Hoovey689

iTrader: (16)

Hyundai issuing TSB for Sonata steering issues

Hyundai is reportedly working up a customer service campaign regarding steering issues with certain Sonata models. The Korean automaker told Consumer Reports that the campaign is for sedans equipped with 18-inch wheels, built between September 2010 and May 2011.

According to Consumer Reports, Hyundai dealerships will inspect and adjust the Sonata's entire suspension and make adjustments as necessary. If that doesn't do the trick, the struts will be replaced and the electronic power steering will be reprogrammed.

Both the naturally aspirated and turbocharged Sonata SE models ride on 18-inch wheels, so those will be the only vehicles affected by this customer service campaign.

http://www.autoblog.com/2011/08/16/h...eering-issues/

mmarshall

It might (?) be linked to the problem that some new Sonatas and Kia Optimas have with a slight left-pull. Consumer Reports also noticed it on their new Sonata/Kia samples.

Hoovey689

iTrader: (16)

Porsche recalling select 2011-12 Boxster, Cayman, 911 models for seatbelt anchor issue

Porsche has announced a recall for certain Model Year 2011-2012 Boxster, Cayman and 911 models for seatbeat anchor plate issues that could increase the risk of injury during a crash.

Porsche says there's a possibility that affected models have undersized anchor plate mounting holes, which could restrict the plate from rotating as intended and may result in the seatbelt not being "routed optimally around the occupant." Over time, the anchor plate could loosen, causing the seatbelt to not function as intended.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says that 235 Porsche Boxster, Cayman and 911 models could potentially be affected by this recall. More specifically, the anchor plate issue affects model year 2011 911 Speedster and 911 GTS RS 4.0; and model year 2012 Boxster (including S and Spyder); Cayman (including S and R); 911 Carrera (including S, GTS, 4, 4S, and 4 GTS); 911 Targa 4 and Targa 4S; and 911 Turbo and Turbo S manufactured from May 31, 2011 through June 10, 2011.

Porsche dealers will inspect vehicles to ensure the anchor plate mounting hole is sized correctly and make any necessary repairs or modifcations free of charge.

http://www.autoblog.com/2011/08/19/p...11-models-for/

T0ked

iTrader: (2)

Upsets me that Nissan isn't being forced to do a recall for leaking master cylinders. My gf's previous car, a 2008 Altima, suddenly had it's brake light on the dash come on. Looking under the hood, the brake fluid was almost gone and a leak could be seen under the car. Brought it to the dealer and they wouldn't give it back for safety reasons. We got a loaner Sentra... with the same problem. Got a second one. Took them 3 months to get the master cylinder in due to "insufficient supply". (We forced them to waive the lease payments for those months... but that was another headache). Looking on the internet it seems there have been an inordinate amount of troubles with various Nissans and master cylinders especially for Sentras and Altimas.

Hoovey689

iTrader: (16)

Here ya go

Nissan SUV and pickup owners experiencing transmission failures

Nissan is facing a rash of complaints about automatic transmission failures in the company's trucks and SUVs, according to The New York Times. Certain 2005-2010 Frontier, Pathfinder and Xterra models may have an issue with their radiators which could cause coolant to mix with the automatic transmission fluid. That's not supposed to happen, and it could cause premature failure. Nissan, meanwhile, has extended its warranty coverage, but only on the radiators. Owners, meanwhile, say that they've been stuck with expensive transmission repair bills since the warranties run out at 80,000 miles.

The NYT reports that Nissan extended its radiator coverage in October of last year after the company discovered that internal oil cooler tubes may crack and leak. The Automatic Transmission Rebuilders Association, meanwhile, says that the radiator coolant tanks themselves are rupturing, which then allows the fluid to mix with coolant before being pumped back into the transmission.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has received upwards of 200 complaints on the issue, though it's still unclear at this point whether or not the government agency is looking into the problem. For its part, Nissan has said that if the problem occurs on vehicles still within warranty, any transmission repairs would also be included in the coverage.

http://www.autoblog.com/2011/08/25/n...sion-failures/

Hoovey689

iTrader: (16)

15,500 Navistar school busses recalled over fire possibility

The New York Times is reporting that Navistar is recalling 15,500 school busses over a fire risk. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration the popular busses were built with a positive alternator cable that could rub against a mounting bracket. Should the cable's insulation be compromised, the electrical system could malfunction, potentially resulting in a fire. The recall covers 2007-2012 model-year buses, including the BE and CE series. The report says that Navistar itself filed the recall and that so far, no fires have been reported from vehicles in the field.

Navistar is based in Fort Wayne, Indiana, and manufacturers a number of heavy-duty vehicles for everything from construction and farm use to people and cargo conveyance. The BE and CE series buses are built by subsidiary IC Bus.

http://www.autoblog.com/2011/08/26/1...e-possibility/

Hoovey689

iTrader: (16)

BMW recalling 2,120 diesel X5 models

Our love for all things diesel is tempered this morning with the news of a recall affecting a certain oil-burning German SUV. BMW is recalling the 2009 X5 xDrive35d due to a problem with the vehicle's diesel fuel pre-heater, the issue being that it's not working as it should, and it could experience an electrical overload that would put it in a permanent "on" state.

Its job is to pre-heat, so if it were forced to always-heat it could become quite unhappy and cause damage to various parts of the X5. One part being the battery, which could die out quickly. The other part being the entire vehicle, which could catch on fire. Either scenario would surely prove to be a negative experience for owner's of the vehicle, and BMW will repair the faulty unit free of charge.

http://www.autoblog.com/2011/08/31/b...sel-x5-models/

Hoovey689

iTrader: (16)

BMW recalling 241,000 3 Series models over faulty taillights

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has announced that BMW is recalling 241,000 3 Series models for potentially faulty rear lamps. According to NHTSA, certain 2002-2005 325i, 325xi, 330i and 330xi models built between September 1, 2001 and March 1 2005 may experience increased resistance at the electrical contacts. This resistance may eventually lead to the failure of tail light, brake light or turning indicator lamps over time. That failure could impede a driver's ability to warn other motorists of his or her intentions, potentially leading to an accident.

BMW dealers will repair the electrical components free of charge once the recall gets underway in October of this year.

Previously, BMW issued a technical service bulletin concerning a certain eight-pin connector which would overheat and melt under extreme electrical load. BMW dealers corrected the issue by adding additional grounding to the circuit. It's unclear whether this remedy will also be applied to the recall.

http://www.autoblog.com/2011/09/01/b...y-tail-lights/

Hoovey689

iTrader: (16)

Honda recalling 86,000 units for fire, rollaway concerns

It has been a tough year for recalls at Honda. Just last month, the automaker recalled 1.51 million vehicles in the U.S. for an engine stall issue. In May Honda recalled another 833,000 vehicles for an airbag issue.

Now Honda is adding another 86,000 vehicles to the tally for a pair of issues. The Detroit News reports that the automaker is recalling 80,111 2006 CR-V vehicles to replace the power master switch. The recall comes after the U.S. government had five reports of driver door fires that resulted from faulty switches, and Honda says the issue occurs when the switch allows residue from interior cleaners to accumulate. The cleaners could eventually wear out electrical contacts, which would lead to a fire.

Honda also announced that 5,626 2011 CR-Z models with manual transmissions are being recalled to update electric motor controls software. Honda has received complaints of roll-away problems that occur when the battery is low on juice and the engine is stalled. When this happens, it's possible for the electric motor to rotate in the wrong direction, and when the brakes aren't engaged, the vehicle can roll backwards even when the transmission is in a forward gear. Sounds confusing - and dangerous. Honda will reportedly begin notifying owners of the affected vehicles sometime in September.

http://www.autoblog.com/2011/09/05/h...away-concerns/

Hoovey689

iTrader: (16)

Fed closes investigation of Ford F-150 fuel tank straps

According to The Detroit News, The National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration has closed its investigation into 2.7 million Ford pickups for fuel tank straps that may have rusted and failed. Affected models included 1997-2001 F-150, 1997 to 1999 F-250 and 2002 to 2003 Lincoln Blackwood trucks.

A total of 339 complaints were received from Ford and NHTSA, of which there have been nine confirmed cases of straps so deteriorated that the fuel tank completely dislodged and fell to the ground, with many more cases involving at least one failed strap. It seems that road salt and other chemicals used to melt snow and ice were blamed for the corrosion.

In response, Ford issued a recall that covered 1.1 million trucks that were operated in cold-weather states. That action was good enough for government work, says NHTSA, so the case has hereby been closed.

http://www.autoblog.com/2011/09/08/f...l-tank-straps/

Hoovey689

iTrader: (16)

Subaru recalls 2010-2011 Legacy, Outback for windshield wiper issue

Japanese automaker Subaru has issued a recall for Model Year 2010-2011 Outback and Legacy vehicles manufactured from January 7, 2010, through May 20, 2011. Subaru says faulty components inside the wiper motor's bottom cover could overheat.

According to Subaru, if the motor's bottom cover overheats, the windshield wipers may no longer function, which could lead to reduced visibility and increase the chance of a crash.

Subaru will notify owners of the 195,080 affected Outback and Legacy vehicles by the end of November. As is typically the case, dealers will replace defective components free of charge and owners are urged to contact Subaru for more info.

http://www.autoblog.com/2011/09/12/s...ield-wiper-is/

Hoovey689

iTrader: (16)

Honda recalls 347,000 Pilot models over seatbelt issue

Honda Motor Co. is recalling nearly 347,000 examples of its Pilot crossovers worldwide for a potential issue with the front seatbelts.

Honda says the recall, which affects 2009-2011 model year Pilot models built in Alabama, is "due to a manufacturing error on a small number of front seat belts, where the stitching connecting the lap section of the belt to the outboard anchor webbing may be incomplete or missing." The affected seatbelts could disconnect from the anchor webbing in an accident, increasing the risk of an injury.

Honda will contact Pilot owners in early October and will inspect the stitching on front seatbelts of the recalled vehicles. Assemblies will be replaced free of charge if Honda deems them to be defective. Honda says almost 311,000 of the recalled Pilot models are registered in the U.S., 10,000 in Canada, 8,000 in Mexico and the rest in other countries. Fortunately, Honda says no injuries or deaths have been reported related to this issue.

http://www.autoblog.com/2011/09/12/h...eatbelt-issue/

Hoovey689

iTrader: (16)

Subaru Forester, Impreza and Saab 9-2X recalled over control arm corrosion

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has just announced a safety recall covering
295,123 vehicles, a pair of Subaru models and a close relative from Saab. The recall concerns front control arms that may fail if corroded, making the vehicle difficult to control. The action covers select 2003-2008 Forester crossovers, 2002-2007 Impreza models and some 2005-2006 Saab 9-2x hatchbacks, the latter heavily based on Subaru mechanicals.

In April, NHTSA launched an investigation after receiving seven complaints from owners of affected vehicles. In two instances, owners reported losing control of their vehicle due to control arm failure. The agency's investigation revealed the front lower control arms may break at the hanger brackets due to corrosion if exposed to salt or humid environments.

This is a geographic recall, meaning that Subaru will inspect the degree of corrosion and either replace or rustproof the control arms on vehicles registered for use in the District of Columbia, Massachusetts, Maryland, Michigan, New Hampshire, New York, Pennsylvania, Vermont, Wisconsin, Connecticut, Delaware, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Maine, Minnesota, Missouri, New Jersey, Ohio, Rhode Island and West Virginia.

Saab dealers will be responsible to inspect and repair affected 9-2x models as necessary, including the possible rustproofing or replacement of control arms. Owners who think that their vehicle may be covered under the recall are urged to contact their dealer.

http://www.autoblog.com/2011/09/12/s...r-control-arm/

Hoovey689

iTrader: (16)

2011-2012 VW Jetta models recalled over.... excessively long exhaust?!

German automaker Volkwagen is recalling 30,294 of its 2011-2012 model year Jetta sedans for tailpipe finishers that extend beyond the vehicle's rear bumper.

On certain Jettas, stainless steel exhaust tips – sold at the point-of-purchase and installed at port during importation – may extend beyond the original length of the factory-installed exhaust pipes, a situation that could result in burns if bumped or touched while hot.

VW will notify owners of affected Jetta models by the end of November and says that dealers will inspect and, if necessary, replace the stainless tips with updated versions. Owners are urged to contact Volkswagen for additional info.

http://www.autoblog.com/2011/09/12/2...vely-long-exh/

Hoovey689

iTrader: (16)

Hyundai recalling over 200,000 Santa Fe and Veracruz crossovers

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has announced a recall of over 200,000 Hyundai crossovers – specifically, 178,685 Santa Fe and 26,548 Veracruz crossovers – all from the 2007 and 2008 model years. The problem? Airbags that may not deploy in the event of an accident.

According to NHTSA, the clock spring contact assembly for the driver's airbag may become damaged over time. NHTSA continues:

The driver's airbag electrical circuit will experience a high resistance condition, potentially causing the driver's airbag to not deploy.

Hyundai dealers will inspect and replace the faulty clock springs as necessary, with no cost to owners. The official recall is set to kick off later this month.

http://www.autoblog.com/2011/09/16/h...uz-crossovers/