Honda will be contacting owners of certain 2002-2006 Honda CR-V crossover SUV’s because of a problem with the driver side power window switch. Honda said that moisture getting in to the drivers door could cause damage to the master power switch causing it to overheat and possibly ignite. There have not been any accidents or injuries related to the problem, but five inside door fires have already been reported. Honda is asking owners to park their vehicles outside until the problem is fixed, because a fire could start even when the ignition is off. Owners wanting more information may contact Honda at 1-800-999-1009.
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Chevy Sonic Turn Signal Malfunction
General Motors (GM) is warning customer’s of certain 2013 Chevrolet Sonic vehicles about a problem that could leave drivers unaware that their turn signals are not functioning. When a turn signal lamp fails to operate, the Body Control Module (BCM) is suppose to detect the condition and warn the driver of the problem. A programing error in the BCM system may fail to warn the driver and if the problem goes unfixed, other drivers will not know that the vehicle is turning. This could increase the risk of an accident. Owners wanting more information can contact the Chevrolet owner center at 1-866-694-6546.
Nissan Leaf Lemon Law Buyback
Two recent lemon law buybacks of Nissan Leaf vehicles in Arizona have Leaf owners in California questioning whether their vehicles can be repaired, replaced, or bought back under the California lemon law.
Approximately 400 Nissan leaf owners in Arizona are claiming that after only a year of driving in warmer than normal temperatures have contributed to a significant loss of driving range in their electric vehicles (EV). One owner said that after only 15 months, his vehicle lost almost 30% of battery capacity giving him a maximum of only 42 miles on a single charge.
In a statement released by David Reuter, Nissan’s vice president of corporate communications, the problems are limited to “a small handful” of Leaf owners, and the vehicles in question were impacted by extreme heat, high speeds, high mileage, and charging method and frequency. He added that there is no defect in the Leaf, but in the interest of customer satisfaction, Nissan bought the cars back. According to Reuter, there have been over 38,000 Leafs sold around the world and the majority customers are very satisfied owners.
GM Fuel Leak Problem
GM has announced that they will be recalling over 40,000 vehicles sold in warm weather states because these vehicles have plastic parts connected to the fuel pump which could crack and leak. Fuel leakage in the presence of an ignition source could result in a fire.
GM says there have been no reports of fires or injuries related to the defect. The company began investigating the issue in 2011 after a dealer reported fuel leaks from some vehicles. Warranty data indicates that the problem is more common in vehicles registered in warm weather states. The vehicles affected by this problem include:
- 2007 Chevrolet Equinox in Arizona, California, Nevada, and Texas
- 2007 Chevrolet Cobalt in Arizona, California, Florida, Nevada, and Texas
- 2008 Chevrolet Cobalt in Arizona
- 2009 Chevrolet Cobalt in Arkansas, Arizona, California, Nevada, Oklahoma, and Texas
- 2007 Pontiac Torrent in Arizona, California, Nevada, and Texas
- 2007 Pontiac G5 in Arizona, California, Florida, Nevada, and Texas
- 2008 Pontiac G5 in Arizona
- 2009 Pontiac G5 in Arkansas, Arizona, California, Nevada, Oklahoma, and Texas
- 2007 Saturn ION in Arizona, California, Florida, Nevada, and Texas
Owners wanting more information about the problem can contact General Motors at 1-800-521-7300.
GM Ford Alliance To Improve Fuel Economy
A manufacturing alliance between General Motors (GM) and Ford, expected to be unveiled next month, will have the two rival companies developing automatic transmissions designed to improve fuel economy. The alliance could save the companies billions of dollars as they work towards meeting demanding federal fuel economy regulations set for 2017.
GM and Ford have already successfully worked together building six speed automatic front wheel drive transmissions in 2002, introduced in 2006 in approximately thirty different models. Both companies are currently developing 8, 9, and 10 speed transmissions for front and rear wheel drive cars and light trucks and they hope that the agreement will not only speed up technological developments, but will allow them to reduce manufacturing costs.
Packing more gears into the compact transmission housings used in smaller vehicles is an increasingly tricky challenge, according to engineers. Automatic transmissions with more gear ratios and more sophisticated electronic controls are crucial to improving fuel economy but the limited space of compact and subcompact cars makes it difficult. The lack of space is one reason that subcompacts like the Ford Fiesta and Chevrolet Sonic do not achieve higher fuel efficiency than the larger Ford Focus and Chevy Cruze. Longer vehicles also have lower aerodynamic drag, which helps overall efficiency.
Developing transmissions in house will not only allow GM and Ford to tailor the components to suit their needs, but will eliminate royalty costs for licenses and intellectual property rights charged by their current gearbox suppliers. The new transmissions are expected to reach the market by 2015.
Restrictions On Buy Here Pay Here Dealerships
Buy Here, Pay Here is a phrase for used car dealerships in which the company is both the seller and the loan holder . For years, they have operated under the radar, typically selling vehicles to consumers with bad credit at inflated interest rates, making repossessions common. Last fall, the Los Angeles Times ran a three part series on Buy Here, Pay Here dealerships which drew the attention of businesses and government officials.
In a step to protect consumers from these predatory vehicle loans, Gov. Jerry Brown signed into law two bills regulating the practices of Buy Here Pay Here lots. The first bill will require these dealerships to provide warranties on every car they sell in California. The second will require dealers to post fair market values for their vehicles and give customers greater flexibility in making payments. A third bill which would have limited interest rates to 17% plus the federal funds rate, and provide buyers with a fifteen (15) day grace period before repossessing cars for a missed payment, was vetoed by Brown. Brown wrote in his veto message that he was not convinced the evidence merits dealers to be regulated by the Department of Corporations under the California Finance Lender’s Law. He added that if consumers still need more protection once those bills are implemented, he and his administration would work with the Legislature to find an appropriate solution.
New Generation Automobile Buyers
A trend in the automobile industry shows that the younger generation is not as interested in driving as the generation before. Not only are they buying fewer vehicles, but many don’t even have drivers license. Some reasons for this change include:
- The younger generation are more connected through internet and iPhones making them less reliant on owning transportation.
- Many live in urban areas where everything is at a walking distance, there is good public transportation or they have access to car sharing programs.
- Young people are facing soaring tuition costs, and the money they’re earning in their part-time, summer and first jobs is going toward paying for school and rent. Even if they could afford to buy a car, insurance is expensive and gas prices keep rising.
- They have grown up in an era where they have had much more exposure to environmental concerns.
Automakers have known for a while that they were going to have a problem selling vehicles to this generation but are unwilling to believe that they will not want actual cars. As a result, automakers spend more time talking about how well their cars interact with an iPhone than they do about engine performance, ride, and horsepower. Technology such as voice recognition are important to many of the younger drivers because it allows them to safely drive while still staying connected.
They are trying to attract the younger urban buyer by developing a fashionable small car that is easy to park and uses less fuel. Car makers have begun shrinking the size of engines, subtracting cylinders while adding turbochargers to maintain horsepower and acceleration. Smaller engines have become a selling point even in the United States, which would have been unthinkable a few years ago. The idea of electric vehicles has also become more widely accepted.
As these technologies become more common they will also become more affordable, hopefully attracting more buyers. While today’s young buyer seems more open toward the trend of smaller autos with more features, car makers have not abandoned the hope that as this generation gets older and becomes parents they will graduate towards roomier vehicles.
Auto Rental Companies Agree On Recall Plan
Almost eight years after Cally Houck lost her two daughters in a car accident involving a rental vehicle with a recall on it, the five biggest car rental companies in the nation have agreed to support legislation that makes it illegal to rent or sell recalled vehicles. The historic agreement represents 93% of the rental car industry: Enterprise, Hertz, Avis, Dollar Thrifty and National. Law makers announced the agreement on Thursday saying that they expect the Senate will pass the bill later this year.
- The bill requires companies to stop renting vehicles within 24 hours of receiving a safety recall notice or within 48 hours if the recall involved more than 5,000 vehicles in a company’s fleet. The vehicles will not be rented or sold until the safety defects are repaired.
- The companies agreed to back the legislation after some revisions, including allowing the rental of a car if there was a manufacturer approved temporary step that eliminated the safety risk until parts were available.
- Companies also would be allowed to sell a damaged recalled vehicle as junk.
- The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) will have authority to investigate and police rental car companies’ recall safety practices.
While the senators praised Houck’s advocacy along with automotive safety groups that pushed the issue, she thanked the lawmakers and industry “in memory of my treasured daughters.”
