The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has decided to not issue a recall for some 2004-2007 Ford Freestar and 2004-2007 Mercury Monterey minivans after a year long investigation. The NHTSA started the investigation in August 2010 after receiving complaints that water could run down onto the cowling under the hood in the windshield wiper area and would drip onto the power train control module (PCM). The module would short, causing a variety of problems including stalling, poorly shifting transmission, erratic power, and a lit malfunction light. The NHTSA found that the failure rate was below what would be considered a defect trend and decided not to issue a recall. The agency will continue to monitor complaints and take further action in the future if warranted.
Tag Archives: automobile investigation
NHTSA Investigates 2005-2006 Lotus Elise
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has opened an investigation that could lead to over 4,000 2005-2006 Lotus Elise vehicles being recalled. Reports filed with the NHTSA stated that while driving, the oil cooler line failed, resulting in a spray of oil in the engine compartment. Driver complaints consist of smoke developing in the interior of the vehicle, loss of vehicle control because of oil leakage on a tire, and one complaint was reported to have resulted in an engine fire. The NHTSA is not aware of any injuries related to this problem.
Toyota And Lexus Hybrids Recalled For Stalling
Toyota has announced a recall that will affect about 82,000 Toyota and Lexus hybrid sport utility vehicles (SUV’s). The recall involves about 45,000 2006-2007 Toyota Highlander and 36,000 2006-2007 Lexus RX 400h hybrid SUV models from the 2006-2007 model years. The recall is the result of an investigation that began in February after the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) received complaints of the vehicles stalling for no reason. Toyota has reported that the problem is with the transistors inside the system’s inverter which can overheat and fail. Drivers will be alerted of the problem by warning lamps illuminating on the dashboard, and in most cases the vehicle can be driven a short distance due to a fail safe driving mode. Owners wanting more information on the recall can contact Toyota at 800-331-4331 or go to www.toyota.com/recall or Lexus at 800-255-3987 or go to www.lexus.com/recall.
NHTSA Investigates Jeep Wranglers
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has opened an investigation into some 2007-2008 Jeep Wrangler vehicles after receiving almost 30 complaints of illuminated airbag warning lights. The investigation has lead the NHTSA to a defective clock spring wiring assembly that may prevent the airbag from deploying during an accident. The problem seems to be more prevalent in right hand drive Wranglers, but the NHTSA wants to investigate the problem further before issuing a recall. If the investigation should lead to a recall, about 220,000 Jeep Wranglers could be affected.
BMW Mini Cooper Investigated For Steering
Difficult steering in BMW’s 2004-2005 Mini Cooper has lead the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) to upgrade its investigation to include almost 60,000 vehicles. The investigation began last fall with over 500 complaints filed with the NHTSA, and 4,500 warranty claims with BMW. Among the complaints were allegations of five minor crashes, three of which resulted in a fire. The suspect part is a malfunctioning cooling fan which causes an under voltage condition in the power steering electrical system. Drivers have complained about loss of power assist making it difficult to maneuver the vehicle, and the inability to restart the vehicle because of a drained battery. If the investigation leads to a recall, over 200,000 Minis built between 2001-2007 could be involved.
NHTSA Investigates Ford Freestyle SUVs
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has opened an investigation into Ford Motor’s Freestyle crossover SUV after receiving almost 240 complaints of unintended lunging. Reports filed with the NHTSA say that the vehicles lunged forward at low speeds when the driver’s foot was not on the accelerator pedal. 18 of the reports claimed to have resulted in an accident, including one with minor injuries. Owner said that the problem seemed to have worsened when the vehicles’ air conditioning was turned on or the steering was turned sharply. Spokesperson for the Michigan based automaker said that, Ford will fully cooperate with the NHTSA in an attempt to rectify the problem. The investigation will include about 170,000 Ford Freestyle SUV’s, of the 2005 to 2007 model years.
Chevrolet Cruze Experiences More Problems
If you have received a recall to check the steering shafts on your new 2011 Chevy Cruze, you may want to get the transmission shift linkages inspected while you are there. The automobile maker announced that within the group of vehicles to be checked for steering, they plan to inspect over 120,000 vehicles with automatic transmissions to make sure the shift linkages are installed properly. Improperly installed linkages may lead the driver to think they are in a certain gear when they are not. Owners wanting more information on the recall can contact Chevrolet at 1-800-630-2438 or go to the Chevy owner center at www.gmownercenter.com.
Shattering Windows In Ford SUVs
A preliminary investigation into shattering rear windows for 2010-2011 Ford Escape and Mercury Mariner sport utility vehicles (SUV) has been opened after the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) received 18 complaints that the rear lift-gate window shattered while opening or closing the lift-gate. Many of the incidents were reported to have happened during cold weather conditions and one alleged cut injuries to a 10 year old boy.
In 2004, Ford issued a recall for certain 2001-2005 SUV’s because the rear lift-gate latching system did not meet the inertia load requirements of the federal motor vehicle safety standards. There were over 150 reports of minor injuries when the door hinges failed allowing the glass to break.
Owners wanting more information about Ford vehicle recalls can contact Ford at 1-800-392-3673.
