S2000toIS350

Second Chrysler recall this week.

That is even more fun than watching the triple overtime Stanley Cup game last night at the United Center with my son last night (okay, not at all true but I do like to just rank on Chrysler all the time).

http://www.autoblog.com/2013/06/13/r...-turn-signals/

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Honda S2000, Acura RSX recalled over brake boosters

Honda has announced a recall that affects two of our favorite, dearly departed cars from the brand's portfolio: the S2000 roadster and Acura RSX coupe. A total of 5,239 S2000 models from the 2006 and 2007 model years are affected by this problem, as are 13,113 2006 Acura RSX models.

"A production error may have allowed brake booster components to be produced outside of the original specifications, potentially causing decreased brake assistance over time, which could increase the risk of a crash," American Honda said in a press release. Thus, dealerships will inspect and, if necessary, replace the brake booster setups in these vehicles, free of charge.

No crashes or injuries have been reported in relation to this brake problem. Honda says the problem was discovered during warranty claim analysis.

The recall will officially kick of in July, and owners will be notified by mail of this problem.

http://www.autoblog.com/2013/06/14/h...rake-boosters/

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GM recalls over 230,000 more Trailblazer-family SUVs over door electronics

Back in August, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration announced a recall on the General Motors GMT360 SUVs (Buick Rainier, Chevrolet Trailblazer, GMC Envoy, Isuzu Ascender and Saab 9-7X) ranging from the 2005 to 2007 model years and the 2006 GMT370 SUVs (Chevrolet Trailblazer EXT and GMC Envoy XL) due to potential fires associated with the driver's door module. Initially limited to 250,000 units sold or registered in 20 Snow Belt states (and the District of Columbia), the recall has now been expanded to include an additional 193,000 of these SUVs in the US and, according to The Detroit News, 40,000 more sold outside the US, including Canada and Mexico.

Like the original recall, the issue is still a faulty driver's door module that can short out, which could lead to a fire. The Detroit News is reporting that, out of the 443,000 units being recalled, GM says that there were 58 fires that caused 11 minor injuries, and the expanded recall accounted for six fires and one injury. Despite the lower number of fires, the recall notice recommends that owners park their vehicles until the recall repairs has been performed.

On recalled units with functional modules, the repair consists of a protective coating being applied to the module, while vehicles with modules that are not working properly will have the driver's door module replaced.

http://www.autoblog.com/2013/06/16/g...s-over-door-e/

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205k Suzuki models being investigated for airbag sensor issue

The Detroit News is reporting that the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has opened an investigation on the 2006-11 Suzuki Grand Vitara and 2007-11 Suzuki SX4 due to issues with the airbag and seatbelt for the front passenger seat. So far, NHTSA has received 128 complaints on these vehicles for airbag warning lights, airbag off lights and seatbelt lights, on a vehicle set that totals around 205,000 units, but there is no indication as to how many, if any, injuries have reported.

Via technical service bulletins, Suzuki has already acknowledged two airbag-related issues with front passenger seats on both vehicles, including a programming error for the passenger seat load indicator on 2009 models and an open-circuit problem for the sensor mat that determines if an adult or child is sitting in the front seat. Since this latter issue would not shut off or lessen the impact of the passenger airbag, Suzuki has already extended the warranty for the seat cushion bottom to 10 years or 120,000 miles. After ceasing new-car sales in the US and Canada, potential recall repairs (which still may or may not happen) would be handled by remaining dealers as laid out in the recent court-approved bankruptcy plan.

http://www.autoblog.com/2013/06/19/2...-sensor-issue/

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Honda issues second Fit window recall, this time for 143k units

Honda has announced it is recalling certain 2007-2008 Fit models in the US to fix what could have been faulty repairs made in a previous round of recalls. The vehicles may have been manufactured with a master driver's window switch that could allow rain water or spilled liquids into the switch. If that happens, the liquids could cause the switch to overheat, melt and potentially damage the vehicle's wiring or cause a fire. Honda says no accidents or injuries have been reported due to the problem, but warns owners to park their Fit hatchbacks outside until a dealer can inspect the switch.

All told, the recall covers 143,083 Fit units. Back in 2010, Honda recalled the 2002-2008 model-year Fit for the same issue. That recall covered some 646,000 units worldwide after a two-year-old child in Cape Town, South Africa burnt to death while sleeping in a Fit. Honda says the repair made during that round of recalls may not have been sufficient, and the latest fix should take care of the problem for good.

http://www.autoblog.com/2013/07/01/h...or-143k-units/

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NHTSA may test recalled Jeep to see if trailer hitch fix works

Despite the fact that Chrysler and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration have compromised on last month's heated recall situation involving the Jeep Grand Cherokee and Liberty, it looks like the matter is still far from over. The Detroit News is reporting that NHTSA could end up crash testing the repaired vehicles, some of which are receiving Mopar trailer hitches to better protect the rear-mounted gas tank from being damaged during an accident.

You won't be surprised to know that the notion stems from a group of safety advocates that recently met with NHTSA boss David Strickland. The group feels that Chrysler hasn't done all it can to make the vehicles safe, and has gone so far as to request that these vehicles be crash tested using the guidelines in place for the 2007 model year, despite the fact that every Jeep vehicle under investigation met safety requirements for the year in which it was sold.

Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood, on the other hand, seems satisfied with the situation, saying the proposed fix "will keep people safe." That being said, the article points out that the NHTSA investigation has not yet been closed.

http://www.autoblog.com/2013/07/02/n...tch-fix-works/

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Mitsubishi recalling 2011 Outlander Sport over panoramic roofs that may fly off

The panoramic roof offered on the 2011 Mitsubishi Outlander Sport is a great way to make the cabin feel more open, but some owners of the compact CUV could get a little more openness than they bargained for. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration announced a recall for Outlander Sport models built between August 2010 and March 2011 due to the possibility that the panoramic roof could fly off.

On about 3,200 Outlander Sport models in the US and Puerto Rico, a potentially improper installation process could have resulted in a lack of adhesive primer between the glass and the roof, which could allow the glass to detach from the vehicle and become dangerous debris on the road. Fortunately, it sounds like there have only been two instances of detached roofs, and neither was in the US. As a fix, Mitsubishi dealers will check to make sure the primer was used, and if not, the glass will be reinstalled following the proper procedure.

http://www.autoblog.com/2013/07/02/m...ramic-roofs-t/

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NHTSA closes investigations into Ford Taurus, Hyundai Santa Fe

Ford and Hyundai are out from under the scrutinizing eyes of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration after the government agency said it was closing investigations against both automakers over vehicle safety concerns.

Ford was being investigated for reported damaged speed control cables on Ford Taurus (shown above) and Mercury Sable models, both built between 2000 and 2003. Vehicles with the company's Duratec engines allegedly failed to allow owners to brake as expected. Owners lodged 100 complaints and were involved in five accidents, according to NHTSA records. The American automaker responded to the reports, and on June 21 of this year, said that it would inspect and repair all affected vehicles, regardless of the mileage.

Hyundai was under investigation for a reported loose fastener on the steering shaft of its 2011 Santa Fe (shown in the gallery below). After NHTSA launched its inquiry, the Korean automaker responded with its own investigation that yielded four affected vehicles. Following the inspection of 680 vehicles at its assembly plant, Hyundai said the issue was due to employee error and that no further defects have been found.

http://www.autoblog.com/2013/07/03/n...ndai-santa-fe/

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2012-2013 Hyundai Azera recalled for passenger airbag fault

Hyundai is recalling 5,200 units of its Azera sedan over a possible airbag sensor malfunction. The occupant detection system in models built between May 22, 2012 and November 23, 2012 might not be able to tell what kind of passenger (adult, child, or child seat) is in the front seat, which could cause improper deployment of the airbag.

Azeras from the 2012 and 2013 model year are affected. Hyundai hasn't yet said when owners will be notified, but once that happens, they'll be able to take their sedans to dealers to have the system recalibrated free of charge.

http://www.autoblog.com/2013/07/03/2...-airbag-fault/

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Watching IIHS test semi trailers for safety is frightening

"Underride." That's a word you'll want to add to your glossary of horrifying fates. It describes the action of a car sliding under a semi trailer at speed, with results that sometimes aren't pretty to look at - the kind this Corvette driver only managed to escape by ducking.

As part of its Inside the IIHS video series, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety takes a look at what it discovered in its underride testing. It bought trailers from the eight largest trailer makers by volume in the US, loaded them with 19 tons of concrete, then crashed a 2010 Chevrolet Malibu into them at 35 miles an hour three different ways: full frontal, 50-percent offset and 30-percent offset.

Even though some of the trailer guards meant to stop a car from submarining were good for the purpose, others weren't, but even the ones that didn't perform their duty met federal regulations.


http://www.autoblog.com/2013/07/03/w...s-frightening/

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Toyota to recall 185k cars globally, including Yaris

Toyota has announced it is recalling a total of 185,000 vehicles worldwide for a power steering issue. Yaris and (overseas) Vitz models built between November 2010 and March 2012 could suffer a short circuit in their power steering control module if water gets inside. Should that happen, the power steering could fail, increasing effort when turning. The recall also includes the Verso-S and Ractis built from August 2010 to August 2011. The recall covers 130,000 vehicles in Japan and around 22,450 in Europe.

Only 74 units are being recalled in the United States.

Toyota says if the fault occurs, the vehicle will display the Electronic Power Steering warning light on the dash and a buzzer will sound. The automaker will alert owners by mail and dealers will replace the power steering control module free of charge.

http://www.autoblog.com/2013/07/04/t...cluding-yaris/

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Chrysler recalling nearly half a million vehicles with active head restraints

Chrysler has announced that it will recall roughly 490,000 vehicles around the globe due to a potential active head-restraint problem. The problem is being blamed on "potentially faulty microcontrollers" that may keep the vehicles' anti-whiplash active safety feature from working properly. Chrysler says it has no knowledge of any accidents or injuries related to the issue. Models covered under the recall include the 2011-2013 Chrysler Sebring, 200 (shown) and Dodge Avenger models, along with 2011-2013 Jeep Liberty and 2011-2012 Dodge Nitro SUVs.

Interestingly, the Pentastar notes that the faulty part came from an (unnamed) supplier who furnished the parts in the wake of Japan's 2011 earthquake and tsunami, natural disasters which decimated the world's supply of microcontrollers.

Chrysler says of those nearly half a million vehicles affected, around 442,000 of them reside in the US, with an additional 25,000 in Canada and 10,000 units in Mexico. A further 12,000 models were shipped beyond the NAFTA region. The Auburn Hills automaker will begin sending out recall notices shortly, and technicians will upgrade the system software or replace the microcontroller as necessary at no cost to owners.

http://www.autoblog.com/2013/07/04/c...ith-active-he/

S2000toIS350

Sweet news on the latest Chrysler recall!

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NHTSA questioning GM over adequacy of past recall... again

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration appears to be feeling its oats lately. It recently urged Chrysler to recall some Jeep models over gas tank safety issues, and while the Auburn Hills automaker resisted in very public fashion, the government agency eventually got what it wanted. Now it's turning its gaze upon General Motors, wondering if an existing recall of 8,000 Pontiac G6 models for a brake light issue should have been exponentially larger – some 551,000 vehicles.

GM recalled those 8,000 Pontiac models in 2009 after NHTSA logged some 212 complaints of brake light issues on 2005 and 2006 models. But now, NHTSA has reportedly collected 314 complaints of similar issues in 2005-2008 models, and GM itself admits to receiving 1,104 complaints and about 14,400 "'potentially related warranty claims.'" These expanded findings have triggered an engineering analysis, a situation that The New York Times says is likely to result in a recall, though the outcome is not a certainty.

As NYT points out, this "is the third time this year NHTSA has challenged the adequacy of GM recalls." Back in June, NHTSA cajoled The General into adding nearly 200,000 GMT 360-based SUVs to an existing electrical fire risk recall, and it also announced an investigation into the Chevrolet Camaro, Cruze and Sonic for airbag issues. GM has already recalled 6,900 examples of these vehicles, but NHTSA is looking at around 400,000 units.

http://www.autoblog.com/2013/07/05/n...-recall-again/

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NHTSA investigating 343,000 Honda Odyssey minivans

The recall bug could strike Honda again as the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has opened another investigation concerning the Odyssey minivan. Honda has already recalled 59,000 Odysseys from the 2012 and 2013 model years due to a shift interlock issue, and another 320,000 of the minivans from 2003-04 are being investigated for faulty airbags. Now, TheDetroitBureau.com is reporting that NHTSA is taking a look at the 2007-08 Odyssey for a problem associated with the brakes.

This investigation reportedly includes 343,000 Odysseys that could be suffering from an unexpected application of the brakes. According to the article, at least 22 people have reported such an issue, and in five cases, dealers found a trouble code associated with the steering angle sensor – part of the anti-lock brake and stability control systems. There is still no indication as to whether or not this will become a recall, but Honda has already recalled more than 1.8 million units this year.

http://www.autoblog.com/2013/07/06/n...ssey-minivans/