Buick Regal & Envision Safety Defects

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General Motors has decided that defects relating to vehicle safety exists in certain 2011 Buick Regal and 2016-2017 Buick Envision vehicles.

  • The first problem affects certain 2011 Regal cars equipped with 8 way power adjustable front seats. The wiring harness for the seats could chafe against the seat frame and cause an electrical short. The problem could result in an inability to adjust the seats, flickering lights on the instrument panel, sparking or smoke from under the seat, and possibly a fire. Dealers will inspect and secure the wiring harness and repair chafed wires as necessary. GM’s number for this recall is 30710 and the NHTSA campaign number is 16V-517.

    • Continue reading →

2015 Porsche 918 Spyder – Seatbelt Mounting Bolts Could Fail

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A small number of 2015 Porsche 918 Spyder owners will be contacted by the manufacturer, regarding a problem affecting the seat belts in their vehicles. During servicing that requires the removal of the seat belt mount and/or the seat belt reel, the one-time-use mounting screws may have been reinstalled instead to being replaced with new ones and/or it is possible that the screws may have been installed in the wrong location. In the event of a crash, the incorrect bolts may not keep the seat belts properly anchored to the car. Continue reading →

Will VW Buy Back 3.0L Vehicles For Cheating On Emissions Tests?

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The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Volkswagen are continuing talks on how to repair VW, Audi, and Porsche 3.0L diesel engines for cheating on emissions tests, after California regulators reject VW’s most recent recall proposal. In a letter to Volkswagen, CARB listed the failures of the proposed solution, saying that the company failed to provide a full description of the defeat devices, the impact the fix would have on vehicle performance and emissions, or even a description of the fix that would allow CARB to evaluate its feasibility.

The announcement is a setback for the automaker who believed that the 3.0-liter TDI models sold by Porsche, Audi and Volkswagen would only require a software update. If the manufacturer is unable to come up with a satisfactory fix, they could be forced into buying back almost 85,000 vehicles. VW also continues to face lawsuits by investors and dealerships in the U.S., as well as from consumer in Germany.

GM Unexpected Roll Away From Damaged Park Lock Lever

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General Motors will be asking the owners of certain Buick, Chevrolet, and GMC vehicles to return to their dealerships to repair an electrical problem affecting the power train system. The ignition systems in these vehicles may contain a damaged electronic park lock lever that could allow the ignition key to be removed when the transmission shows it is in “Park”. The vehicle could unexpectedly roll away, potentially causing an accident. Continue reading →

NHTSA Calls On Media And Public To Help Fix High-Risk Takata Airbags

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New data affecting defective Takata air bag inflators in certain 2001-2003 Honda and Acura vehicles, has found a high risk of ruptures during air bag deployment. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration are asking the media and public to ensure that vehicles in this population are found and fixed before they cause injuries or fatalities. According to U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx, there is a 50% higher chance that these air bag inflators could rupture in a crash. Owners should stop driving their vehicles and have the airbags replace immediately. Continue reading →

2012 Chevrolet Cruze – California Lemon Law Buyback

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The owner of a 2012 Chevrolet Cruze contacted our law offices, looking for advice about his vehicle. He complained to his GMC dealership many times about the problems and had four (4) unsuccessful repair attempts which kept his car out of service for over 42 days. In addition to recalls affecting airbags, brakes, the fuel system, and engine cooling, he experienced water pump failures, loss of engine power with high rpm’s, a defective turbo assembly, a check engine light that remains on, a defective camshaft actuator, and an oil pan gasket that leaks. Continue reading →

Chevy Impala – Airbag Electrical Problem

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General Motors have decided that a defect relating to motor vehicle safety exists in certain 2009-2010 Chevrolet Impala vehicles. The front passenger seat frame could rub against and damage the passenger presence sensor (PPS) module wiring, causing the system to improperly suppress the front passenger airbag. Drivers should be alerted of a problem in three different ways.

  • The service airbag message will be displayed in the DIC.
  • The airbag telltale light may be illuminated.
  • The indicator will show that the passenger airbag is off even if a passenger is in the front passenger seat.

Continue reading →

2016 Mercedes Benz GLE450 Engine Shuts Down While Braking

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Daimler AG has determined that certain 2016 Mercedes-Benz GLE450 Coupe 292 platform vehicles have an issue with the engine control unit (ECU). According to the defect report, the engine control software might cause the engine to unexpectedly shut down while braking. The driver may interpret the shut down as a planned ECO start/stop, but the engine will not restart automatically and will require the driver to restart the vehicle manually. Depending on the traffic situation, an unintentional engine shut-down could increase the risk of a crash.

Those receiving notices will be asked to return to their dealerships to have the ECU software updated. For more information about the problem, owners are asked to contact MBUSA customer service at 1-800-367-6372. The NHTSA campaign number for this recall is 16V-440.