BMW will be asking approximately nine thousand sedan, crossover, and roadster owners to return their vehicles to a manufacturer repair facility for a safety defect that could result in the loss of oil supply to the vacuum pump. Due to an insufficient interference fit, the seal disk in the camshaft could move during engine operation, potentially restricting or blocking the oil supply holes. Over time, the pump could fail resulting in loss of power assist braking and an increased chance of an accident. (Even with loss of assist, the service brake control is able to stop the vehicle because affected vehicles meet the applicable FMVSS pertaining to conditions in which there is a loss of power assist braking.) Continue reading
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Lexus Fuel Leak Safety Problem
Toyota will be contacting the owners of approximately 422,000 Lexus GS, IS, and LS vehicles to return to their dealerships for a problem with the fuel delivery system.
According to reports filed with the NHTSA, the affected vehicles were manufactured with a plating on the fuel delivery lines to protect against corrosion. This plating could result in the sealing property of the gasket seated between the pressure sensor and the pipe to become degraded. Fuel could leak past the gasket and in the presence of an ignition source, may result in fire. The vehicles affected by this recall includes: Continue reading
Takata Airbag Defects Expanding
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) are demanding that airbag manufacturer, Takata Industries along with automobile manufacturer’s BMW, Chrysler, Ford, General Motors, Honda, Mazda, Mitsubishi, Nissan, Subaru, and Toyota, expand their airbag recall to include vehicles beyond the initial geographical areas. This decision comes after a recent driver’s side air bag failure in a vehicle outside the current regional recall area, previous fatalities, and many injuries that have been linked to the problem. Continue reading
2013 Chrysler Town & Country Buyback For Electrical Defects
After trying to have her 2013 Chrysler Town & Country defects repaired, a California resident decided to call the Law Offices of Delsack & Associates, P.C. for advice. She told us she had given her dealership six (6) opportunities to fix electrical problems that would cause the malfunction indicator light to constantly remain on. The dealership was already aware of the problem, as two technical service bulletins (TSB) had been issued by Chrysler informing technicians that software reprogramming and selective erasing could be a fix. (NHTSA ID: 10054201, Service Bulletin No.: SB-18-048-13 and NHTSA ID 10054169, Service Bulletin No.: SB-18-029-13.) Unfortunately, they still could not fix her minivan. Continue reading
Infiniti Hybrid Sedan Transmission Defect
Infiniti is alerting owners of certain 2013-2015 hybrid sedans of a safety defect with their vehicles transmission software. In the affected vehicles, the Engine Control Module (ECM) is designed to go into fail safe mode and partially close the electronic throttle chamber if it detects a signal interruption from either one of the two Throttle Position Sensors (TPS). A programming error could lead to the electronic throttle chamber gradually opening regardless of the throttle position, resulting in the acceleration of the vehicle. Although the acceleration can be overcome by normal application of the brakes, the issue could increase the risk of an accident. Continue reading
Audi A4, S4, and AllRoad Airbag Defect
Volkswagen will be asking approximately one hundred thousand owners of certain 2013-2015 Audi A4 and S4 sedans and 2013-2015 Audi AllRoad crossovers, to return their vehicles to the manufacturer to have the airbag control software updated. During routine testing, the manufacturer identified a potential issue with the frontal airbag system deployment parameters which could result in the front airbags not deploying during a second impact, after the side airbags have been deployed. This problem could result in increased risk of injury to the vehicle occupants. Continue reading
Mercedes-Benz C-Class Loss Of Steering At Low Speeds
Daimler AG will be asking owners of some 2015 Mercedes-Benz C300 and C400 sedans to return their vehicles to a Mercedes approved repair facility to have the steering system inspected for a manufacturing error that could result in loss of steering control. According to reports filed with the NHTSA, an improper assembly procedure could result in the steering coupling interlock mechanism not being locked in place. The sliding shaft could become disengaged from the coupling as the result of vibrations, steering thrust, or load feedback from the road surface. If the shaft becomes disengaged the driver may experience noises, steering backlash, and/or loss of steering control. Continue reading
Does the California Lemon Law Apply To Used Vehicles?
Although the California lemon law was designed to protect consumers who discover unfixable defects with the new vehicle they have purchased or leased, many states have included provisions to protect used car consumers as well.
The defect still must impair the safety, value, or use of the vehicle, and a manufacturer approved repair facility must be given a reasonable number of repair attempts to qualify. This includes four (4) repair attempts for the same or similar problem or two (2) repair attempts for a defect likely to cause serious bodily harm. Continue reading
