General Motors (GM) will be contacting owners of certain Chevrolet, Pontiac, and Saturn models equipped with four speed automatic transmissions, about a problem that could lead to the vehicles unexpectedly rolling away. According to GM, the tabs on the transmission shift cable end could fracture and separate, leaving the driver with inaccurate shift lever readings. The driver may be able to put the vehicle in park and remove the key, but the vehicle is not actually in park. The vehicle may not start and could roll away unexpectedly. GM will be notifying owners as soon as a recall schedule has been decided and dealerships will install a retainer over the cable end or replace the shift cable as necessary. Owners wanting more information on the problem can contact GM at 1-800-521-7300. The vehicles involved in the recall include:
Tag Archives: automobile problems
Coda Airbags May Be Installed Incorrectly
Coda Automotive is asking owners of certain 2012 Coda vehicles to bring in their vehicles to have the side curtain airbag installation inspected. According to Coda, the airbags may have not been installed correctly during manufacturing which could result in the airbags not deploying as intended. Coda will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and correct the side curtain airbag installations as needed. For more information on the problem, owners may contact Coda Automotive at 1-855-464-2632.
Ford Edge Fuel Leak
Ford will be asking drivers of certain 2012 Ford Edge vehicles equipped with 2.0L engines to bring in their vehicle for problems with the fuel system. The fuel line pulse damper housing could crack due to an improper manufacturing process. The driver may notice a fuel odor or a continuous leak while the system is under pressure, and if unrepaired could result in an engine fire. Ford will be notifying almost 5,500 Edge owners of the problem and will be asking them to bring in their vehicles to have the defective part replaced. For more information, owners are asked to contact the Ford Motor Company Customer Relationship Center at 1-866-436-7332.
Honda Ridgeline And Element Problems
Honda has announced problems with two of their popular vehicle models, the 2012 Ridgeline and 2007-2011 Element, that will have owners bringing their vehicles to their nearest dealership for repairs.
According to Honda, certain Ridgeline trucks built on April 18, 2012, may have an incorrect passenger airbag status indicator. Without the proper indicator, the vehicle occupants may not be aware that the front passenger airbag is off and will not deploy in a crash. Honda will replace the incorrect indicator free of charge.
Honda will also be asking the owners of certain Elements to bring in their vehicles equipped with an accessory trailer hitch. The turn signal and brake light wiring may have been inadvertently switched during manufacturing giving inaccurate braking and turning signals when pulling a trailer.
Owners can expect to receive notices about the problems starting at the end of September or early October. For more information about the problem contact Honda Automobile Customer services at 1-800-999-1009
Fisker Karma Fire Risk
Fisker Automotive is alerting drivers of certain 2012 Fisker Karma vehicles, built between June 15, 2011 to July 9,2012, about an electrical problem in the low temperature cooling fan. According to Fisker, a short in the fan could ignite the fan housing, shroud and surrounding components, causing a vehicle fire. Owners will be asked to bring in their vehicles to the nearest Fisker dealership to replace both low temperature cooling fans with improved fans. Owners wanting more information about the problem can contact Fisker consumer affairs at 1-855-575-7577, option 2.
Lamborghini Steering System Leaks
Lamborghini is notifying customers to bring their 2004-2006 Gallardo Coupe and 2004-2006 Spyder vehicles to their nearest dealership to update the power steering system. In certain driving conditions, the high pressure steering pipes near the steering assist hydraulic pump could leak. If fluid should come in contact with a hot surface or ignition source a fire could result. According to Lamborghini, the problem was discovered during hard driving condition testing, and could affect almost 1,500 vehicles. For more information on the problem, owners can contact Lamborghini at 1-703-364-7042.
Automobile TSBs Can Save You Money
Most consumers know that automobile manufacturers are required to issue recalls on vehicles with problems that affect the safety, value and use of the models they manufacture. We have blogged about rental companies and consumers failing to repair recalls, and have encouraged everyone to check our recall list to make sure the problem has been repaired.
Many consumers don’t realize, however, that automobile manufactures also release Technical Service Bulletins (TSB’s). TSB’s are issued after several complaints of unanticipated vehicle problems are received. The manufacturer is not required to issue a recall, do the repairs, or even notify consumers of the problem. It is important for drivers to know if a TSB exists on their vehicle because the information on the reports can save technicians troubleshooting time, provide organized, itemized repair procedures, and standardize the repair process. This can enhance the quality of the maintenance and can save the vehicle owner money by allowing the technician to repair the problem quickly.
If you are experiencing problems with your vehicle and are taking it in to have repairs done, it is in your best interest to research TSB’s related to your problem. If you find one that could be related, let the service manager know that it exists and make sure it is noted on the repair order.
GM Issues Service Campaign For OnStar Vehicles
General Motors (GM) has asked dealerships to stop selling approximately sixty thousand 2012 and 2013 vehicles because of a software problem with the OnStar communication system. According to GM spokesman, Alan Adler, the problem was discovered during rear end crash testing where the airbags are not suppose to deploy. The “sensing diagnostic module,” still senses when to inflate airbags, but when the airbags are not suppose to inflate, certain models may not always receive a call from an OnStar operator to check to see if the occupants are injured. The problem does not require a recall and GM has already repaired many vehicles through a remote upgrade. Owners with vehicles that cannot be repaired remotely will be notified through a GM customer service campaign and will be asked to bring their vehicles to the nearest dealership to have the problem fixed. The vehicles involved in the service campaign include:
- 2013 Buick Verano
- 2013 Cadillac ATS
- 2012 Cadillac SRX
- 2013 Cadillac XTS
- 2013 Chevrolet Cruze
- 2013 Chevrolet Equinox
- 2013 Chevrolet Volt
- 2013 GMC Terrain
