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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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.
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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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.
Detroit, MI — November 12, 2015 — In some recalled Chrysler vehicles, a wiring problem can lead to an airbag being unnecessarily deployed on the driver’s side.
According to the NHTSA, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles is recalling more than a million trucks of five different model years and types. In the official Recall Acknowledgement document, the source said that the wiring harness on the steering wheel could accidentally trigger the airbag when it is not needed. This poses an obvious threat to the driver.
The manufacturer has assigned two fixes to this problem: dealers will both secure the harness and add protective caps to the air bag retainer spring ends if necessary after inspection.
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Recall MastersChrysler Trucks Recalled For Airbag Malfunction
Auburn Hills, MI — November 06, 2015 — Five different Volkswagen models have been recalled in response to a power braking concern. According to a National Highway Traffic Safety Administration document from last month, a section of the camshaft in affected vehicles could “shear off” in certain circumstances. The models affected by this problem are Beetle, Golf, Jetta, GTI and Passat autos for the model years 2015 and 2016.
A total of 91,867 units are thought to be affected by this issue, which may hurt the brake assist capabilities if the camshaft lobe breaks. The first failures were detected in February, when field monitoring began. Although a repair solution is expected by the end of 2016’s first quarter, the Part 573 report on this issue notes that no remedy has been developed yet: in fact, the problem itself “has not been fully understood.”
This same report also details the ways that the defect will impact steering in vehicles. Owners can look for the Malfunction Indicator Light as a sign that the problem has occurred.
“Due to high load on the sintered cam which drives the high pressure fuel injection pump and the vacuum pump in the affected vehicles, the camshaft lobe has the potential to unexpectedly shear off from the camshaft,” it reads. As a result, the report notes, the vehicle can lose vacuum pump power and subsequent brake functionality.
This latest action comes at a busy time for VW recalls: Volkswagen has announced that 11 million vehicles globally will be recalled due to the emissions-cheating software installed in them.
Detroit, MI — November 05, 2015 — Mini Cooper and Cooper S vehicles with model years between 2002 and 2005 could be at risk of a failure that cuts off power steering, shocking drivers suddenly and perhaps prompting an accident.
The case goes back five years and has generated nearly 340 complaints, as drivers reported both accidents and even fires breaking out within the cars themselves. Dealers will make repairs to the power steering to fix the issue once the remedy effort begins in December, and the entire action will concern 86,018 autos, according to Automotive News.
This recall comes after negotiations between the manufacturer and the government, with the latter insisting on a recall based on previous evidence of damage. While the defect doesn’t disable steering completely, it could cause drivers to lose their control as they are operating their vehicle. The systems in these cars are currently protected by a 13-year warranty, which means those of the older vehicles would end this year.
Another Mini Cooper recall was also issued in October, concerning problems with air bag deployment in the passenger side. Consumer Affairs’ James Limbach described this action.
“Due to a manufacturing error, the front passenger air bag may not deploy properly in a low speed crash,” Limbach noted. “Thus, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 208, ‘Occupant Crash Protection.’ ” The remedy for this problem won’t begin until November 20, and will see dealers replacing the defective module, which is potentially in both four and two-door vehicles. This recall includes 6,073 cars.
Auburn Hills, MI — November 04, 2015 — Thousands of Ram 1500 trucks produced this year may be in danger thanks to axle shafts that could be vulnerable to breakage thanks to poor use of heat treatment. In a press release cited by Autoblog, manufacturer Chrysler noted the potential danger this could cause for owners, although the defect has only led to one possibly related accident so far.
According to the source, 65,760 trucks are included in the U.S. extension of the recall. Around the world, the same action has led to thousands of more vehicles being included, with the greatest number of these (16,647) in Canada. The relevant model years for this recall are 2015 and 2016.
While there was no notification schedule included with the initial recall statement, the manufacturer is alerting users to contact dealerships in the event of suspicious activity. It also explained the results of the negative conditions and how they can trigger problems in the trucks.
“An FCA US investigation discovered axle shafts produced by a supplier may not have been properly heat-treated,” the press statement said. “This may contribute to increased wear and overheating sufficient to illuminate a vehicle’s Anti-lock Brake System (ABS) warning light; if ignored, the condition may lead to component fracture and possible wheel separation.”
Reuters reports that the total number of trucks recalled includes more than 86,000. As this new outlet also reported, other Chrysler recalls are currently in effect for possible dangers. More than 75,360 Jeep Cherokees for a different issue, involving air conditioning lines close enough to exhaust manifolds to cause a possible fire, a condition that has not led to any reported accidents.
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Franklin, TN — November 03, 2015 — Multiple sources are reporting an extension of a previous Nissan recall that will address issues in thousands of vehicles of different sizes. While the original action covered around 5,500 sedans, the new order broadens the recall to include 41,388 vehicles, as a press release featured on Auto Blog noted. Some Maxima and Altima vehicles could be subject to a fuel leak, potentially sparking a fire if a crash occurs.
This update took effect in October, and the remedy consists of a retainer ring that will fit between the fuel tank and sending unit, as the source describes. The company established a 60-day notification period for vehicle owners as it takes on the further recall action.
Nissan has been working with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) since July to observe flaws within the affected autos. During this time it has conducted multiple crash tests to determine the mechanics of a leak and how stable the cars involved actually are.
In some cases, Nissan noted no leaks after the test, and has also looked closely at the measurements for fuel tanks constructed in the second half of this year, as an official letter from Nissan mentions. This document also notes that Nissan “hypothesized that the H-seal displacement may have been a result of an assembly or parts quality issue” on July 20.
Model years for the Altimas and Maximas involved in this recall range from 2013 to 2016. This month also saw other Nissan recalls involving more than 218,000 Versas for possible issues with coil springs.
Fountain Valley, CA — November 2, 2015 — Starting November 30, Hyundai Motor America is expected to recall as many as 27,700 vehicles produced between 2009 and 2011. According to information from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the recalls apply to Elantra and Sonata models and are registered in 21 different states, including the District of Columbia. Front coil springs in these vehicles could be subject to fracture.
This not only poses a risk to the suspension itself, but to the tires that come into contact with it an get punctured. The condition is especially problematic in the winter, when excessive road salt can weaken the spring, and could play the biggest factor in the “salt belt” states spanning the east coast and stretching over into the upper Midwest as far as Iowa. However, the defect is not limited to this time of year: the first notifications of the problem appeared in June, when multiple complaints emerged connected to the Sonatas.
Dealers will fix the issue by replacing front coil springs without charge. The chronology of this recall, also published by the NHTSA, describes the efforts the manufacturer has made in recent months. The document also notes that previous tests determined a driver could still stay stable in a vehicle suffering this condition, although this did not deter the final Hyundai recalls.
“On September 30, 2015 Hyundai made the determination to proceed with a safety recall campaign, even though there have been no accidents or injuries, or reports of significant loss of vehicle stability or control,” the chronology reads.
adminHyundai Recalls Thousands of Vehicles for Front Coil Spring Issues
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