Mitsubishi has announced a recall for a small number of 2012 Outlander Sport crossover vehicles manufactured between November 9, 2011 to December 16, 2011. According to reports filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), the turn signal levers may have been manufactured incorrectly which could lead to the auto cancel function becoming inoperative. If a driver is not aware of the problem, inaccurate turning indications could result in an accident. Owners wanting more information on the recall can contact Mitsubishi at 1-800-222-0037.

General Motors is asking its Chevrolet Volt customers to return their vehicles to dealers so they can make repairs that will lower the risk of battery fires. The announcement comes after an investigation into a battery fire that consumed three vehicles at the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) test facility. Follow-up tests to simulate the incident resulted in two out of three vehicles catching fire. GM and federal safety officials believe that the fires were caused by coolant leaking from damaged plastic casing around the batteries after a side-impact collisions. That coolant caused an electrical short, which sparked battery fires seven days to three weeks after the crashes.

Dealers will add steel plates around the Volt battery that will spread the force of a crash over a larger surface area. Tests carried out by GM and the government have shown that the repairs prevent battery damage and coolant leaks.

Nissan is recalling certain 2010-2011 Sentra vehicles equipped with MR20 engines. According to the recall report filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), the zinc coating applied to the battery terminal stud bolt may be too thick. The poor connection could result in a voltage drop causing the vehicle to stall, make the vehicle difficult to start, and could damage the engine control module (EMC). Nissan dealers will replace the positive battery terminal and cover. Owners wanting more information on the recall can contact Nissan at 1-800-647-7261.

Nissan is recalling certain 2011 Rogue compact crossover SUV’s built between August 10, 2010 and October 30, 2010. According to the recall report filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), a problem with the power steering assist could make it difficult for the driver to steer the vehicle. Nissan said that a circuit board may have been positioned improperly on the Electric Power Steering (EPS) assist control units, leading to extra stress on the solder terminals. The solder joints could crack and the connections could separate from the board. Owners wanting more information on the recall can contact Nissan at 1-800-647-7261.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has opened an investigation into General Motors electric hybrid vehicle, the Chevrolet Volt. The investigation comes after a battery fire consumed three vehicles at their test facility, two weeks after performing side impact and rollover tests. Follow-up tests to simulate the incident resulted in two out of three vehicles resulting in a thermal reaction within the battery. According to the NHTSA there have been no reports of real world crashes resulting in fire.

GM has assured customers the the Chevy Volt’s fire risk after an accident is lower than any standard gas engine vehicles. The company said that the vehicles OnStar safety system notifies the company of any crashes involving a Chevy Volt and a team is dispatched within 48 hours to drain the battery. GM has offered to buy back vehicles or offer loaner cars at the customers request. If the investigation should lead to a recall, over 6,000 Volts could be affected.

General Motors (GM) has issued a recall for some 2012 Chevrolet Colorado and 2012 GMC Canyon trucks for a problem with the driver safety belt buckle electrical connector. According to reports filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), the connectors terminals may not fit snugly with the connector pins. The intermittent connection could leave the driver with no visual or audible warning to fasten their seat belt. This failure to comply with the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards could increase the risk of injury in the event of an accident. Owners wanting more information on the recall can contact Chevrolet at 1-800-630-2438 and GMC at 1-866-996-9463.

BMW is recalling certain 2008-2011 vehicles equipped with 8 and 12 cylinder turbocharged engines because the circuit board for the electric auxiliary water pump could overheat. The failure could result in smoldering of the pump, the vehicle overheating, and a possible engine compartment fire. There have been over a hundred reports of pump failures, two of which resulted in engine fires. Owners wanting more information on the problem can contact BMW customer relations and services at 1-800-525-7417. The vehicles involved in the recall include:

Update

BMW has announced that the recall will also include their luxury brand model the 2010 Rolls Royce Ghost. Rolls-Royce decided to recall the Ghost because it uses engineering and components similar to those found in the recalled BMW models. Ghost owners wanting more information on the recall can contact Rolls-Royce at 877-877-3735.

Posted in BMW.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has closed an investigation into faulty fuel gauges in some 2005-2007 GMC, Chevrolet, and Buick sport utility vehicles, after GM agreed to pay 50% of the repair fees. The investigation was started earlier this year after the NHTSA received 668 complaints of inaccurate fuel gauge readings. The repairs could affect up to 865,000 vehicles in the United States. According to the Technical Service Bulletin (TSB) filed with the NHTSA, the vehicles involved include:

  • 2005-2007 Buick Rainier
  • 2005-2006 Chevrolet SSR
  • 2005-2007 Chevrolet Trailblazer
  • 2006 Chevrolet Trailblazer EXT
  • 2005 Chevrolet Trailblazer EXT 370
  • 2005-2007 GMC Envoy
  • 2006 GMC Envoy XL
  • 2005 GMC Envoy XL 370
  • 2005 GMC Envoy XUV