Tag Archives: manufacturing error

2018 Buick Regal Seat Belt Safety

Posted on by

General Motors will be contacting certain 2018 Buick Regal owners regarding a problem affecting the safety of the seat belts in their sedans. According to the defect report, the rear outboard seat belts may have been improperly routed around the rear seat bolster bracket during manufacturing. This improper routing could result in inadequate restraint to passengers during extreme loading conditions and an increased risk of injury to occupants.

Owners will be asked to return to their dealerships to have the rear outboard seat belt routing inspected and rerouted as necessary. Owners wanting more information about the problem are asked to contact Buick customer service at 1-800-521-7300. GM’s number for this recall is 18117 and the NHTSA campaign number is 18V-230. (It is expected that fewer than 1% of the vehicle population have incorrectly routed seat belts.)

2018 Jeep Compass Loose Airbag Inflator Mount

Posted on by

Chrysler will be contacting the owners of certain 2018 Jeep Compass vehicles regarding a manufacturing problem affecting the passenger air bag (PAB). According to the defect report, certain PAB inflator mounting nuts withing the module assembly may have not been sufficiently tightened and could become dangerous projectile during an airbag deployment.

Those receiving notices will be asked to return to their dealer to have the passenger airbag module assembly replaced. For more information about the problem, owners are asked to contact Chrysler customer service at 1-800-853-1403. Chrysler’s number for this recall is T73 and the NHTSA campaign number is 17V-732.

2016 Toyota Prius Engine Shutdown

Posted on by

A small number of 2016 Toyota Prius owners will be contacted by the manufacturer regarding a problem affecting the hybrid propulsion system. Some vehicles were manufactured with an inverter assembly which contains a capacitor that may not have been properly attached to the inverter housing. Over time the terminal of the capacitor may become damaged by normal vehicle vibrations which could eventually result in a hybrid system shut down.

All known owners of the subject vehicles that have not received the repair will be notified directly via telephone to return to their dealerships to have the inverter replaced. Owners wanting more information about the defect may contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331. Toyota’s number for this recall is H0U and the NHTSA campaign number is 17V-658.

2017 Kia Sorento Engine Crankshaft Failure

Posted on by

Kia will be asking the owners of certain 2017 Kia Sorento vehicles, equipped with 3.3L engines, to return to their dealerships to repair an improperly heat treated crankshaft. According to the defect report, an improperly heat treated crankshaft will produce a cyclic knocking noise from the engine that may result in the illumination of the engine warning lamp. If these warnings are ignored and the vehicle continues to be driven, the crankshaft could fail, the engine vehicle could stall and, under certain conditions, a fire may occur.

Dealers will inspect the crankshaft and replace the engine sub assembly as necessary. Owners wanting more information about the problem may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia’s number for this recall is SC153 and the NHTSA campaign number is 17V-586 .

2017 Hyundai Ioniq “Check Electric Vehicle System” Warning

Posted on by

Hyundai will be contacting a small number of 2017 Hyundai Ioniq owners regarding a defect affecting the Electronic Power Control Unit (EPCU) in their car. According to the defect report, the housing for the EPCU may contain small voids that could allow coolant to enter and contact the control unit’s circuit board. If this happens, the board could short and stall the vehicle.

Those receiving notices will be asked to return to their dealership to have the EPCU inspected and replaced as necessary. For more information about the problem, owners may contact Hyundai Customer Service at 1-800-633-5151. Hyundai’s number for this recall is 166 and the NHTSA campaign number is 17V-532.

Mercedes-Benz ECO Start/Stop Mode Shut Down

Posted on by

Mercedes Benz has determined that certain 2016-2017 GLE43 & GLE43 Coupe vehicles may have engine control unit (ECU) software that is incompatible with the transmission control unit programming.

Rapid and consecutive downshifts during braking could result in the engine speed to drop below the required threshold and shut down. An engine shutdown could also result following a slight tap of the accelerator pedal after a combination of an ECO start and a simultaneous high engine load. The instrument cluster warning lamps will be activated upon engine shut down with and ignition “ON”, indicating to the driver that the vehicle is not in ECO start/stop mode and needs to be restarted manually.

Dealers will correct the problem by reprogramming the engine and transmission control unit software. Owners wanting more information about the problem are asked to contact MBUSA customer service at 1-877-496-3691. The NHTSA campaign number for this recall is 17V-506.

Loss of Engine Power In GM Vehicles

Posted on by

General Motors have decided that a defect relating to vehicle safety exists in certain 2017-2018 GMC and Chevy front wheel drive vehicles. According to the defect report, the drive shaft supplier’s quality check for metal hardening may have not been calibrated properly, limiting the likelihood of crack detection. If cracks exist, the front right intermediate drive shaft assembly could fracture and separate.

If the drive shaft assembly separates while driving, the vehicle will lose propulsion, If the assembly separates while parked on a grade, without the park brake engaged, the vehicle could roll-away. The models affected include:

  • 2018 Chevrolet Equinox
  • 2017-2018 GMC Acadia
  • 2018 GMC Terrain

Dealers will correct the problem by replacing the right front intermediate drive shaft assembly. Owners wanting more information about the problem can contact GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782 or Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020. GM’s number for this recall is 17329 and the NHTSA campaign number is 17V-516.

2016 Toyota Avalon & Camry Hybrids – Front End Vibration

Posted on by

Toyota will be contacting the owners of certain 2016 Avalon & Camry hybrids regarding a problem affecting their vehicles power-train. According to reports filed with the NHTSA, the drive shaft may have been assembled incorrectly and the tripod joint snap ring could become dislocated. If this happens, drivers may experience front end vibrations, an inoperative parking brake and a loss of propulsion while driving.

Dealers will inspect the serial number of the vehicle’s drive shaft, replacing any that are affected. Owners wanting more information about the problem can contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331. Toyota’s number for this recall is H0M and the NHTSA campaign number is 17V-462.