Tag Archives: automobile problems

Chrysler Recalls More Vehicles

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There have been no reported accidents or injuries, but Chrysler will be recalling almost 700,000 2006-2007 Jeep Wranglers and 2008-2009 Dodge Grand Caravan and Chrysler Town & Country minivans.

The Jeep Wranglers, made from May 15, 2006 to August 9, 2010, may experience a brake fluid leak due to the front inner fender liner rubbing against the brake fluid line. If the line begins to leak, the loss of brake fluid could lead to a loss of brakes.

The Dodge Grand Caravan and Chrysler Town & Country minivans, made from February 2007 to September 2007, may have improperly placed wires that can come into contact with the sliding door hinges. If the wire insulation is rubbed through, a potential fire hazard may result.

Chrysler will notify owners and dealers about the repairs, which will be made free of charge. The recall is expected to start later this month.

Chrysler’s Recall For Sticky Gas Pedals

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After the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) received five complaints of sticky gas pedals, Chrysler has been quick to recall about 25,000, 2007 Dodge Caliber and Jeep Compass vehicles. The problem started to surface in late April, and is being blamed on the pedal system built by the CTS Corporation of Elkhart, Indiana, the same company that built the accelerator pedal assemblies that were involved in the Toyota recall.

A NHTSA analysis found that the problem resulted because pockets in the pedal assembly that hold bushings, which act as a bearing for the pivot shaft of the accelerator pedal arm, were too large. Chrysler said the vehicles were equipped with an electronic throttle control system that reduced engine power when there was a “disagreement” between the brake and the accelerator signals, adding that the system prevented the pedal problem from causing “an unreasonable risk to motor vehicle safety.”

Only pedals installed in cars manufactured between March 7 and May 19, 2006, are affected. The automaker said its recall was designed to find those faulty pedal assemblies and replace them.

CTS denies that its pedals cause sudden acceleration or that the pedals can even fully stick. It called the issue a “slow return pedal phenomenon,” and said in a statement that it was unaware of any accidents or injuries because of the problem. Regulators have opened a defect investigation into CTS, the first ever taken against the company.

Automobile Recalls For May 2010

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Below are some of the automobile recalls for May 2010

  • Ford is recalling certain 2010 Fusion, Milan, and Escape vehicles manufactured between February 27, 2010 to March 26, 2010 for a park rod guide retention pin that may have not been properly installed. A vehicle parked without an engaged park pawl and without an applied parking break may roll causing an accident. Ford will notify owners and dealers will repair the vehicles free of charge. Owners may contact Ford at 1-866-436-7332.
  • General Motors is recalling some 2010 Chevrolet Express and GMC 2500, 3500, and 4500 Savana vans for a defective generator that may develop a short in the voltage regulator. This short could eventually lead to enough heat generated to cause an engine fire. Dealers will inspect and replace generators if necessary free of charge. The safety recall began on April 12, 2010. Owners can contact Chevrolet at 1-800-630-2438 and GMC at 1-866-996-9463 or at the owner center at www.gmownercenter.com.
  • General Motors is recalling certain 2010 Cadillac SRX, equipped with 2.8L V6 engines, for pre-ignition problems. This problem may occur due to the use of low octane (regular fuel) as opposed to the high octane (premium fuel) recommended in the owners manual and on the fuel filler door. If pre-ignition occurs, you may hear a pinging or knocking sound from the engine. This may result in a connecting rod or piston breaking. The problem will be corrected by dealers reprogramming the engine control module. The recall is expected to begin before June 11. Owners can contact Cadillac customer assistance at 1-866-982-2339 or at the owner center at www.gmownercenter.com
  • Honda is recalling some 2010 Acura ZDX vehicles manufactured between November 12, 2009 to March 22, 2010 for dashboard covering material that has no been properly laser scored. During a crash, the airbag will not deploy properly leaving passengers vulnerable to injury. Acura dealers will inspect and replace the part free of charge. The safety recall began on April 21, 2010. Owners may contact Acura Client Services at 1-800-382-2238. Honda’s recall campaign number is R34.
  • Porsche is recalling some 2010 Panamera S, 4S, and turbo 4 door sedans for a possible malfunction of the seat belt mount. If the front seats are adjusted towards an extreme position, the belt mount could detach form the anchoring system. Dealers will install additional locking elements free of charge. The manufacturer has not yet provided an owner notification schedule, but owners may contact Porsche at 1-800-545-8039.

Toyota Stops Sales Of Lexus Luxury Sedans

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Last Wednesday Toyota announced it would be recalling some 2009-2010 Lexus LS 460 and LS 600h luxury sedans in the United States and Japan because of the steering wheels ability to fall out of alignment. On Monday, Toyota announced a stop sales on these vehicles. The sales stoppage and recall cover cars equipped with the company’s variable gear ratio steering system that’s an option on the LS 460 and standard on the LS 600h.

The Lexus sales stoppage is expected to last a while since Toyota does not have a solution to the problem yet but will send out official notice of the recall in the mail next month. Toyota expects it will have a remedy for the problem before the end of June. In the meantime, Toyota is not advising LS owners to park their cars. Lexus believes that the involved vehicles are safe to drive. “In some cases the steering wheel can be 90 degrees out of alignment with the wheels of the car,” Lyons said. “But the problem has only been reported in instances of a very tight and very quick turns.” In all reported cases, he said, the steering wheel realigned itself after about 5 seconds of driving straight.

Toyota Recalls Lexus LS Vehicles

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Toyota announced Wednesday that it will be recalling almost 4,500 Lexus LS luxury sedans in the United States and 7,000 in Japan. The complaint comes from consumers who say that the steering wheel came out of alignment with the direction of the car’s wheels during certain driving maneuvers.

The problem involves the computerized system that oversees how the steering wheel controls the tires. The steering system comes standard in Japanese models, but is optional in other countries. It varies the amount that the steering wheel turns the tires, allowing drivers to turn the wheel less at low speeds when attempting to navigate or park in tight spots and providing finer control at high speeds. The system can take “a few seconds” to return the steering to normal after it has been adjusted, which led to complaints from drivers, said Toyota spokesman Paul Nolasco.

There have been 12 complaints out of Japan but no accidents reported because of the problem.

Automobile Recalls For April 2010

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Below are some of the automobile recalls for April 2010:

  • Volvo is recalling certain model 2010 XC90 vehicle for a fuel line leak that could develop in the fuel line at the right front wheel. Dealers will inspect the date code of the fuel line and will replace it free of charge if needed. The recall is expected to begin during May. Owners may contact Volvo at 1-800-458-1552.
  • The Braun Corporation is recalling some 2008-2010 Chrysler Town & Country and Dodge Caravan commercial enter vans altered between January 21, 2009 and March 19, 2010. When the vehicles were converted for wheelchair accessibility, the fuel fill pipe was exposed close to the left rear tire. This may result in wear on the tire resulting in loss of tire pressure which could lead to an accident, or a vehicle fire if the fuel fill pipe becomes worn. Braun will notify owners and repair the vehicles free of charge. The safety recall is expected to begin during May 2010. Owners may contact Braun toll-free at 1-800-488-0359.
  • BMW is recalling certain 2010 X5 M SAV vehicle because they do not comply with Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards No. 108. (Lamps, reflective devices and associated equipment) These vehicle were equipped with side marker lamps, but are not wired for illumination. BMW has not yet provided a remedy or an owner notification schedule for this campaign. Owners may contact BMW at 800-525-7417.
  • Hino is recalling some 2008-2010 NV8J trucks with Allison 3000 RDS automatic transmission. The drive coupler bolts could shear due to improper tightening during the manufacturing process. The manufacturer has not yet provided an owner notification schedule or a remedy for this campaign. Owners may contact Hino at 1-248-699-9330.
  • Workhorse is recalling certain model year 2010 W42, W62 and model year 2011 W22 trucks and built with a General Motors gasoline engine and equipped with Remy alternator. A low resistance electrical short in the alternator may result in a vehicle fire. Dealers will inspect and replace the alternator if necessary free of charge. The recall is expected to begin during May 2010. Owners may contact Workhorse at 1-877-246-7731.
  • Ford is recalling some 2010 Fusion, Explorer, Explorer Sport Trac, Mercury Milan and mountaineer vehicles manufactured between December 15, 2009 – February 3, 2010 for head restraints that do not comply with vehicle safety standards. In a crash, the head restraint may move rearward increasing the risk of neck injury. Dealers will replace the manual recliners for both power and manual seats free of charge. The safety recall began on May 3, 2010. Owners may contact Ford at 1-866-436-7332.

Subaru Recalls Outback And Legacy Vehicles

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Subaru is recalling almost 30,000, 2010 Outback and Legacy vehicles built between July 31, 2009 and December 1, 2009 according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). The problem affects cars with continuously variable transmission (CVT). The CVT cooler hose could crack and leak resulting in damage to the transmission and possibly start a fire. Subaru dealers will replace the hose for free, with parts being available sometimes this month.

If you own or think you own one of these cars and need more information, Subaru’s customer hot line is 856-488-8500. You can also try calling NHTSA’s vehicle safety hot line at 888-327-4236.

Another Safety Probe For Toyota

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As Transportation chief Ray LaHood met with president of Toyota, Akio Toyoda, another safety probe is on the horizon. This time, Federal regulators are examining whether Toyota delayed disclosing a defect in the steering system in 4Runner SUVs and T100 trucks. The probe was launched when the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) received documents Friday indicating that Toyota had potentially misled the government in 2005 over problems with steering linkages in its 1989-95 4Runner and the 1993-98 T100 vehicles.

Toyota said it had recalled HiLux trucks sold in Japan but no recall was necessary in the U.S., because there had not been any complaints. But four lawsuits filed in 2009 in Los Angeles, showed that there had been complaints as far back as 2000 on models using the same linkages. It wasn’t until 2005 that the automaker recalled vehicles in the U.S. to replace the steering relay rods.

In addition to the new investigation, NHTSA is examining whether the company’s recalls for floor mats and sticky pedals that could cause sudden acceleration were timely. In addition to investigating sudden acceleration in Toyota vehicles, the stability control system in the Sequoia SUV, stalling problems in the Corolla and Matrix, steering wander in the Corolla and Matrix and braking performance in the Prius.

But NHTSA has also come under fire for its handling of the Toyota defect scandal. In the last eight years, the agency closed multiple investigations involving Toyota despite thousands of complaints and allegations of several dozen deaths caused by sudden acceleration in Toyota vehicles.