Ford Recalling F-Series Trucks, Edge and Lincoln MKX Over Fire Hazard

Nearly 15,000 Ford trucks and crossovers are being recalled in the States because of problems with electrical systems that can short and create a fire. The recall concerns certain 2011MY Ford F-150, F-250, F-350, F-450, F-550 and Edge, and Lincoln MKX vehicles.

"During a six-day production period, the supplier of the body control module manufactured modules that may have the potential for an internal short," Ford said in a posting on the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration [NHTSA] website, adding that if a short occurs, it can result in an "unattended vehicle fire".

The Detroit-based automakers said that dealers will replace the body control module if necessary free of charge. The safety recall is expected to begin on or before January 10, 2011.

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Toyota Settled an “Unintended Acceleration” Lawsuit with US$10 Million

The families of four people killed in an accident allegedly caused by the now infamous “unintended acceleration” throttle-gate, sued Toyota earlier this year and reached a settlement in September. At the time, the amount was not made public, but now, the Los Angeles Times is reporting that a lawyer representing Bob Baker Lexus of San Diego, California, a defendant in the case, has revealed that the Japanese maker agreed to pay US $10 million.

The tragic incident, which lead to the death of California Highway Patrol officer Mark Saylor and three of his family members, occurred after the dealership lent him a 2009 Lexus ES that allegedly had the aforementioned defect.

Initially, Toyota and the plaintiffs agreed to keep the deal confidential and the manufacturer neither admitted nor denied liability.

In the aftermath of the disclosure, Toyota released an official statement saying that it was disappointed that the sum was made public, as the involved parties “reached a private, amicable settlement through mutual respect and cooperation without the involvement of the courts”.

Furthermore, the automaker considers that, by making the settlement deal public, Bob Baker Lexus is trying to shift the attention away from its own litigation case with the families.

“Our deepest sympathies remain with the friends and family of Mark, Cleofe and Mahala Saylor and Cleofe’s brother Chris Lastrella”, Toyota said in the statement. “However, as in the past, Toyota will continue to defend itself vigorously against the misleading allegations Bob Baker Lexus is making against Toyota. Toyota is not, however, in a position to address the additional negligence claims the families have against Bob Baker Lexus that are independent of Toyota”.

By Csaba Daradics

Source: LA Times & Automotive News

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Bad Boy Off-Road Electric Buggy Recalled for... Unintended Acceleration

Believe it or not, not even those little electric golf cart "buggies" seen around country clubs, marinas, and large-scale properties are immune from an occasional recall. Just recently, approximately 9,300 of these little errand-runners have been recalled for having a case of the "Toyotas", or unintended acceleration.

The Consumer Product Safety Commission confirms fifty-nine reports of the issue so far, while models affected range from those built in 2003 up to the present. The buggy in question is the Bad Boy Classic - built by Missouri's Bad Boy Enterprises - and, due to the unexpected/unintended increase in pace, has caused a few injuries such as broken bones and damaged pride.

It turns out that 3,900 of the Classics were recalled in October of 2009 as well, but Bad Boy Enterprises says the repair didn't work as well as they had hoped. Let's hope the second time's the charm.

By Phil Alex

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GM Issues Separate Recalls on Cadillac CTS and Escalade, and Chevy and GMC Trucks

General Motors is recalling close to 100,000 vehicles in two separate campaigns. In a posting with the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration [NHTSA], GM said the first recall affects almost 96,000 Cadillac CTS sedans from the 2005-2007 model years over concerns that some of the vehicles have a condition in which repeated flexing of the passenger sensing system mat in the passenger seat may break the connection. The company said that if this occurs, the sensor may not detect the presence of a front seat passenger and will disable the air bag.

Dealers will replace the passenger sensing system free of charge, however, GM has yet to provide an owner notification schedule for the CTS recall.

The second recall from GM concerns approximately 1,260 Cadillac Escalades, Chevrolet Avalanche and Silverado 1500s, and GMC Sierra 1500s, all from the 2011 model year. These trucks may have a faulty rear-axle cross pin, which could fracture and become displaced within the axle.

GM said that if the pin shifts out of position, it could create an interference condition and cause the rear axle to lock, in which case, the driver may not be able to maintain directional control of the vehicle and a crash could occur without prior warning.

The company added that this safety recall is expected to begin during January 2011.

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Honda to Recall 1.35 Million Fit and Jazz Models Worldwide to Repair Headlamps

Honda said on Thursday it would recall around 1.35 million examples of its Fit / Jazz subcompact to fix a potential problem with the cars' headlamps. The recall affects approximately 143,083 model year 2007 and 2008 Fit vehicles in the U.S., 385,000 units of the Jazz in Europe and 735,000 cars in Japan.

The Japanese automaker said the problem has been traced back to the routing of the wiring harness for the headlight control switch, as the plating on the wiring harness connectors for the low-beam circuit can become worn after repeated use.

"Worn plating on the connectors could result in corrosion and cause the connector to overheat and fail, resulting in a loss of low-beam headlight functionality," said Honda in an press statement. According to the company, the high-beam headlight circuit and function are not affected by this problem, while Honda also added that no accidents or injuries have been reported in relation to this issue.

In the States, owners of model-year 2007 and 2008 Fit vehicles will receive a notification in early January to bring the vehicle to a Honda dealer for inspection. Honda said the dealers will inspect and if necessary, replace the wiring harness terminal and secure the wiring harness connector. If there are any signs of damage in the connector, Honda said dealers will replace the headlight switch as well.

Chrysler and Volkswagen Issue Massive Recalls on Separate Issues

Chrysler and Volkswagen have issued massive recalls, affecting a combined total of almost 600,000 vehicles. The American automaker is recalling 367,350-2008MY Chrysler Town and Country/Dodge Caravan MPVs, while Wolfsburg’s finest will notify 228,236 owners of Golf, Jetta sedan, Jetta Sportwagen, New Beetle and Rabbit models, manufactured between 2006 and 2010 that their vehicles are being called in.

According to the NHTSA report, certain variants of the Chrysler-built people carriers may experience a water leak at the heating and air conditioner drain grommet, which, eventually, can lead to inadvertently deployed airbags.

Chrysler dealers will replace the faulty part free of charge, starting from February 2011. Owners may contact the automaker at 1-888-327-4236.

The recalled Jetta, Jetta Sportwagen, Golf and Rabbit models may have a small plastic tab on the windshield washer fluid reservoir that may chafe against a fuel supply line. New Beetles equipped with the 2.5-liter engine may have a fastening clamp on a hydraulic hose that may also chafe against a fuel supply line. The worst-case scenario is that the affected vehicles can catch on fire, due to a potential fuel leak.

Depending on the model, Volkswagen service personnel will either remove the plastic tab from the washer fluid reservoir or adjust the fastening clamp’s position.

The safety recall is expected to begin on or before January 31, 2011. The German manufacturer can be contacted at 1-800-822-8987.

By Csaba Daradics

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Toyota Issues Voluntary Recall on 94,000 2011MY Sienna Minivans

Toyota said on Monday it will conduct a voluntary safety recall of some 94,000 units of its new 2011MY Sienna minivan (built before early November 2010) because of a potential problem with the brake light switch bracket. According to the Japanese automaker, due to the proximity with the parking brake, the stop lamp switch bracket could be deformed by the driver’s foot during parking brake operation.

The company said that depending how deformed the bracket becomes, the brake lights may remain on or, if the deformation is significant, the brakes could become partially engaged due to contact from the bracket, resulting in brake drag with associated brake noise, brake vibration, and/or illumination of the brake warning light.

"No other Toyota or Lexus vehicles are involved in this recall, and Toyota is not aware of any accidents or injuries related to this condition," the Japanese carmaker said in a statement.

Owners of the affected Sienna models will be notified about the recall in mid-January 2011, but the fix won't take place before late February due to the lack of parts.

"Owners will receive a second notice by first class mail in approximately late February, once replacement parts become available, and asked to make an appointment with any Toyota dealer to have the remedy performed at no charge," Toyota said.

From Toyota Press Release:

Customer FAQ for Sienna Stop Lamp Switch Bracket Recall

1. Which models are involved in the recall?

Toyota is recalling approximately 94,000 2011 Model Year Sienna vehicles produced before early November 2010. No other vehicles are affected by this recall.

2. What is the condition that prompted Toyota to take this action?

Due to the proximity of the stop lamp (brake light) switch bracket to the parking brake pedal when the parking brake is fully applied, the bracket could, in limited circumstances, be deformed by the driver’s food during parking brake operation.

Depending on the amount of bracket deformation, this condition could cause the brake lights to remain on. If the deformation is significant, the brakes could become partially engaged due to contact from the bracket, resulting in brake drag with associated brake noise, brake vibration, and/or illumination of the brake warning light. If this condition is not noticed and the vehicle continues to be driven, braking effectiveness could be reduced.

3. Are there any warnings that this condition has occurred?

Depending on the amount of stop lamp switch bracket deformation, drivers may notice the rear brake lights remaining “ON” and/or the brakes remaining slightly applied, resulting in brake drag with associated brake noise, brake vibration, and/or illumination of the brake warning light.

4. What is Toyota going to do to remedy this condition?

As part of this recall, Toyota dealers will replace the bracket assembly, which includes the stop lamp switch bracket, with a new one that has been redesigned to take into account the proximity of the component to the parking brake pedal.

5. Is the repair covered by warranty? Will I have to pay any money out of pocket for this repair?

This repair will be performed at no charge to the customer.

6. What should I do if my brake warning lamp is currently illuminated?

If a customer’s the brake warning lamp has illuminated, he/she is asked to please make an appointment with a local Toyota or Lexus dealership for diagnosis. If the condition is confirmed, the dealer will temporarily move the stop lamp switch bracket back to its designed position. The customer will be requested to return to the dealership when the remedy parts become available, as directed by their recall notice.

7. Does Toyota have any record of accidents or injuries related to this defect?

Toyota is not aware of any accidents or injuries related to this defect.

8. What should I do if I still have questions or concerns?

If you still have questions or concerns that have not been addressed here, please contact the Toyota Customer Experience Center at 1-800-331-4331.

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2011 Hyundai Santa Fe and 2011 Kia Sorento Recalled for Defective Brakes

The Hyundai Group has issued a separate recall for each of the 2011 Hyundai Santa Fe and 2011 Kia Sorento over the same issue concerning the rear brake calipers that may not have been properly machined.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the defective calipers could lead to brake fluid leak, followed by illumination of the malfunction indicator light indicating the brake fluid level is low and should be checked, then a soft or spongy brake pedal feel. If the problem is not taken care of, it will lead to reduced braking power.

The recall affects some 7,697 Kia Sorentos manufactured from September 14, 2010, through October 4, 2010, and 1,783 Hyundai Santa crossovers Fe built from September 28, 2010, through November 25, 2010.

Naturally, dealers from both automakers inspect the rear calipers and replace it if necessary free of charge. The two companies have not yet provided an owner notification schedule.

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Volvos Issues Recall on S40, V50, S60 and XC60 Models Over Power Seat Problems

A defective front passenger seat power system on certain Volvo models has prompted a recall of 7,420 cars from the Swedish automaker. Federal officials said that the front seat rail's detection system was manufactured incorrectly and may permit the passenger to forward the seat beyond the intended maximum, putting them at risk of injury in a crash.

The models affected from the recall are the 2009-2011MY S40 sedan, V50 station wagon and S60 sedan, plus the 2010-2011MY XC60 crossover. Volvo said the company's dealers will inspect the front passenger side seat rails for the presence of an "end stop" and repair the vehicles as necessary free of charge.

The Swedish automaker has not yet provided a date for the scheduled recall, but owners can contact the company for more information at 1-800-458-1552.

By Csaba Daradics

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