The Law Offices of Delsack & Associates, P.C. were recently contacted by the owner of a 2013 Audi Coupe, who was looking for advice about his defective vehicle. He said he was experiencing problems with the engine and transmission which caused the vehicle to accelerate poorly, hesitate, and surge under normal driving conditions. The vehicle also had a defective suspension which required repeated repairs to the rear differential. His dealership verified that the vehicle was undriveable, but they were unable to offer any solutions. Continue reading
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2016 Volvo XC90 Seat Belt Wiring Defect
Volvo have announced a safety defect affecting the airbags in a small number of 2016 Volvo XC90 luxury crossover SUV’s. According to reports filed with the NHTSA, the electrical wiring for the front seat Side Impact Protection System (SIPS) may have been assembled incorrectly, increasing the risk of damage to the wiring insulation. If this happens, the Supplemental Restraint System (SRS) warning light will illuminate and the vehicle diagnostic system will alert the driver with a “SRS Airbag Service Urgent, Drive to workshop” warning. Continue reading
2012 Subaru Impreza Passenger Airbag Could Deactivate
An electrical problem affecting certain 2012 Subaru Impreza four door cars will have 32,400 owners returning to their dealership for repairs. The affected vehicles are equipped with a capacitance type Occupant Detection Systems (ODS) in the front passenger seat.
According to the defect report filed with the NHTSA, if the passenger is using a device plugged into the accessory power outlet and/or touches a grounded metal part of the vehicle, while the ODS is on, the occupant control unit (OCU) may falsely register an abnormally high rise in the occupant’s capacitance. This could result in deactivation of the ODS. If this happens, a Diagnostic Trouble Code (DTC) will be stored in the vehicle’s memory, (B1650, B1760 and/or B1761), the airbag warning light will illuminate, and the passenger air bag indicator will illuminate “OFF”. Continue reading
2014-2015 Jeep Cherokee Liftgate Control Module Short
Chrysler will be asking owners of certain 2014-2015 Jeep Cherokee vehicles. equipped with a power liftgate option, to return to their dealerships, after investigating complaints of fire in the liftgate area. According to the defect report filed with the NHTSA, water may enter the area of the Power Liftgate Control Module, causing a high resistance short circuit. Continue reading
2015 Ford Mustang Fuel System Problems
During thermal management testing of certain 2015 Ford Mustang vehicles with 2.3L engines, elevated fuel tank surface temperatures were observed. To investigate, Ford performed additional thermal management testing on all engine variants and multiple vehicles. The investigation found that prolonged exposure to elevated under body temperatures can cause degradation of the fuel tank, fuel vapor lines, and parking brake cable seals. Leaks within these systems could result in a vehicle fire or degraded parking brake functions. Continue reading
2013 Fiat 500 Electric California Lemon Law Buyback
After leasing his 2013 Fiat 500 Electric in January 2014, the owner began experiencing repeated problems with his car. He had been taking the vehicle back in since February 2015 and had given his Fiat Chrysler (FCA) dealership five chances to try and repair his Fiat. His 500E had been out of service for over 32 days within the first 18,000 miles and the problems were still not fixed. Continue reading
The Complete Takata Airbag Recall
On May 19, 2014 a U.S. Department of Transportation investigation determined that a defect exists in some Takata airbags and prompts the airbag supplier to issue a national recall. The defect affects frontal driver and passenger side airbag inflators used in vehicles manufactured by BMW, Chrysler, Daimler Trucks, Ford, General Motors, Honda, Mazda, Mitsubishi, Nissan, Subaru and Toyota. According to the recall report, these inflators were made with a propellant that can degrade over time and rupture, sending fragments that could injure vehicle occupants. The defect is blamed for six deaths worldwide. Continue reading
2015 Lexus NX200 Loss Of Stability Control
Toyota will be asking the the owners of certain 2015 Lexus NX200 SUV’s to return to their dealerships for repairs affecting the braking and stability of their vehicles. According to the defect report, the affected vehicles are equipped with an Anti-Lock Braking system (ABS), Traction Control System (TRAC), and a Vehicle Stability Control System (VCS) which are controlled by the ABS actuator. Continue reading