiat Chrysler Automobiles may be facing more than $100 million in fines from the government, but that hasn’t stopped newer issues from being discovered and further recalls from being issued. According to the Associated Press, the manufacturer has begun a new campaign targeting Chrysler 200 vehicles with the model year 2015 and is beginning to notify customers.

This recall was launched after discovery of a problem with damaged electrical connectors. A statement from a company included on Autoblog describes the effects of the fault, which could force a vehicle to stall unexpectedly. The connectors were reportedly damaged by the supplier but have not been linked to any accidents yet, although it could theoretically pose a danger to drivers.

Of the 85,816 sedans recalled as part of this campaign, 77,834 are from the United States. Comparatively, 7,115 are in Canada, 848 in Mexico and 19 outside of North America. Despite the possible risk posed by this fault, the company said that air-bag function, a major subject of recent recalls, is not affected by this issue.

The specific remedy was not listed, but the company did say that service for those affected by this action will be performed free of charge on the later date. Owners can also look for dashboard warning lights as a possible sign of the problem, although this isn’t a guarantee that the issue is present.

Owners are also encouraged to contact Fiat Chrysler directly through its Customer Care line. The announcement comes as other manufacturers have issued warnings for electrical problems that may affect airbag deployment or effectiveness.

Cybersecurity risks lead to new Jeep recalls [Video]

September 15, 2015 admin Jeep Recalls, Video

Cybersecurity concerns are a new frontier for car safety. Fiat Chrysler Automobiles is recalling more than 7,800 vehicles to prevent them from unauthorized remote access.

According to a press release from the company, the manufacturer has already taken steps to patch software flaws that might cause problems, and has no report of any injuries or complaints. All the same, it is urging owners to implements new software updates using a USB drive. The affected 2015 Jeep Renegades contain 6.5-inch touchscreens and radios.

In addition, the company is clearly trying to distinguish this action from a previous recall for a similar issue discovered over the summer. That action, which involved vulnerabilities in the in-car internet that stoked fears of remote takeover, involved more than 1 million vehicles, including Jeep Grand Cherokees and Dodge Durango SUVs.

Thank you for watching, and make sure you check our blog for the latest recall news.

Toyota recalls 4Runners for burn risk

September 9, 2015 admin Toyota Recalls

Jacksonville, FL — September 9, 2015 — Several thousand Toyota 4Runner vehicles with production years between 2010 and 2015 are part of a new recall based on possible burn risk for consumers. According to the Part 573 Safety Recall Report published by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), 2,530 vehicles are potentially affected and all 100 percent of these are estimated to have the defect.

In the targeted 4Runners, the exhaust tips may burn anyone reaching for it while standing behind the vehicle. This is because these tips are meant to be out of reach for people, even though they are recessed behind the bumper, as it should be.

The recall officially comes from Southeast Toyota Distributors, LLC, which is responding to reports of a burn traced back to this fault earlier this summer. The report details the remedy this action requires, as well as the qualities that will separate the replacement parts from the exhaust tip currently used in these vehicles.

“The exhaust tip will be replaced with a new, re-designed exhaust tip that is smaller in diameter and is recessed a greater distance behind the bumper,” the source says. “The new exhaust tip is smaller in diameter and will be recessed a greater distance behind the bumper.”

As the report document, dated August 17, describes, the planned dealer notification date was schedule for some time between August 11 and 12, while the owner notification will happen on September 21. The manufacturer is also encouraging owners to respond to its recall communications by calling its customer service line.

Faulty start buttons lead to Nissan recall action

September 4, 2015 admin Nissan Recalls

Detroit, MI — September 4, 2015 — The Associated Press (AP) recently reported on a recall effort from Nissan that concerns hundreds of thousands of vehicles around the world because of an issue with the vehicle engine start buttons. Though the models involved vary, all of these vehicles have the potential for the button to stick inside its housing, should it be exposed to extremely hot temperatures.

The real problem arises when the vehicle with the stuck switch travels and disturbs the switches with what the AP describes as “road vibrations.” Internationally, the manufacturer is recalling around 270,000, but within the United States the number is 14,595.

Most of the model names mentioned by the source are sedans built between 2013 and 2014, including Versa, Pulsar, Sunny and Almera. Once the button is stuck in one position, the driver of an affected vehicle may find themselves more vulnerable to a crash. To solve this problem, dealers will modify the switch housing.

The Recall Report on the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration website goes into further detail about the conditions leading to this potential hazard. It takes pains to emphasize that the stuck button is “extremely rare” and only poses a problem if the vehicle encounters vibrations while the button is in this position.

“Due to manufacturing issues that have since been corrected, the casting of the immobilizer antenna housing did not meet design specification,” it reads “As a result, on some of the affected vehicles, the antenna housing can shrink due to environmental exposure to hot temperatures which cause the engine start/stop button to potentially stick inside its housing.”

With sufficient recall reporting techniques, possible dangers can be addressed in a timely manner, with a clear path laid out for dealers and owners alike to follow.

Ford issues a series of recalls

September 2, 2015 admin Ford Recalls

Detroit, MI — September 2, 2015 — According to Trucking Info, Ford will recall more than 182,500 vehicles this year in the United States for a problem related to the instrument clusters onboard. A single recall action centers on two specific brands of vehicles produced by plants in very different locations, one in Spain and one in Kentucky.

All total, the whole recall concerns 203,445 units in North America, specifically the Transit Connect Vans and Escape SUV’s built within the past year. The source says that affected vehicles could trigger a malfunction in multiple systems, including warning chimes. The same article mentions another, comparatively more minor recall for Transit Connect vehicles concerning improperly labeled seatbelts.

While this second action only focuses on a group of fewer than 50 vehicles and hasn’t led to any known damages or injuries, the source says that the belts are still a violation of regulations and need to be replaced.

“These vans, acquired by a single fleet customer, have a special-order front passenger seat belt,” it states. “Though these seat belts work properly, the supplier mislabeled them. The labels don’t include all the information required by federal safety standards.”

Ford has issued other recent recalls for unrelated concerns in their vehicle lines, including a group of 393,623 vehicles with electric power steering problems. As Consumer Affairs reports, this issue requires dealers to investigate the Power Steering Control Module within the cars and replace them accordingly, along with the steering gear as necessary. This recall will take effect at the end of July and apply to several models, including the Lincoln MKS and Ford Taurus.

Issuing recall statements within a tight timeframe will bring consumers and dealers more accurate information about the most recent and pressing manufacturer decisions.

New recall targets Jeep wiper issues

September 1, 2015 admin Jeep Recalls

Detroit, MI — September 1, 2015 — Although it was technically noticed on August 31, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles is beginning the month of September with a new recall action concerning windshield wipers in some of its units. While this issue seems to be more of a concern for certain climates, the vehicles are being recalled from all over North America, including the United States, Canada and Mexico, with the majority of the recalls occurring within the U.S.

An Autoblog article on this case, which quotes a press release from the manufacturers in full, describes the scope of the recall, which includes a total of 158,671 vehicles in the United States alone. Altogether, the total includes more than 206,000 2014 Jeep Cherokees in all regions. More than 26,000 are located outside of the NAFTA regions in this continents, the source adds.

If drivers in these vehicles attempt to use the wipers “during dry conditions,” the wiper control module could accumulate a terminal amount of static buildup, rendering them inoperable. This poses a special risk because the loss of function could happen suddenly, surprising the driver. The release also details the steps they can take to fix the issue.

“Dealers will install a ground strap to the control module to eliminate the potential for static buildup,” it reads. “Customers will be advised when they may schedule service, which will be performed at no cost.” There have yet to be any incidents traced back to this recall.

Last month, the same manufacturer also recalled thousands of Jeep Grand Cherokees as part of a different concern over lower control arms susceptible to fractures.

More than 34 million cars recalled in first half of 2015

August 31, 2015 admin Video

According to the Wall Street Journal, more than 34 million vehicles have been recalled by manufacturers so far this year. The high number stems from recent vehicle concerns that have affected significant names like Fiat Chrysler and General Motors.

The only time when this number was surpassed in nearly 50 years was 2014, which saw roughly 15 million more vehicles recalled within the same amount of time. Before that, the highest amount of vehicles recalled between January and June was in 1981, largely in response to actions from Ford.

The most recent figures are reportedly connected to a wealth of different recall issues. These include not just the Takata air bag recall, itself the largest in American history, but concerns over cybersecurity in vehicles as well.

Thanks for watching. For more auto recall news, make sure you check back soon.

More than 250 Lincoln Town Cars recalled for lack of seating

August 31, 2015 admin Lincoln Recalls

Dearborn, MI — August 31, 2015 — This July, Ford Motor Company announced a recall for many Lincoln MKT Town Cars missing the back seats. While the press release stated that 91 vehicles were involved in this action, the Part 573 report on the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) website states that 265 livery vehicles were potentially affected by this issue and violating safety regulations.

In addition to the missing seats, some of the cars could also be missing the spare tire. The response to this problem has been relatively quick, with the lack of seats first noticed on July 14 and field action first gaining approval on the 21st. The targeted vehicles were produced at Ford's Oakville Assembly plant earlier this year.

The NHTSA document describes the issues related to the lack of seating, including the discrepancy between what these vehicles say their occupancy is and the reality. There were reportedly no injuries associated with this problem as of August 21.

"The placard installed on these vehicles lists the designated seating capacity as five; two in front, three in rear," the report says. "These vehicles were designed and intended to have a second row seat; therefore, the front passenger seating position is not equipped with a tether anchorage."

Since the manufacturer has identified all of the vehicles included in this recall, it will not send specific letters to each owner, though it will "provide remedy instructions" to fleet representatives. This remedy involves installing the rear seat in those vehicles where it is missing, and is part of the original recall associated with the Town Cars.

BMW recalls MINI Coopers for impact risk [Video]

August 28, 2015 admin BMW Recalls

More than 30,000 MINI Coopers will potentially be affected by a recent recall.

[marker] Earlier this month, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration discovered that some MINI Coopers do not meet government structural regulations established by the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard. Specifically, the low side impact rating in these cars would put rear seat passengers in danger. The recall will officially start on September 12.

[marker] The affected vehicles have model years between 2014 and 2015. Fixing this problem will involve installing special material into the exterior of the vehicle to absorb the shock of collision. According to the NHTSA, some vehicles will also receive a small foam patch as part of the update.

Thanks for watching!