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
Tag Archives: automobile safety defect
2015 Ford Mustang Fuel System Problems
During thermal management testing of certain 2015 Ford Mustang vehicles with 2.3L engines, elevated fuel tank surface temperatures were observed. To investigate, Ford performed additional thermal management testing on all engine variants and multiple vehicles. The investigation found that prolonged exposure to elevated under body temperatures can cause degradation of the fuel tank, fuel vapor lines, and parking brake cable seals. Leaks within these systems could result in a vehicle fire or degraded parking brake functions. Continue reading
2014-2015 Ferrari Laferrari Tire & Seat Defects
Ferrari will be asking the owners of certain 2014-2015 Ferrari Laferrari sports cars to return to their dealership for safety defects affecting the tires and seats.
Safety Defect 15V-305: During production testing for seats and headrests, a partial noncompliance related to energy absorption was discovered for the largest size seat with back seat inclination of 32 degrees. These seats may not absorb the required amount of energy during an accident, increasing the risk of injury. Owners receiving notices will have their headrests replaced, free of charge. Ferrari’s number for this recall is 55.
Safety Defect 15V-306: Due to an error in the vehicle configuration settings, the tire Pressure Monitoring System could display an incorrect warning message. The run flat message of “Low tire pressure – Max speed 50 mph” may be displayed instead of “Low tire pressure – Do not proceed”, misinforming the driver of the their tire condition. Driving on punctured tires could lead to loss of vehicle control and an increased chance of an accident. Ferrari’s number for this recall is 56. Continue reading
2015 Cadillac ATS & CTS Brake Defect
On June 09, 2015 General Motors announced that they will be asking a small number of 2015 Cadillac ATS and CTS owners to return to their dealerships for repairs. According to reports filed with the NHTSA, the bracket between the brake pedal assembly and the rod that actuates the vehicle service brakes may have been fractured during manufacturing. If the bracket breaks the vehicle service brakes will not function. (The parking brakes will continue to function properly.) Continue reading
2013-2014 Dodge Viper Electrical Door Defect
After three warranty complaints and an investigation into unexpected door openings or failure to close events on the door, Dodge has issued a defect notice for certain 2013-2014 Dodge Viper vehicles. According to the investigation report, the manufacturer of the door switches replaced the two part epoxy potting with a hot melt adhesive. This change allowed moisture to seep past the potting, shorting the switch. A driver or passenger door that opens unexpectedly while the vehicle is in motion (even at low speeds), could increase the possibility of a crash and injury. Continue reading
2013 Fiat 500e Powertrain Repeated Repair Attempts
In August 2013, Chrysler opened an investigation into certain 2013 Fiat 500e battery electric vehicles because drivers were experiencing excessive noise from the powertrain and loss of drive capability. The investigation found that due to product, process, and rework anomalies, the half shaft joints on the suspect vehicles may not have been engineered and developed for this application. Continue reading
2012-2014 Toyota RAV4 EV Loss Of Drive Power
After three field reports and eight warranty claims, Toyota has decided to ask owners of certain 2012-2014 Toyota RAV4 EV’s to return to their dealership for a problem affecting the hybrid propulsion system. Due to a software issue, the drive inverter electronic control unit may not be able to determine the rotational position of the motor. This will cause a speed sensor error code which will trigger a “Check EV System” warning message on the instrument panel, turn on the malfunction indicator lamp, and cause the electric motor to shift into “neutral”. This complete loss of drive power may increase the risk of an accident. Continue reading
2014-2015 Kia Soul Acceleration Defect
Kia will be notifying owners of certain 2014-2015 Kia Soul and Soul Electric vehicles about a safety defect that could result in difficult acceleration. Due to bending of an unsupported section of the accelerator pedal, the pedal could fracture if excessive force is applied. Field experience and testing indicates that such force has only occurred when stationary, but if drivers continue to operate their vehicle with this problem, it may increase the risk of an accident. Continue reading
