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Subaru Addresses Potential Engine Fires

November 9, 2016 admin Subaru Recalls

Subaru is recalling several vehicle models in the U.S. due to engine problems that have the potential to cause fires. The defect was the result of an inappropriate manufacturing process, according to documents compiled by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

The Defect

Subaru is recalling 100,127 Foresters from 2009-2013, Legacy and Outback models from 2007-2009 and WRX and STI models from 2008-2014. All models are equipped with a 2.5-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine. The problem is that a faulty relay in these engines can cause the secondary air injection pump to fail. The pump may then end up working constantly, possibly overheating and melting and then igniting. Subaru believes that the check engine light would be lit if this had a chance of occurring in an affected vehicle.

Timeline

April 25, 2011: Fuji Heavy Industries, Inc. learned of a secondary air injection pump failure that caused the check engine light to go off, but did not result in fire. Fuji investigated and found that the relay associated with the pump had insufficient contact point pressure.

Oct. 10, 2013: Fuji learned of another secondary air injection pump catching fire, but could not investigate it properly.

May 8, 2015: Fuji was able to investigate a separate fire report and determined the cause.

Sept. 30, 2016: Fuji advised Subaru that it would have to conduct a recall of all affected vehicles in the United States.

Proposed Remedy

Subaru dealers will replace the affected secondary air injection pump with a countermeasured replacement pump. This will be done free of charge for all owners.

Ford Recalls Mustangs Over Engine Defect

November 8, 2016 admin Ford Recalls

Detroit, MI – November 08, 2016 – Ford has announced the recall of Shelby GT350 and GT350R Mustangs, due to a defect that could lead to serious oil leaks, engine damage and possible fire hazards.

The Defect

Autoblog reports that Ford will be recalling 8,000 total vehicles of both models from the 2015-2017 model years. The issue is an engine oil cooler tube that could have poorly designed or insufficient crimps, which could lead to hose separation during operation. This could potentially result in an oil leak and engine failure. Owners could face an increased risk of crash or fire.

As yet, Ford says that it has no knowledge of any fires or accidents that have been caused by this defect.

Timeline Of Events

August 2016 – Ford received reports of an engine oil cooler tube replacement. The Ford Critical Concern Review Group determined that the hose in question had separated from a crimp joint.

September-October 2016 – Ford’s engineering teams attempted to analyze parts collected from the field, and determined that the hoses had not been secured properly. Specifically, the crimp process was conducted improperly, making it difficult to control crimp jaw location and hose insertion depth.

The Solution

Ford will soon notify owners of the recall, and will begin the repair process Dec. 12, 2016. Ford will replace the engine oil cooler tube at no cost to owners. Meanwhile, AutoBlog reports that Shelby GT350 Mustangs are still available for purchase, though they will not be delivered to customers and may not be driven until new parts are procured.

Takata Airbags In Jeeps Leads To Recall

November 7, 2016 admin Jeep Recalls

Fiat Chrysler has announced the recall of certain Jeep Cherokee vehicles after a problem was discovered that could prevent airbags from properly inflating. Takata Corporation, the maker of these airbags, has already been involved in a major safety recall.

The Defect

Some 2017 Jeep Cherokees manufactured between Oct. 13, 2016 and Oct. 17, 2016 may have improper welds on the driver’s knee airbag inflator. During a crash, these defects could stop the airbags from opening and protecting the driver.

Timeline

Sept. 24, 2016 – The Tier 2 ARC Automotive Inc. KAB inflators were produced. Maintenance was done on the optical lens covers of the welders used on the inflators.

Oct. 14, 2016 – The Takata Corporation reported two inflator failures in tests.

Oct. 17, 2016 – Takata notified Fiat Chrysler Automobiles US Supplier Quality that some inflators had been welded improperly.

Oct. 18, 2016 – Fiat Chrysler Automobiles US Suppliers Quality told Fiat Chrysler Automobiles US Vehicle Safety and Regulatory Compliance that an investigation would be needed.

Oct. 18-24, 2016 – Fiat Chrysler Automobiles US, Takata and ARC considered their immediate response, as well as correctives that could be taken in the long term to address this issue and prevent the problem from spreading to additional parts.

Oct. 23, 2016 – Takata made plans to keep inflators and ensure that they are all validated before being shipped out.

Oct. 24, 2016 – Fiat Chrysler Automobiles US determined that it would be best to issue a voluntary recall.

Resolution

Fiat Chrysler will conduct a voluntary recall on all affected vehicles in order to replace the defective inflators. The company also plans to reimburse drivers for any expenses associated with repairing this problem on their own.

Toyota recalls 337,000 crossover vehicles [Video]

November 3, 2016 admin Toyota Recalls

In September, Toyota announced a recall of 337,000 S-U-Vs and Lexus sedans because of a defect with the tie rod. The problem is that the threads on the tie rod can start to rust if a nut isn’t tightened properly. That causes the rod to break and drastically alter the suspension of the car. It’s dangerous to the driver because the car can veer off suddenly in one direction.

The recall includes Toyota R-A-V-4s built from October 31, 2005, to September 7, 1010, as well as Lexus H-S-250-h vehicles built between July 6, 2009, and August 26, 2010.

If you have one of those vehicles, take it into your dealership for a rear suspension replacement at no cost to you.

Toyota Halts Prius Sales Over Faulty Parking Brakes

November 2, 2016 admin Toyota Recalls

Toyota has ordered a halt to Prius sales after receiving reports that parking brakes may fail to engage. The issue could lead to vehicles rolling away without warning. The automaker is also recalling vehicles that may have been affected, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

The Defect

Toyota is recalling 91,585 vehicles from the 2016 and 2017 model years, produced between Aug. 5, 2015 and Oct. 3, 2016. Of these cars, about 19,500 have not yet been sold and are still in dealer inventory. The cause appears to be brake cables disengaging from the crank lever of the foot-operated parking brake pedal. If an affected vehicle is left in any other gear than “Park” while the ignition is on, it could roll away.

Timeline

In May 2016, Toyota began to receive reports from drivers about the issue. The end result was three separate Toyota field reports, as well as 64 warranty claims that are believed to be related to this issue.

On Oct. 12, 2016, Toyota filed a Defect Information report with the NHTSA, informing the agency about its voluntary recall.

Proposed Remedy

Toyota expects to begin notifying owners and dealers of the recall in November 2016, and the recall process itself will begin Dec. 11, 2016. Owners will be asked to return their vehicles to their nearest dealer. Toyota will install a clip at the parking brake cable that will prevent it from disengaging. This work will be done free of charge, as all affected vehicle owners are still within their warranty periods.

BMW Contends With Fuel Leak

October 31, 2016 admin BMW Recalls

Improperly crimped wiring for the fuel pumps in gas tanks found in numerous BMW models may cause small fuel leaks, according to a report from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Drivers may notice the smell of gasoline inside their vehicles, and might also see their check engine lights turn on. In addition, the fuel pumps could stop working, causing engines to stall and increasing the risk of a crash.

The Defect

BMW is recalling 136,188 vehicles in the U.S. and 18,284 in Canada as a result of loose wiring that could cause connectors to melt, resulting in the fuel leak. The list of affected models includes the 2007-2011 X5, the 2008-2011 X6, the 2010-2011 X6 ActiveHybrid, the 2010-2011 5-Series Gran Turismo, the 2011-2012 528I, the 2011-2012 535I, the 2011-2012 550I, the 2012 640I and the 2012 650I.

Timeline

June 2011 – BMW first learned about customer complaints of a fuel odor. Further analysis found that the evaporative fuel tank leak diagnostic system could detect the issue. BMW began to alert customers.
September 2014 – The growing number of warranty claims related to this issue caused BMW to issue a worldwide extended warranty program, providing coverage for 10 years and unlimited mileage.
October 2014 – BMW conducted a part recall in China for the same issue, and submitted a Part 579 report to the NHTSA, referencing the existing warranty program.
February 2015 – BMW extended its recall to Japan. It amended the Part 579 report and resubmitted it to the NHTSA.
June 2016 – BMW performed a service action in South Korea in response to a request from the Korean government over this issue.
October 2016 – BMW found that the issue was still common in vehicles that had not already had their fuel delivery modules replaced. BMW conducted a voluntary recall on all vehicles that had not been repaired.

Resolution

BMW will notify all owners of the issue and offer fuel pump replacements free of charge. This will begin Dec. 5, 2016.

Ford Doors May Open Unexpectedly

October 28, 2016 admin Ford Recalls

Dearborn, MI – October 27, 2016 – A component in the door latches may break in select Ford vehicles which prevents the doors from latching shut and may lead to a driver believing all the doors are shut when in fact, they are not, according to a report from the National Traffic Safety Administration. Besides the obvious inconvenience of having doors that don’t lock, doors that are closed the wrong way run the risk of flying open without a moment’s notice. For plenty of reasons, such a scenario would not be ideal for the driver or any passengers.

The Defect

Ford is recalling certain model year Ford Focuses manufactured anytime from 2012 to 2015, Ford Escapes from 2013 to 2015, C-MAXs, Lincoln MKC and Ford Mustangs from 2015 as well as Ford Transit Connect vehicles manufactured between 2014 and 2016. Keeping drivers and passengers inside the car while it is moving is paramount to safety, but the bad latches may make that a problem. As of September 2, 2016, Ford’s investigation into the matter had found one accident and three alleged injuries as a result of the faulty latch. There are more than 2.3 million vehicles affected by this recall.

Timeline of Ford’s Response

October 2015: Ford’s analysis of warranty and field data discovered the problem in the door latches and submitted the issue to Ford’s Critical Concern Review Group.
December 2015 – March 2016: Ford conducted a return analysis and comprehensive data analysis of reports. The Fiesta and Fusion models were recalled as well.
January 7, 2016: Ford opened an earlier investigation as the result of 2013-2015 investigation into similar reports that occurred from 2013 to 2015. Ford Escapes were mentioned a lot on those reports.
March 3, 2016: The 2013 Ford Focus vehicles had notable problems with latches the ability to open.
April 14, 2016: Although specific causes for the door latch malfunction could not be readily identified, Ford took notice of the fact that there were several instances of faulty door latches across various Ford vehicles.
April – June 2016: Although there was a pattern in the gathered data, there was no hard evidence to prove the pinpoint location of the problem. Although the potential for a problem existed, there was no evidence of a precise solution.
June 23, 2016: Ford noted patterns emerging from the data, but did not acknowledge anything specific.
July 2016: Ford Focus and Escape vehicles with latches made from the same facility in Mexico reported issues with the vehicles. On July 29, 2016, Ford’s Field Review Committee approved a safety recall for the most at-risk vehicles based on the data presented to them.
August 4-26, 2016: Through ongoing discussions with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Ford extended their safety recall for every vehicle that falls under this category.
September 1, 2016: Ford’s Field Review Committee reviewed the concern and approved action.

The Solution

Ford’s solution to the defect starts with notifying all of the owners of the problems associated with their vehicles. Next, dealerships will schedule appointments with the customers to replace the faulty door latches with improved parts, free of charge. Because replacement parts are limited, individual owners will be sent an interim notification beginning on October 3, 2016. Parts should become available during the second quarter of 2017, and customers will be notified when parts are available.

The Problem With Mazda Lift Gates

October 26, 2016 admin Mazda Recalls

Washington, D.C. – October 26, 2016 – The lift gate of Mazda vehicles are beginning to drop unexpectedly, according to a memo released by the National Highway Traffic Administration. The result is usually not pretty for anyone involved. The individual working with the car is likely to be injured when the lift gate of a vehicle drops unexpectedly toward him or her. In a variety of vehicles, Mazda found that the struts of the lift gate may corrode over time, which is likely responsible for the gate dropping. The company is recalling Mazda3 and Mazdaspeed3s made between 2010 and 2013, Mazda5s from October 26, 2010 to June 22, 2015, CX-3 vehicles from June 1, 2015, to December 26, 2015, and CX-5s from December 15, 2011, to December 26, 2015.

The Defect

Although professionals are still working to find out the exact causes of such a problem in the lift gates, researchers believe that insufficient corrosion protective coating was applied in the first place. There are plenty of things that can cause corrosion to those parts. If materials like that are exposed to water that contains road salt, the compound can cause corrosion. If that is the case, the mechanisms holding the lift gates up will not be able to do their job properly. That is when issues like unexpected drops occur.

Timeline Of Mazda’s Response

Unlike other recall processes, Mazda has taken a relatively straightforward approach to this issue. Some manufacturers might let this kind of issue drag on for years, but in less than that long, Mazda is taking steps to fixing the problem. Here is a rough timeline for the actions by Mazda:

January 2016: Mazda was notified that there was an investigation on the corrosion of parts that prevent lift gates from falling unexpectedly.
March 2016: Mazda received information saying that salt water may be responsible for penetrating the gap between the outer tube and the end cap. Combined with temperature changes, corrosion can occur.
April – August, 2016: An internal investigation was launched by leaders at Mazda. Although no broken parts were found, the outer tubes of some returned parts were confirmed to be corroded. Mazda then conducted an anti-corrosion evaluation. The results were that the anti-corrosion performances by certain vehicles were not up to par.
August 30, 2016: There still isn’t enough evidence from global markets to cause Mazda manufacturers to panic. But Mazda professionals acknowledge that lift gates may fall or break off vehicles in the future if steps aren’t taken to prevent it. In an effort to get out ahead of any future problems, Mazda issued a recall.

The Solution

Mazda is doing their best to help people who have encountered this problem. In fact, Mazda dealers replace lift gates and their components free of charge. Mazda is planning on sending interim letters to car owners starting on November 1, 2016 and plan on sending secondary letters as parts become available. That’s the bad news – parts are currently unavailable. If you have any questions in the meantime, reach out to the Mazda customer service center at 1-800-222-5500.

Service Brakes the Reason For Nissan Recalls

October 25, 2016 admin Nissan Recalls

Washington, D.C. – October 25, 2016 – A brake fluid leak in some Nissan vehicles may cause an electrical short which carries with it the risk of a fire breaking out, according to a recall memo from the National Traffic Safety Administration. The Nissan vehicles mentioned in the report included the 2016-2017 Maxima, 2015-2017 Murano and 2015-2016 Murano hybrid. Additionally, the report mentioned that as many as 120,329 vehicles were affected by the issue. Nissan informed dealers on September 2, 2016, and began preparing notifications for the owners to go out via first class mail some time in the following 60 days.

The Defect

The vehicles that are at risk for having the defect mentioned in the recall are equipped with actuators that were manufactured outside of specified dimensions. In fact, the wrong die temperatures may have resulted in the formation of seal hardness in the vehicles with Nissan’s Intelligent Cruise Control. If this occurs, the seal will likely leak brake fluid onto a circuit board. Although an ABS warning lamp, should be triggered in response to the leak, the an electrical short can occur and a fire could break out at that location in your vehicle.

Timeline Of Nissan’s Response

Nissan recommended that if the ABS light inside your Nissan vehicle stays illuminated for more than 10 seconds, you should pull over and park your car as soon as you can. Although it took a little time to investigate the issue, Nissan has done a good job of putting together a game plan to handle the recalls. Here are a few distinct actions that Nissan took over the course of first finding out about the problem to the issue of a recall:

June 7, 2016: Nissan was first notified of an incident involving thermal damage to a 2016 Nissan maxima. There was an inspection of the vehicle scheduled immediately to determine the cause and origin of the problem.
June 2016: After the inspection, Nissan determined that a fire did occur and likely originated in the area around the ABS actuator. Upon further investigation, it was made clear that the ABS warning lamp was on prior to the issue. Nissan proceeded to notify the ABS actuator unit supplier (ADVICS) and continued the investigation with the supplier.
June 2016 – August 2016: In collaboration with ADVICS, Nissan attempted to determine whether or not this is an isolated incident or one that affects a collection of vehicles. Nissan also monitored other incidents that sound similar to this one more closely.
August 24, 2016: Based on evidence from the investigation, Nissan determined that the defect was real and a risk to driver safety. As such, the company conducted a safety recall campaign to remedy the issue as much as possible.

The Solution

Every individual who responds to Nissan’s recall can have their vehicle examined at a dealership. Your Nissan professional should inspect the serial number of your ABS actuator to see if it was manufactured during an affected time. If it was, the dealer will replace your ABS actuator at no cost to you, the owner.

Seat Defect Can Increase Chances Of Injury In Collision

October 24, 2016 admin Volkswagen Recalls

Auburn Hills, MI – October 24, 2016 – A manufacturing error in the third row seat of certain Audi Q7s may result in an increased chance of injury during a collision, according to a memo from the National Traffic Safety Administration. The vehicles mentioned in the report from the manufacturer, Volkswagen, include Audi Q7 SUVs that were manufactured between August 17, 2015 to July 31, 2016. In the vehicles affected by the defect, the third row of seats is likely to move forward more than it should in the event of a collision.

The Defect

The Audi Q7s that are at risk for the defect were manufactured with the wrong dimensions in the transverse pipe used to support the third row of seating. The improper construction of such a piece results in a weaker support system for the third row of seats, and hence, the increased chance of injury for passengers seated there in the event of a crash. The defect in the seating prevents 19,205 vehicles from conforming to Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard.

Timeline of Volkswagen’s Response

The Q7 crossover vehicle from Audi has had problems up to this point already. Before this latest recall, Audi announced the recall of some of their Q7 vehicles due to inadequate exterior lighting. This problem with the seat is another, separate issue with the same model of vehicle which could pose a risk to passenger safety. In May of 2016, periodic quality testing first identified the issue. Immediately, Audi (Volkswagen) immediately launched an investigation to determine if the test failure was a result of a defective part or an incorrect test procedure. On August 25, 2016, the issue was presented at the Product Safety Committee. A decision was reached to conduct a compliance recall right away. Since the quality testing, Volkswagen has adjusted its manufacturing protocol to ensure that every Audi Q7 made on or after August 1, 2016, would have third row seating made with the correct dimensions.

The Solution

Although the issue is present in vehicles already on the roads, Volkswagen announced that the recall for eligible vehicles will begin in October of 2016. Audi customers should expect to receive a letter in the mail stating the problem and how to most conveniently get it solved. That said, Audi should be notifying every individual driving one of the vehicles affected by the defect. To remedy the situation, dealerships should install additional back braces to support passengers in the case of a collision. If you’re worried that your vehicle may be at risk for the defect, don’t allow any passengers to sit in your third row of seating until you’ve taken it into a dealership for inspection. The adjustments to your faulty vehicle will be done free of charge, of course. If you have any more questions about the recall, don’t hesitate to reach out to your Volkswagen or Audi professional today.

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