In October 2013, Chrysler opened an investigation into reports of shifting delays in certain 2014 Fiat 500L vehicles manufactured between April 2013 to January 2014. Chrysler has determined that a safety defect exists in certain models and will be notifying owners to take their vehicle to a manufacturer approved repair facility to have the Gear Shift Module (GSM) replaced or re-flashed as necessary. Continue reading
Toyota Unintended Acceleration Settlement Reached With DOJ
The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) and Toyota have come to a $1.2 billion settlement agreement that will end a four year investigation into the inadvertent acceleration of certain Toyota vehicles. During a new conference on Wednesday, Attorney General Eric Holder criticized the automobile manufacturer for misleading consumers through statements regarding the two issues that caused sudden acceleration in certain models. Continue reading
Dodge Durango & Jeep Grand Cherokee Hard Breaking
Chrysler has alerted the NHTSA about a problem in certain 2012-2013 Dodge Durango and 2012-2013 Jeep Grand Cherokee vehicles which could result in drivers experiencing longer stopping distances than expected. They will be asking owners to return their SUV’s to a manufacturer approved repair facility to have the problem fixed. Chrysler’s recall number is P05 and the NHTSA campaign number is 14V-104. Continue reading
2010 Honda Odyssey Fuel Pump Problem
Honda has identified a potential defect relating to motor vehicle safety with regard to the fuel pump of certain 2005-2010 Odyssey minivans manufactured between June 2004 to September 2010. They will be asking 886,815 vehicle owners to return their vans to a manufacturer approved dealer to have the problem corrected. The Honda recall number associated with this campaign is JD9 (inspection and/or preliminary part replacement) and JE0 (final parts replacement) and the NHTSA campaign number is 14V-112. Continue reading
GM Faces Congress Questioning About Ignition Defect
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Congress is questioning General Motors and government safety regulators as to why it took so long to recall 1.6 million vehicles with ignition problems, after a new review of federal crash data shows 303 deaths linked to air bag failure on two of the models recalled. The review of the air bag failures by the Friedman Research Corporation, adds to the mounting reports that General Motors and safety regulators knew about the ignition defect for almost a decade before recalling over 1.6 million 2005-2007 Chevrolet Cobalt, 2003-2007 Saturn Ions, 2005-2007 Pontiac Pursuit, 2006-2007 Chevrolet HHR, 2006-2007 Pontiac Solstice, 2007 Saturn Sky, and 2007 Pontiac G5 vehicles. Continue reading
2014 Toyota Highlander Seat Belt Problem
Toyota will be notifying owners of certain 2014 Highlanders about a manufacturing error that could result in the vehicles not meeting the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety standards for “Seat Belt Assembly Anchorages”. The potential number of vehicles affected by this problem are 7,067. The NHTSA campaign number is 14v-051. Continue reading
Better Protections For Automobile Consumers
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is cracking down on automobile dealerships who use deceptive advertising to increase auto sales and service appointments. According to the consumer protection agency, automobile dealers made a variety of misrepresentations in print, internet, and video advertisements that offered zero-down financing when there are substantial fees, deceptive low-payment deals, sweepstakes for prizes that do not exist, and mailings that resemble vehicle recall notifications. Nine vehicle dealerships in six states have already agreed to a settlement that would cease deceptive ad tactics and subject dealers to a fine of $16,000 per violation. Continue reading
2013 Honda CB500 Motorcycle Rocker Arm Problem
Honda Motor Co. have determined that a potential defect relating to vehicle safety could exist in the rocker arm shaft retaining bolt of certain 2013 Honda CB motorcycles. The problem could result in reduced engine power and/or a stall which could increase the chance of an accident. The NHTSA campaign number is 14V-056. Continue reading
