In April 2015, Fiat’s Vehicle Safety And Regulatory Compliance deportment began an investigation into certain 2013-2015 Fiat 500 battery electric vehicles after receiving warranty reports of loss of driving power. A review of the problem found that rapid operation of the cruise control speed adjustment switch or accelerator pedal application, while in cruise control, may set a diagnostic trouble code in the Elective Vehicle Control Unit (EVCU). This code will will force the vehicle into safe mode and automatically shift the vehicle into neutral. Once the fault code is set, a key cycle is required to allow the vehicle to shift out of neutral. Continue reading
Category Archives: Lemon Alert
Acura MDX & RLX Collision Avoidance Malfunction
Honda will be notifying owners of certain Acura MDX and RLX vehicles about a safety problem affecting the Collision Mitigation Braking System (CMBS). According to reports filed with the NHTSA, under certain driving conditions the CMBS may interpret roadside objects, such as metal fences and guardrails, as obstacles, and apply emergency braking. This unexpected braking could increase the risk of an accident. Continue reading
Mercedes Benz 2015 Sprinter Oil Leaks
Mercedes-Benz have identified a defect that will add another one thousand three hundred and thirty five 2015 Sprinter 2500 and Sprinter 3500, 4 cylinder diesel engine vehicles to recall 14V-764.
According to the defect report, the chain tensioner gasket may have experienced variations in material tolerance during production. The affected gaskets could settle and affect the pretensioning force. Over time this may lead to loosening of the chain tensioner and leaks from the engine gasket seal. Leakage of engine oil on the road could pose a threat to following traffic and could result in a seized engine. Oil leakage in the presence of an ignition source could also increase the risk of a potential fire. Continue reading
2015 Chevy Colorado & GMC Canyon Brake Defect
General Motors (GM) have decided that a defect related to vehicle safety exists in certain 2015 Chevrolet Colorado and 2015 GMC Canyon trucks. The problem could result in longer brake pedal travel and stopping distances, increasing the risk of an accident. Continue reading
2015 Ford F-150 Steering Defect
The owners of certain 2015 Ford F-150 vehicles will be contacted by the manufacturer about a assembly defect affecting their vehicles steering. Some of these trucks may have been built with a steering upper shaft that was improperly riveted. The shaft could separate from its coupling resulting in sudden loss of steering control. Continue reading
Mitsubishi Lancer & Outlander Safety Defects
Mitsubishi has launched two separate safety campaigns affecting certain Lancer and Outlander vehicles manufactured between 2009-2011.
Safety Campaign 15V-232 (SR-15-002): An inappropriate manufacturing process of certain electrical parts within the ETACS ECU may result in a high electrical resistance and unstable voltage within the system. Loss of headlights, windshield wipers, and tail lights could result, reducing drivers visibility, and increasing the risk of an accident. Drivers will be warned of an ETACS malfunction through an illuminating engine and/or brake warning lamp. Continue reading
Seats Could Detach In Chevy & GMC Trucks
According to reports filed on the NHTSA website, certain 2015 Chevrolet Colorado and 2015 GMC Canyon trucks may fail to meet the requirements of the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards for seating systems. An investigation opened in January found certain seat frame attachment hooks, securing the drivers and passenger seats, may have not been properly attached to the vehicle body during the assembly process. The seat could detach, increasing the risk of injury to occupants. Continue reading
Takata Airbag Recall Expands Again
Takata continues to make the news as Japans three biggest automobile manufacturers, Toyota, Nissan, and Honda, announce that they are expanding the recall for faulty airbags. Over 30 million vehicles world wide have been recalled over the defect and it has been linked to six deaths and over 100 injuries. Although it is not known for sure why Takata airbags are prone to exploding some suspect the ammonium nitrate used to inflate them can overheat, especially in high humidity, and shower passengers and drivers with shrapnel from the canisters holding them. Continue reading
