Hoovey689

iTrader: (16)

^^ thanks for the addition. Yeah the Windstar, Freestar, and Monterey were all dismal from the get go. Granted if Ford tried making a minivan again they would probably succeed considering the roll they are on. However the Flex is currently the spiritual successor to their van line-up. The Ford Galaxy and S-Max are both MPVs and could be considered microvans competing against the Mazda5. As far as I know, only the S-Max has been green lighted for US shores in Hybrid and Energi guise

Hoovey689

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Mini recalling certain Cooper S and JCW models over water pump

Back in October, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration began investigating certain turbocharged Mini models for vehicle fires. The investigation came after reports of at least 12 vehicles lighting up, and now the investigation has officially lead to a recall.

NHTSA has announced on its website that Mini will recall 88,911 turbocharged models built between November 2006 and January 2011 for a water pump problem that could result in a fire. The government agency says on its website that "the electronic auxiliary water pump that cools the turbocharger has an electronic circuit board that can malfunction and overheat." If that happens, the board could smolder and result in a vehicle fire.

Affected models include the 2007-2011 Cooper S, the 2008-2011 Clubman S, the 2009-2011 Cooper S Convertible, the 2011 Countryman S and John Cooper Works models from 2009 to 2011.

Owners of recalled vehicles will be asked to bring their Mini model to the nearest dealer for a free water pump replacement.

http://www.autoblog.com/2012/01/16/m...er-water-pump/

Hoovey689

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Kia recalls 145K Rondo, Optima models over airbag issues

Kia has announced that it is recalling 145,000 vehicles to address faulty airbags. A total of 95,569 Optima sedans built between 2006 and 2008 and 50,186 Rondo MPVs built between 2007 and 2008 are included in the recall.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the vehicles may have been built with a clock spring in the steering column that may fatigue and break over time. As a result, the vehicles may illuminate the airbag warning light on the dash and the airbag may not deploy in the event of an accident. The automaker says that while it has received some warranty claims for the problem, no crashes or injuries have been reported as a result of the default.

Kia plans to notify affected Optima and Rondo owners in March. Those vehicles that currently have their airbag lights illuminated will be fixed first

http://www.autoblog.com/2012/01/20/k...airbag-issues/

Hoovey689

iTrader: (16)

Mazda recalls over 52,000 Tribute crossovers, warns owners to park outside

Mazda is recalling has issued a recall of the 2001- and 2002-model-year Mazda Tribute crossover for a possible brake fluid leak. It's been found that fluid leaking from the reservoir cap on the master cylinder might come into contact with the ABS wiring harness connector, leading to potential corrosion and/or fire.

We've been waiting on this action for the better part of a month, as its mechanical twin, the Ford Escape, was the subject of a similar NHTSA recall announced on January 11. The Blue Oval recall covered some 244,000 units for the same problem.

There are 52,390 Tributes affected in total, and Mazda is taking the unusual step of advising that if you have one, you should park it outside until a dealer has made the necessary repairs.

http://www.autoblog.com/2012/01/28/m...-owners-to-pa/

Hoovey689

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Maserati recalls 2008-10 Granturismo over potential taillamp failures

Maserati has announced a recall of certain 2008-2010 Granturismo models over faulty tail lamps. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the coupes may have been assembled with a defective rear lamp assembly. The lights could then fail to illuminated, potentially causing an accident. NHTSA says Maserati will replace the units free of charge once the campaign begins this month. The recall covers 1,768 Granturismo models.

Last year, Maserati recalled 763 Quattraporte and Granturismo models over faulty tie-rod ends, which could have led to a total loss of vehicle control

http://www.autoblog.com/2012/02/06/m...-taillamp-fai/

Hoovey689

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New Nissan Versa recalled for problem with shifter

Some 36,000 Versa owners will soon be getting mail from Nissan. Automatic transmission-equipped 2012 Versas built between June 9, 2011, and January 13, 2012, may have defective shifter ***** or shifter assemblies, which could allow the car to be shifted out of park without first pressing the brake pedal.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration report says that the defect increases the risk of crash or injury to pedestrians.

http://www.autoblog.com/2012/02/10/n...-with-shifter/

Hoovey689

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BMW agrees to pay $3M fine for late reporting of recalls

BMW is handing over $3 million in fines to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration over the way it has handled recalls. NHTSA began an investigation of BMW's practices in 2010, looking at 16 recalls that covered more than 300,000 of the company's cars and motorcycles going back in some cases to 2002.

In levying the fine, NHTSA found that "BMW appears to maintain a practice, by design or habit, in which it provides little information in its initial (recall) filings." Of the instances which garnered fines, however, BMW said all but one of them concerned its motorcycles, not its cars. The NHTSA said that BMW would eventually provide the information but only after what the NHTSA termed an "inordinate amount of time."

To address the issue, BMW is changing its methods for how it provides information to the government and how it deals with recalls.

http://www.autoblog.com/2012/02/13/b...ng-of-recalls/

Hoovey689

iTrader: (16)

Nearly 10,000 Dodge Charger police cars recalled

With the era of Ford's dominant Crown Victoria finally drawing to a close, automakers are working harder than ever to court law enforcement with more modern police cruisers. Key among their tactics? Facilitate easier fleet ordering by making common police equipment upgrades available from the car companies themselves instead of forcing precincts to seek out aftermarket specialists. Instead of sending their new cruisers off to third party vendors, those in charge of ordering new police cars can get them fitted with items like heavy-duty secondary batteries, special lighting, trunk coolers, laptop docking consoles and so on – all from the factory.

An unintended consequence of this shift in strategy is that the police cruisers are now more complex than ever, particularly in the area of wiring. Just ask Chrysler, which is now facing the recall of nearly 10,000 Dodge Charger police cruisers from 2011 and 2012 model years.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Chrysler will recall 9,688 cop specials because some vehicles could incur an overheated lighting harness connector that could cause the cruiser's low beams to fail. In addition, some Chargers may also suffer from an overheated power distribution center that could result in a loss of the vehicle's anti-lock braking and stability control systems. Just as they would with a car sold to the general public, Chrysler will notify owners covered in the recall and inspect and replace the affected parts free of charge.

http://www.autoblog.com/2012/02/13/n...cars-recalled/

Hoovey689

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NHTSA investigating Chevy TrailBlazer models over door fires

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has opened an investigation concerning door fires on 2006-07 Chevrolet TrailBlazer models. The inquiry affects over 309,000 of the Chevy SUVs, with NHTSA stating that the door fires were caused by problems with the power window switches or some related electrical parts.

As of this writing, NHTSA has received 12 complaints from TrailBlazer owners about smoke or fires inside the vehicles, and thankfully, no injuries have been reported. According to The Detroit News, General Motors has stated that none of the TrailBlazers in question have been destroyed because of the fires, though some interior parts were melted and some seats were singed.

If this story sounds familiar, it's because NHTSA recently began investigating Toyota Camry and RAV4 models for this exact same reason, with some 830,000 Toyota vehicles possibly affected. Because of this, NHTSA is looking to see if General Motors and Toyota sourced the power window switches from the same parts supplier. If that's the case, other vehicles may be affected.

The Chevrolet TrailBlazer shares its power window switches with three other GM vehicles – the GMC Envoy, Buick Rainier and Saab 9-7X – though NHTSA has not received any complaints from owners of those vehicles, The Detroit News reports. A spokesperson from GM says these other vehicles have different door configurations, and thus, may not have any problems.

GM has said it intends to fully cooperate with NHTSA on the investigation. Of course, it's important to note that this isn't an official recall yet, but one may be issued pending the results of NHTSA's inquiry. In the meantime, owners experiencing any problems should contact their local dealership.

http://www.autoblog.com/2012/02/13/n...er-door-fires/

Hoovey689

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Subaru recalling 2012 Legacy and Outback over airbag fault

Subaru is recalling certain 2012 model year Legacy sedans and Outback wagons due to side curtain airbags that may not deploy in the event of a crash. A total of 381 vehicles are affected by this recall, all of which were manufactured between December 1 and December 23, 2011.

So, why won't the side curtain airbags deploy? We'll let the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration explain it:
These vehicles may be equipped with side curtain airbags that contain an incorrect propellant mixture for the initiator component used, resulting in insufficient output of compressed gas.

We don't need to tell you why having faulty airbags is a bad thing. Subaru will notify its owners and will replace the car's side curtain airbags free of charge.

http://www.autoblog.com/2012/02/15/s...-airbag-fault/

Hoovey689

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Honda recalls over 45,000 Odyssey minivans over liftgate failures

Honda is recalling some of its previous-generation Odyssey minivans due to potentially faulty gas-filled struts on vehicles equipped with a power rear liftgate. A total of 45,747 vehicles are affected by this recall, all of which are from the 2008 and 2009 model years.

According to the official release from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the faulty struts in these vehicles are prone to early life failures due to a "manufacturing flaw" (that's as specific as it gets), an issue that can result in the leak of pressurized gas. These struts aid in opening and closing the power liftgate, and if there isn't enough pressurized gas in the strut, performance can be diminished and can lead to unexpected liftgate closure, potentially causing an injury.

http://www.autoblog.com/2012/02/22/h...tgate-failure/

Hoovey689

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Honda recalls 2012 Pilot, Acura MDX crossovers over possible fuel leak

American Honda is recalling some 8,709 crossovers due to a possible fuel leak. The 2012 Honda Pilot and its upscale platform-mate, the Acura MDX, are affected by this recall, which is expected to begin in mid-March.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the vent shut float valve cases in the fuel tank assemblies of these vehicles does not meet proper design specifications. Because of this, fuel could leak from the tank, increasing the risk of a fire.

Four other vehicles – the Honda Accord, Odyssey, Ridgeline and Acura ZDX – also share at least some of their underpinnings with the Pilot and MDX, but they are not affected by this recall.

Earlier this week, Honda issued a recall on the 2008 and 2009 model year Odyssey minivan due to liftgate struts with improper gas compression. Over 45,000 minivans are included in that recall, and according to Honda, two injuries have been reported as a result of the liftgate issue.

http://www.autoblog.com/2012/02/23/h...-possible-fue/

Hoovey689

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NHTSA investigating side airbag problems

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is investigating a number of vehicles for potentially faulty side airbags, according to The Detroit News. The airbags may have been manufactured with an ineffective mix of inflation gasses, which could leave the bags flat in the event of a collision. The defective hardware has found its way into models from Toyota, Honda, Subaru and Nissan, and has resulted in the recall of around 2,700 units so far. If NHTSA finds the defective airbags in other vehicles, that number could swell substantially.

The defective airbag inflators were manufactured by a Autoliv, a Swedish supplier. According to the report, Autoliv shipped a total of 10,500 faulty inflators to manufacturers as well as two other airbag makers. Chrysler, Ford, General Motors, Kia and Suzuki all purchased the defective parts, though it's unclear exactly which models were equipped with the Autoliv pieces.

Ford, GM and Chrysler have all said their airbag inflators work differently than those used by other automakers. The companies haven't seen any failures in extensive testing. Autoliv, meanwhile, said that the company saw the problem occur once in tests at -22 degrees Farenheit, though the malfunction may be more likely to occur at low temperatures.

http://www.autoblog.com/2012/02/23/n...rbag-problems/

Hoovey689

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Porsche recalls 2011-2012 Cayenne SUVs over headlight issue

Porsche is issuing a recall of 20,278 Cayenne SUVs from the 2011- and 2012 model years including the base model as well as the S, Hybrid and Turbo. The vehicles in question, produced from March 8, 2010 up to January of this year, may have been fitted with faulty headlight locking assemblies. In case of assembly failure, the headlights could detach from the fenders – something that might be dramatically inconvenient if you're driving at night on a dark, winding road, say.

http://www.autoblog.com/2012/02/27/p...adlight-issue/

Hoovey689

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Goodyear recalls 41,000 tires for potential tread separation

Goodyear is recalling 40,914 Wrangler Silent Armor tires manufactured in 2009. According to the manufacturer, the tread may separate from the rest of the tire under "severe conditions," which could lead to vehicle damage or an accident. The company says that it first recognized an issue with the light truck and SUV tires after an increase in warranty claims in 2010. In 2011, two people in a vehicle equipped with Silent Armor tires died in a rollover crash in Texas.

The company said the tire had sustained external damage prior to the incident, and in most cases of failure, the tires were either underinflated, overloaded or had suffered impact damage.

While 27,000 of the tires are believed to be still in service, Goodyear decided to move forward with a recall on February 16. Owners will be notified of the campaign by March 22, and the company will replace the tires free of charge.

http://www.autoblog.com/2012/02/27/g...ad-separation/