Honda will be contacting the owners of certain 2016 Honda Civic vehicles equipped with 2.0L engines to notifying them of a manufacturing error that could result in a seized engine. According to the defect report, the piston assembly may have been built with a missing or misset piston pin circlip. Vibrations from the engine may cause the pis to become displaced and interfere with the engine cylinder wall. If the engine seizes it will cause loss of motive power and potential engine block damage. Continue reading

Toyota will be contacting the owners of certain 2013-2014 Scion FR-S cars about an electrical problem that could affect vehicle safety. These automobiles are equipped with automatic transmissions and key ignitions. Push button start FR-S’s are not included.

The automatic transmission key interlock system used to stop the key from being removed while in “park” was disconnected to prevent damage during transport and may not have been re-connected during the pre delivery service check at the dealer. If not connected, it is possible for the ignition key could be removed in gear selection controls other than “Park”. These vehicles do not meet the requirements of S5.2 of FMVSS 114 and could unexpectedly roll away. Continue reading

The owners of certain 2014-2016 Mazda CX-5 vehicles may be driving vehicles which fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 301, “Fuel System Integrity”. According to reports, these vehicles were manufactured with a fuel filler pipe that could, under certain impact crashes, rupture and spill fuel exceeding the limits allowed by the FMVSS. The problem could increase the risk of a vehicle fire and injury to occupants. Continue reading

A defect affecting steering safety will have the owners of certain 2015 Chevrolet Colorado and 2015 GMC Canyon trucks returning to their dealerships for repairs. The vehicles involved may have a torque sensor harness connector that was damaged during testing and could result in loss of electrical connection to the steering gear connector. If loss of connection occurs, power steering assist will be lost, a malfunction indicator light displays on the instrument panel and a chime sounds to inform the driver. Continue reading

Kia will be contacting the owners of certain 2011 Kia Forte vehicles equipped with automatic transaxle, about a problem affecting the power train system of their cars. According to the defect report, that automatic transmission fluid cooler hose may have been improperly cured during the manufacturing process and could leak. If sufficient fluid is lost abnormal transmission shifts with noise and/or illumination of the Malfunction Indicator Lamp (MIL) will occur. The problem could result in complete loss of vehicle movement. Continue reading

Due to recent developments affecting certain Takata PSDI-5 inflators, GM will be asking the owners of certain 2003-2011 Saab 9-3, 2010-2011 Saab 9-5, and 2008-2009 Saturn Astra vehicles to return to their dealership for repairs. This Takata equipment recall relates to all Takata PSDI-5 driver airbag inflators produced from the start of production through the end of model year 2014. Continue reading

General Motors have announced a defect relating to motor vehicle safety exists in certain 2015-2016 Chevrolet and GMC trucks. According to reports filed with the NHTSA, the threads on the brake pedal pivot bolt may be too short to engage the locking feature of the nut. If the pedal loosens, the driver may not be able to stop the vehicle safely or the pedal could interfere with the accelerator. The driver may notice a change in brake pedal feel, the service engine soon light may illuminate, and/or the brake lights may stay on longer than expected. Continue reading

The NHTSA announced last week that an additional five million vehicles will be added to the Takata airbag recall, bringing the total number of vehicles affected in the United States to almost 19 million. The new list will affect automakers not previously included in the recall, including Volkswagen, Audi, and Mercedes-Benz. The NHTSA have prioritized the replacement of the defective air bag inflators to ensure they are replaced quickly and addressing the highest risks first. Continue reading