Category Archives: Lemon Alert

2016-2020 Honda Pilot Vehicles Investigated For Stalling Engines

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Automotive Defect Investigation
Certain 2016-2020 Honda Pilot vehicles with 3.5L engines and 9-speed automatic transmissions could experience a problem with the automatic Start/Stop feature. The Honda Pilot Touring and Elite vehicles are equipped with Auto Start/Stop capability to help improve fuel efficiency. When the driver enables the system and certain operating conditions are met, the Auto Start/Stop system will automatically shut off the engine when the vehicle comes to a complete stop. The engine should automatically restarted when the driver releases the brake pedal.

The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) has received 221 complaints and several field reports claiming that there is an issue with the Auto Start/Stop feature on certain 2016-2020 Honda Pilot vehicles. The complaints say that the Auto Start/Stop function fails to restart the engine on its own after it has come to a complete stop at a traffic light or road intersection. Some of the complainants allege that a jump was required for the vehicle to be restarted.

The ODI met with Honda on several occasions on this issue. Honda indicated that per the information provided from National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) complaints and TREAD (Transportation Recall Enhancement, Accountability, and Documentation) reports, they have found a correlation with customers’ allegations for the Auto Start/Stop failure to restart the vehicle when the system is activated. Honda also indicated other Honda models (Honda Odyssey, Acura TLX & Acura MDX) with the 3.5L engines equipped with the 9-speed automatic transmissions experience the same failure mode.

ODI is opening this Preliminary Evaluation (PE) to determine the scope and severity of the potential problem as well as to fully assess the potential safety-related issues.

Rear Suspension Toe Link Could Separate On Cadillac And GMC SUVs

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General Motors (GM) has decided that a safety defect affecting suspension exists in certain 2022 Cadillac XT5, 2022 Cadillac XT6, and 2022 GMC Acadia vehicles. Owners will be receiving notices with instructions to return to their Cadillac or GMC dealer to have the suspension in their vehicle inspected and repaired as necessary.

GM became aware of the problem in March 2022, after a quality engineer at one of GM’s assembly plants identified a Cadillac XT6 that was missing a toe link to a knuckle bolt in the vehicle’s left side rear suspension. The manufacturing records showed that the bolt had been fully tightened, but further investigation found that the supplier’s error-proofing equipment had been improperly configured following a change in the assembly process. As a result, the tool operator could have failed to fully tighten the bolt without the error-proofing equipment detecting it.

According to the defect report, after an assembly process was moved to a new area, error-proofing equipment was not initially set up properly. This allowed a window where the operator may miss tightening certain fasteners without the failure being flagged. The affected toe links may be loose or become separated, resulting in misalignment of the left-rear wheel and increasing the risk of a crash

GM investigated the potentially affected population and inspected 271 suspensions that had been contained at the plant, with six more instances of loose fasteners identified. Although GM have not received any claims or complaints related to the subject condition and they are not aware of any associated accidents or injuries but have decided to conduct a safety recall.

Dealers will inspect the left-rear suspension and replace the fastener if it is loose or missing. GM’s number for this recall is N222364330 and the NHTSA campaign number is 22V-427. Approximately 736 vehicles may be affected.

Fuel Pump Failure
Jeep Grand Cherokee And Ram 1500

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Certain 2014-2020 Jeep Grand Cherokee and 2014-2019 Ram 1500 vehicles equipped with 3.0L diesel engines, could experience high-pressure fuel pump failure. If the pump fails while the vehicle is being operated, drivers will experience an unexpected loss of engine power and an increased chance of an accident.

In February 2022, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) Technical Safety and Regulatory Compliance (TSRC) organization started an investigation into Jeep Grand Cherokee and Ram 1500 trucks, after receiving field reports that the fuel pump in some vehicles were prematurely failing. An investigation of the stall patterns and vehicle histories showed that the affected trucks were equipped with Bosch CP4.2 high-pressure fuel pumps (HPFP).

According to the defect report, a failure inside the fuel pump could introduce internal debris that could build up and cause fuel starvation. Fuel starvation may result in an unexpected loss of motive power, which could contribute to a vehicle to crash. The suspect period began on June 12, 2013, when 3.0L Diesel engines with suspect HPFPs were introduced into vehicle production, and ended on December 13, 2019, when 3.0L Diesel engines with suspect HPFPs were no longer used in vehicle production.

Warning signs that your vehicle may be experiencing this problem include: Drivers may notice a Malfunction Indicator Lamp, a service Electronic Throttle Control indicator, a fuel leak at the HPFP, or excessive noise from the HPFP.

FCA US is aware of 215 customer assistance records, 1,061 warranty claims, and three field reports that could be related to this issue.

Owners receiving notices will be asked to return to their dealers to have the HPFP replaced. Dealers will also inspect the entire fuel system and replace components as necessary. FCA’s number for this recall is Z46 and the NHTSA campaign number is 22V-406.

2021-2022 Ford Mustang Mach E High Voltage Battery Could Overheat

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Ford will be contacting the owners of certain 2021-2022 Mustang Mach E vehicles because the high voltage battery in their cars may overheat. The problem may lead to loss of power and could increase the chance of an accident.

Ford’s Critical Concern Review Group first became aware of the problem in April 2022, after hearing of an issue pertaining to the high voltage battery main contactor overheating in a Mustang Mach E. A review of warranty reports found approximately 286 warranty claims where the problem was an open or welded battery contactor. According to the defect report, it is possible that the high voltage battery main contactors may overheat, which can result in an open contactor or a welded condition.

Contactors that are welded shut while driving, will result in an illuminated powertrain malfunction warning light on the next drive cycle, along with a no-start condition.

Contactors that become open while driving, will result in a powertrain malfunction warning light, the vehicle will display “Stop Safely Now” on the instrument panel, and the vehicle will lose power.

In both cases, all 12V systems including power brakes and steering will remain functional.

Ford will correct the problem by installing a Secondary On-Board Diagnostic Control Module (SOBDMC) and updating the Battery Energy Control Module (BECM) software. Ford is expected to begin Over-The-Air (OTA) updates for the SOBDMC and BECM software in July 2022. Owners will also have the option to take their vehicle to a Ford or Lincoln dealer to have the software update completed.

The updated SOBDMC software (LJ98-14G069-AXG, LJ98-14G069-AZG, LJ98-14G069-BBG, LJ98-14G069-BDG) will monitor contactor temperature and intelligently reduce battery power to prevent damage to the contactor. The updated BECM software (NJ98-14C197-AE, NJ98-14C197-BD) will monitor contactor resistance to identify an overheated contactor and reduce vehicle power to prevent further damage.

Ford’s number for this recall is 22S41 and the NHTSA campaign number is 22V-412.

2019-2020 Ford Mustang Powertrain Control Module Malfunction

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Certain 2019-2020 Mustang vehicles equipped with 5.0L engines and manual transmissions, could experience a problem with the Powertrain Control Module (PCM). The PCM could broadcast a faulty signal to the modules controlling the reverse camera, reverse light, and driver-assist features. Owners will be instructed to return to their dealerships for repairs.

According to the safety report, the 2019 Mustang 5.0L Manual Transmission Model is the first to introduce a new Rev matching feature that includes a new Manual Gear Position Sensor and associated software/calibration.

In July 2020, Ford Product Development engineers identified a small number of warranty claims associated with the Manual Gear Position Sensor which caused the rear view camera and reverse lamps to stop functioning, but based on the low occurrences, the Critical Concern Review Group (CCRG) closed the investigation. By April 2022, 102 warranty claims alleging non-functioning rear view camera display and/or non-functioning reverse lamps and 94 warranty claims of potentially related non-functioning of various driver-assist features (traction control, forward collision warning, blind-spot warning, cross-traffic indicator) caused Ford’s Field Review Committee to reopen the investigation and issue a recall.

According to the defect report, some unique driving scenarios or vehicle conditions, including clutch slip, causing incorrect ratio, extended reverse driving, miscalibration of odd/even shift gates, customer modifications, a mismatch between the gear position sensor signal and the estimated gear calculation, might be detected by the PCM. The PCM will interpret the degraded signal to mean a fault and may disable the modules controlling the reverse camera, reverse lamps, and driver-assist features.

Owners receiving notices will be asked to return to their dealers to have the PCM software updated in their Mustang. Ford’s number for this recall is 22S37 and the NHTSA campaign number is 22V-382.

If you are experiencing repeated problems with your vehicle, it could be a lemon. If you have any questions about your rights and the California Lemon Law, please call our office at 888-395-3666 and get some great Lemon Law advice!

Chevrolet HD Truck – Brake Line Leak

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General Motors (GM) will be asking a small number of 2022 Chevrolet Heavy Duty (HD) truck owners to return to their GM dealership for a problem affecting the brakes in their vehicles. The primary hydraulic brake line assembly may have not been tightened to manufacturer specifications and could loosen and leak.

The vehicles affected by this problem include:

2022 Chevrolet 4500HD
2022 Chevrolet 5500HD
2022 Chevrolet 6500HD

In April 2022, during assembly end of the line testing, GM discovered that several of their Chevrolet HD trucks were experiencing a soft brake pedal feel and/or extended stopping distances. Navistar, the manufacturer of these vehicles informed GM that they intended to file a safety recall for this condition, and in May, GM’s Safety and Field Action Decision Authority (SFADA) decided to conduct a safety recall on the GM badged vehicles produced in the same suspect production period as the recalled Navistar vehicles. GM is not aware of any relevant field reports or crashes related to this problem.

According to the defect report, an investigation by the manufacturer of these vehicles found that the pressure sensor fitting of the primary hydraulic brake line assembly may not have been tightened to the correct manufacturer torque specification. If the brake line assembly loosens and brake fluid is lost, drivers may experience a soft or low brake pedal feel, extended stopping distances and the brake warning light may illuminate. Owners may also notice brake fluid on the ground or in the engine compartment.

Owners receiving notices will be asked to return to their dealers to have the brake pressure switch tightened to specification. They will also bleed the brake system and top off the brake fluid.

GM’s number for this recall is N222368230 and the NHTSA campaign number is 22V-364.

Insufficient Welds In Ford Escape And Lincoln Corsair High Voltage Batteries

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The high voltage batteries in certain 2020 Ford Escape and 2021 Lincoln Corsair vehicles may have been manufactured with insufficient welds that could fail and cause a loss of drive power. These vehicles are equipped with 2.5L hybrid powertrains.

Ford’s Critical Concern Review Group first became aware of the problem in February 2022 when they were informed, by the supplier, that there was an issue with the weld penetration on the bus bars of certain high voltage batteries. A review of the manufacturers’ records showed that the suspect cause of the problem was damage to the laser cooling line caused by maintenance of the laser air knife. The damage to the laser cooling line resulted in an out-of-control weld process and insufficient welds. The suspect time period was between June 6, 2020, and June 12, 2020.

According to the safety report, insufficient weld penetration between the bus bar and cell terminal could result in a loss of electrical contact at the bus-bar weld joint inside the high voltage battery. Loss of electrical contact will result in a loss of motive power and an increased risk of an accident.

The vehicle warning display will illuminate a “Stop Safely Now” message, a wrench lamp, and an audible alert when the vehicle loses motive power.

Owners receiving notices will be asked to take their vehicle to their Ford or Lincoln dealer to have the High Voltage Battery replaced. The new High Voltage Battery LX68-10B759-R will have a bus bar that has proper weld penetration. The supplier repaired a damaged coolant line on June 27, 2020. High voltage batteries produced after June 27, 2020 were produced with sufficient bus bar weld penetration. Ford’s number for this recall is 22S33 and the NHTSA campaign number is 22V-331.

2021 Ford Expedition and 2021 Lincoln Navigator Under Hood Fire Warning

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Ford Motor Company (Ford) has decided that a problem affecting vehicle safety exists in certain 2021 Ford Expedition and 2021 Lincoln Navigator SUVs built between December 2020, and April 2021. The vehicles built during this time have an increased risk of under-hood fires.

Ford became aware of the problem in March 2022 after receiving eight reports of under-hood fires. One of the incidents described a melted battery junction box (BJB) on a 2021 Expedition vehicle. Ford’s Critical Concern Review Group (CCRG) opened an investigation into the fires and found that six (6) of the eight (8) fires originated on the passenger side rear engine compartment area, while two (2) had an unclear under-hood origin. Of the eight fire allegations, six occurred while the vehicle was parked and off, and two occurred while driving. Reviewing the incidents, CCRG noted that almost all the vehicles were owned by rental companies.

Ford continues to investigate the cause of the fires, which are believed to originate in the passenger side rear engine compartment area. As of May 12th CCRG is aware of sixteen (16) potentially related reports of under-hood fires on 2021 Expedition and 2021 Navigator vehicles. Of those sixteen (16) reports, fourteen (14) are rental vehicles and two are retail units. Of the sixteen (16) reports, twelve (12) occurred while the vehicle was parked and off, (1) occurred while parked and on, and three (3) occurred while driving. All sixteen (16) vehicles were produced between December 19, 2020, and April 20, 2021. (This period was found to be significant.)

Warning: Owners are advised to park their vehicles outside and away from structures while Ford continues their investigation.

Note: Some customers have reported a burning smell and smoke from the front passenger engine compartment while driving.

Letters notifying owners of the safety risk are expected to be mailed on May 23, 2022. A second letter will be mailed once a fix for the problem is available. Ford’s number for this recall is 22S36 and the NHTSA campaign number is 22V-346.