General Motors has decided that a manufacturing defect which relates to vehicle safety exists in certain 2016 Buick Enclave, Chevrolet Traverse, and GMC Acadia vehicles and they will be asking approximately 30,000 owners to return to their dealerships for repairs. According to reports filed with the NHTSA, wiper motor covers manufactured using a broken tool, may allow internal terminals to move and potentially contact each other, creating an electrical short. In some cases, the windshield wiper motor cover may melt, smoke, or catch fire. Continue reading
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Cadillac ATS Window Defroster Could Overheat
General Motors have announced a safety defect affecting certain 2013-2016 Cadillac ATS sedans and will be asking owners to return to their dealership for repairs. According to reports, these vehicles may have a rear window defrost coil antenna that may have been manufactured with a weak terminal connection. If the weak connection is subject to excessive cycling or continuous operation a fire could develop inside the rear pillar on the driver’s side. Continue reading
VW Admits To Faked Emission Tests
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) have accused automaker Volkswagen of installing software on certain Volkswagen and Audi diesel vehicles, which allowed them to detect when they were being tested and activate pollution controls to pass emissions tests. According to reports, the “defeat devices” allowed models to release up to 40 times more than the allowed amounts of harmful fumes in order to improve driving performance. The vehicles affected include the 2009-2015 VW Jetta, 2009-2015 VW Beetle, 2009-2015 VW Golf, 2014-2015 VW Passat, as well as the 2009-2015 Audi A3.
Volkswagen have announced plans to refit up to 11 million vehicles but did not say what the fix will be or how it could affect mileage and efficiency. As a result of the scandal, California’s Air Resources Board is now looking into other manufacturers’ testing results to see if other automobile manufacturers have been cheating on emission tests.
2009 Buick Enclave Lemon Law Buyback
After trying unsuccessfully to have his defective 2009 Buick Enclave repaired, the owner decided to contact the Law Offices of Delsack & Associates, P.C. for advice and to retain our firm. He told us he had complained many time to the GMC dealer about the problems he was having and had taken his vehicle in to a GM approved dealership to have defects fixed, six (6) times. These problems included:
- Power steering locks up and becomes difficult to turn at low speeds
- Transmission slips, won’t shift, or shifts erratically
- Unexpected loss of power
- Defective water pump
- Defective seat cooling
Lawsuit Claims Keyless Ignitions Can Be Deadly
A suit filed in a Los Angeles Federal Court last month is prompting automakers to recall millions of vehicles with keyless ignitions because drivers failing to press the ignition start/stop button could be subject to deadly carbon monoxide poisoning. According to the suit, there have been at least 13 deaths and many close calls because drivers mistakenly believe that removing the Keyless Fob from the vehicle turns off the engine. It claims that Automakers have known about the deadly consequences but fail to install an Outo-Off feature on their vehicles or include warnings in manuals or sales brochures. Continue reading
Agreement Reached Over GM Ignition Switch Problems
General Motors and the Department of Justice (DOJ) reached a settlement last week over the handling of GM’s ignition switch problems which led to the high profile recall of certain Chevrolet Cobalt, Pontiac G-6 and Saturn ion lines in 2014. The agreement ends the government investigation into how GM handled faulty ignition switches being blamed for approximately 250 injuries and 124 deaths. In addition to a $900 million fine, GM has been assigned an independent monitor to review its safety policies.
Officially, the automaker was charged with hiding the defect from regulators and defrauding consumers. There will be no individual charges in the case, and the agreement must still be finalized by the courts.
Chrysler TIPM Defects And Investigations
Owners experiencing problems with the totally integrated power module (TIPM) of certain Dodge Durangos and Jeep Grand Cherokee vehicles may find help after a federal judge granted preliminary approval to a class action lawsuit. The lawsuit alleges Chrysler sold and leased 2011-2013 Dodge Durango and Jeep Grand Cherokee SUVs equipped with defective TIPMs. The defect resulted a variety of problems including engine stalls; airbag non-deployment; random horn, headlight, taillight, door lock, instrument panel and windshield wiper activity; and failure of the fuel pump shutoff. Continue reading
Subaru Legacy And Outback Power Train Manufacturing Defect
A problem affecting certain 2015-2016 Subaru Legacy 4-door and Outback vehicles will have approximately 2,893 owners returning to their dealership for transmission repairs. Due to a manufacturing error, the process of pressing the seal cap onto the propeller shaft yoke may have resulted in the seal cap becoming deformed. The transmission could leak oil on to the the exhaust pipe, possibly resulting in a fire. Continue reading
