Volkswagen will be asking owners of certain 2015-2016 vehicles to return to their dealerships to repair a problem affecting the engine and brake system. According to reports, the lobe of the sintered cam which drives the high pressure fuel injection pump and the vacuum pump, could shear off from the camshaft. If this happens, vacuum supply will be shut off to the the brake booster, the vehicle will go into limp home mode, and the Malfunction Indicator Light (MIL) will illuminate. Continue reading

Mercedes Benz will be asking the owners of certain 2015 CLA250, 2015 GLA250, and 2016 SLK300 vehicles to return to their dealerships to repair a defect that could increase the risk of an accident. Due to a production deviation at the supplier, certain vehicles equipped with four cylinder gasoline engines could have camshaft welds that have been manufactured outside of specifications. One or both of the camshafts could break, damaging the engine until it stalls. If this situation occurs, the driver will not be able to restart the vehicle. Continue reading

A manufacturing error will have a small number of 2015 Fiat 500L owners returning to their dealership for repairs. According to reports filed with the NHTSA, the passenger airbags may have experienced irregularities during the folding process and may not meet the design specifications in accordance with FMVSS 208. During an accident which requires front passenger airbag deployment, the airbag may not inflate as intended, increasing the risk of injury to a front passenger in certain types of crashes. Continue reading

General Motors have announced that a small number of 2014 Chevrolet SS and Caprice vehicles receiving replacement seat base assemblies during a repair service, may have an airbag safety problem. According to reports filed with the NHTSA, in some serviced vehicles, the dealers may have not transferred the seat position target bracket from the original seat base. If the seat position sensor does not have a target bracket to read, and the seat is in a forward position, the airbag may deploy at a force greater than intended during an accident. Continue reading

A small number of 2015 Volkswagen E-Golf, Golf, and Jetta owners will be receiving notices about a problem affecting the front passenger airbag in their vehicles. According to the defect report, an electromagnetic coil inside a module in the Passenger Occupant Detection System (PODS) may have been manufactured with improper insulation between the coil layers. Over time, the characteristics of the coil could change and give erroneous front passenger classification readings. Vehicle occupants will be alerted of a problem by an illuminating airbag warning light or by false indication of the Passenger Airbag OFF indicator. Continue reading

General Motors has decided that a defect which relates to motor vehicle safety exists in certain 2014-2015 Chevrolet and GMC trucks and SUVs. According to reports filed with the NHTSA, these vehicles may have an ignition lock actuator manufactured out of specifications. The problem, combined with warm ambient temperatures, could make turning the ignition key difficult and/or the ignition key could get stuck in the start position. If the vehicle is driven with the key stuck in the start position a significant jarring event or cooling of the ambient temperature could result in the ignition snapping back into the accessory position, shutting off the engine, power steering, power brakes, and airbags. Continue reading

Chrysler will be asking owners of certain 2016 RAM trucks equipped with a 6.7L Cummins Diesel engines, to return to their dealership for a problem that could result in a loss of engine power. According to reports filed with the NHTSA, the Engine Control Module (ECM) in the affected vehicles could short circuit and cause the engine to stall without warning. Continue reading

General Motors has decided that a manufacturing defect which relates to vehicle safety exists in certain 2016 Buick Enclave, Chevrolet Traverse, and GMC Acadia vehicles and they will be asking approximately 30,000 owners to return to their dealerships for repairs. According to reports filed with the NHTSA, wiper motor covers manufactured using a broken tool, may allow internal terminals to move and potentially contact each other, creating an electrical short. In some cases, the windshield wiper motor cover may melt, smoke, or catch fire. Continue reading