The Safety Institute is a non-profit organization who’s main goal is injury prevention and product safety as a basis for a healthy and productive society and as a vital component to reducing health care costs. The group is currently involved in a variety of issues regarding product safety, including reports that monitor vehicle defect trends and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s (NHTSA) recall and enforcement activities. Their quarterly compiled early warning list shows the top 15 vehicle trends that they say automakers and government should be paying attention to. Continue reading
Category Archives: Lemon Alert
2013-2015 Ram C/V Tradesman Inadvertent Airbag Deployment
Chrysler has announced that some 2013-2015 Ram C/V Tradesman vehicles could experience an inadvertent airbag deployment of the front passenger side curtain and/or seat airbag. The vehicles affected are equipped with two front bucket seats and no rear seating and were manufactured between July 25, 2012 to August 20, 2014. Continue reading
2013 Nissan Altima Hood Latch Safety Defect
Following an internal investigation, Nissan North America has decided that a safety problem affecting certain 2013 Altima sedans will have 220,432 vehicle owners returning to a manufacturer approved repair facility to have the problem fixed. Continue reading
2014 Dodge SRT Viper Airbag Deployment Problem
Owners of certain 2014 Dodge SRT Viper vehicles manufactured between November 28, 2012 to June 26, 2014, will be notified by the manufacturer to have their vehicles repaired for an airbag safety problem.
According to the recall report, these vehicles may experience an incorrect airbag deployment velocity, due to inaccurate seat position sensors. An improper air gap between the seat track position sensor and the seat track detection plate could result in the airbag deploying with too much or too little force. Continue reading
2014 Toyota FJ Cruiser Difficult Steering
After completing an investigation into difficult steering in certain 2014 FJ Cruiser‘s, Toyota has found a problem that will have owners returning their vehicles to a manufacturer approved repair facility for repairs.
According to reports filed with the NHTSA, these vehicles are equipped with an optional “Trail Teams Ultimate Edition” package in which the front shock absorbers and springs are replaced with more robust off road suspension parts. In some of these vehicles, the two bolts which secure the front lower ball joint to the steering knuckle might have been tightened with insufficient torque . The bolts could loosen and fall out, resulting in the front lower ball joint detaching from the steering knuckle. Drivers could experience complete loss of steering control and an increased chance of an accident. Continue reading
2010 Cadillac SRX Repurchased Under California Lemon Law
Approximately two months after purchasing his new 2010 Cadillac SRX, the vehicle owner had already returned his truck to a GMC dealership for its first repair attempt. He subsequently provided GMC fifteen (15) more opportunities to repair the defect before he decided to contact the Law Offices of Delsack & Associates, P.C. to demand the repurchase of his vehicle under the California Lemon Law. Continue reading
Cadillac SRX & SAAB 9-4X Rear Suspension Noise
A problem relating to motor vehicle safety will have almost three hundred thousand 2010-2015 Cadillac SRX and 2011–2012 SAAB 9-4X vehicles returned to a manufacturer approved repair facility to have the problem fixed.
On the affected vehicles, the jam nut in the rear suspension toe adjuster link may not be torqued to the proper specification. A loose toe adjuster link can cause the vehicle to wander, activate the vehicle’s electronic stability control system, and cause excessive wear to the links threads. Drivers may notice loud metallic noises from the rear suspension when traveling over bumps or potholes. If the treads in the link become worn, the link could separate and create sudden vehicle instability , increasing the risk of an accident. Continue reading
Ford And Lincoln Restraint Control Module (RCM) Defect
Ford will be asking owners of certain Ford and Lincoln cars and SUV’s to return their vehicles to an approved repair facility for a problem that could result in drivers not sufficiently protected during an accident. Ford’s number for this recall is 14S21 and the NHTSA campaign number is 14V-597. Continue reading
