Category Archives: NHTSA

Hyundai Steering Problem Recall

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The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is recalling almost 140,000 Hyundai 2011 new generation Sonata’s. The complaint is that the vehicles can sustain a separation in the steering shaft assembly that results in loss of steering. Regulators are blaming the problem on a bolt in the steering system which was not tightened or not assembled properly. The vehicles involved were manufactured during the same month at the Hyundai factory in Alabama and each had fewer than 600 miles at the time of the alleged incident.

Hyundai spokesman Jim Trainor said the automaker has seen only two reports of the steering problem. There have been no reported injuries or accidents linked to the complaints. Owners of affected vehicles can go to their dealers for inspection and repairs. Dealers also will update the power steering software. Owners may also call NHTSA at (888) 327-4236 for more information.

NHTSA Investigation Into Toyota’s Stalling Engines

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A recall has not been issued yet, but U.S. safety regulators are intensifying an investigation into complaints of stalling engines on Toyota Corollas and Matrix hatchbacks. The preliminary probe begun last November when the NHTSA received complaints for 2006 models, but the problem has been expanded to include almost 1.2 million 2005-2007 Corolla and Matrix cars.

The problem is being blamed on an improper coating on the engine control unit (ECU) circuit boards that lead to cracks in the coating. The NHTSA has received 163 complaints of stalling engines as of last week. It is unclear whether the investigation will lead to a recall.

Honda Recalls Vehicles In North America

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On Monday, Honda Motor Co. announced that they would be recalling more than 428,000 vehicles in the U.S. and Canada because the vehicles may roll away if parked incorrectly. The vehicles involved in this recall are 2003 and 2004 Accord, Civic, Element and some Acura 1.7 ELs.

The problem is with the ignition interlock lever, the device that stops the ignition key from being removed, when the vehicle is not in park. If the part fails, it is possible that the driver may think the car is in park when it is not.

The safety recall started with an inquiry from U.S. safety regulators in September 2008. By 2009, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration upgraded its inquiry of the potential defect for the 2002 model year Accord. In early July, Honda and NHTSA representatives met to discuss the situation and on July 29 Honda determined that it had a safety defect with the ignition switch that demanded a recall.

Another Subpoena For Toyota

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Toyota has been subpoenaed again by a grand jury, this time for documents related to steering relay rods. A probe was launched when the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) received documents indicating that Toyota had potentially misled the government in 2005 over problems with steering linkages in its 1989-95 4Runner and the 1993-98 T100 vehicles. The subpoena, issued June 29, requests documents related to “defective, broken and/or fractured steering relay rods of Toyota vehicles,” Toyota said in a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

In February, the same federal grand jury subpoenaed Toyota for information related to unintended acceleration in its vehicles as well as braking systems in the Prius hybrid. Toyota has also received subpoenas related to sudden acceleration from the SEC and the attorney general of Michigan. Toyota did not disclose which vehicles or model years were targeted by the latest subpoena.

Recall For Lexus HS 250h Hybird

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Toyota Motor Corp. has stopped the sales of and will be recalling its 2010 Lexus HS 250h hybrid. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration ordered the recall after finding that the vehicle would leak more than the allowable fuel in a rear end collision of about 50 to 80 km.

Toyota conducted tests to verify that the Lexus hybrid was in compliance with federal safety standards before releasing the vehicle, and no problems with the fuel tank were found. Because more than 142 grams of fuel spilled in the tests conducted for the NHTSA, Toyota will attempt to replicate the test to determine why the tank leaked, which will allow it to develop a remedy.

Toyota is not aware of any incidents or accidents resulting from the defect in the HS, but once a fix is found, Toyota will notify HS drivers to bring their vehicles in for repair.

Chrysler’s Recall For Sticky Gas Pedals

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After the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) received five complaints of sticky gas pedals, Chrysler has been quick to recall about 25,000, 2007 Dodge Caliber and Jeep Compass vehicles. The problem started to surface in late April, and is being blamed on the pedal system built by the CTS Corporation of Elkhart, Indiana, the same company that built the accelerator pedal assemblies that were involved in the Toyota recall.

A NHTSA analysis found that the problem resulted because pockets in the pedal assembly that hold bushings, which act as a bearing for the pivot shaft of the accelerator pedal arm, were too large. Chrysler said the vehicles were equipped with an electronic throttle control system that reduced engine power when there was a “disagreement” between the brake and the accelerator signals, adding that the system prevented the pedal problem from causing “an unreasonable risk to motor vehicle safety.”

Only pedals installed in cars manufactured between March 7 and May 19, 2006, are affected. The automaker said its recall was designed to find those faulty pedal assemblies and replace them.

CTS denies that its pedals cause sudden acceleration or that the pedals can even fully stick. It called the issue a “slow return pedal phenomenon,” and said in a statement that it was unaware of any accidents or injuries because of the problem. Regulators have opened a defect investigation into CTS, the first ever taken against the company.

The Cost Of Black Boxes On Automobiles

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The automotive safety bill progressing through Congress promises to make automobiles much safer for consumers, but in the process, they will also become more expensive. The reason for this is that the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA) hopes to equip all vehicles with ‘black boxes’ similar to those installed in aircraft.

Some estimates say that more than half of the new cars and trucks on the market today are already equipped with these event data recorders. The device, a small computer mounted in the passenger compartment, continuously records and deletes the most-recent few seconds of data about the vehicles speed, acceleration and deceleration, and other performance factors. They are also part of the airbag control unit, which uses vehicle data to determine when to deploy airbags.

The problem with the already existing computers is that they are not durable enough to withstand a crash. In order to do this, they must be made waterproof and fireproof, adding more bulk and complexity which will lead to a total new design of the system. This could increase the price tag of a vehicle by $4,000 to $5,000 more.

While the NHTSA advertises these ‘black boxes’ as a good thing for consumers, it’s an even bigger business opportunity for the suppliers of the technology. If the bill passes, the regulations would take effect beginning in the 2015 model year, but the specifications that NHTSA will mandate for the ‘black boxes’ have not been determined yet.

Automobile “Secret Warranties”

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When someone buys a new car, it comes with a warranty. We have the California Lemon Laws (aka: Song Beverly Consumer Warranty Act) and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) which all work together to protect the consumer when buying a vehicle. We also expect the dealership to deal fairly with consumers and sell us vehicles that are safe and free of defects. One more category of protection that you will never read about in your vehicle warranty documents is the “secret warranty”.

When a car manufacturer builds a new vehicle many of the parts are manufactured all over the world. Once the vehicle is put together, it is tested to make sure there are no defects. Often during the testing phase, problems are found that are regarded as low risk and the automobile will be allowed to go into production. When the problem starts to turn up in a few vehicles most often, they just get repaired. For those few consumers who make a big fuss and threaten to report the problem to the NHTSA, the dealership makes a “special exception” and fixes the vehicle defect at no cost. They know that the problem exists, but it is cheaper to repair the few vehicles that come in rather than issue a recall. Every automobile manufacturer has at least one ‘secret warranty’, and often have three or four. If too many safety defects get reported, the NHTSA will issue a recall.

If you have a defect in your car, do your homework. Go online and find out if other owners are experiencing the same defects. Read about the lemon law and find out if a ‘secret warranty’ exists and get the service you deserve.

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