Ford will be asking 56,479 Fusion owners to return to their nearest Ford or Lincoln dealer because their vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) No. 114, “Theft Protection and Rollaway Prevention.” According to reports filed with the NHTSA, these vehicles are equipped with a mechanical key and dual screen cluster that may allow drivers to remove the key even if the transmission is not in park. The vehicles could unexpectedly roll away possibly striking and/or injuring the driver, other vehicle occupants, or other bystanders. Continue reading

A manufacturing error will have some Porsche owners returning their vehicles to the dealership for repairs. According to reports, it is possible that the front hood upper lock components of certain 2014-2015 911, Boxster, and Cayman vehicles were not produced according to specifications. The hood could unexpectedly open while the vehicle is being driven, obstructing the drivers visibility and increasing the chance of an accident. Continue reading

BMW will be asking a small number of car and SUV owners to return to a BMW dealer for several problems that could affect the safety of their vehicles. These defects include:

2015 X3 & 2015 X4: These vehicles were produced with a driver’s side exterior rear view mirror that does not meet the U.S. market requirements. Objects viewed in the mirror will appear closer than they are, increasing the risk of a crash during lane changes. (NHTSA campaign number: 14V648.) Continue reading

Using publicly available data from the NHTSA, manufacturer early warning reports, and the Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), The Safety Institute release a list of vehicles which they feel show early signs of potential problems. According to The Safety Institute’s most recent quarterly vehicle safety watch list, released in October 2014, the Toyota Sienna shows repeated problems affecting the power train and suspension. Continue reading

Certain 20142015 Mazda6 vehicles may not meet the requirements of the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety standards for tire pressure monitoring (TPMS). According to reports filed on the NHTSA website, if the pressure in all four tires gradually drop at the same time, the TPMS may not detect the drop and could fail to alert the driver. If the vehicle is driven on under inflated tires for prolonged periods, the tires will wear unevenly and could result in sudden tire failure. Continue reading

Mitsubishi Motors Corporation (MMC) have determined that a safety defect exists in certain cars and crossover SUV’s equipped with 4B1 engines. after an investigation into complaints of worn pulley’s found during regular inspections.

Due to an inappropriate material used to manufacture the drive belt, the resin pulley could wear obliquely. If the vehicle continues to be driven under these conditions, the belt could become damaged and detach completely. (If this happens, drivers will be alerted by an engine warning lamp illumination.) Drive belt detachment may result in depletion of the battery and an overheated engine which could cause a stall. Also, vehicle equipped with with hydraulic power steering could experience loss of steering assist. Continue reading

General Motors have identified a defect relating to motor vehicle safety exists in certain Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, and GMC cars, trucks, minivans, and SUVs, after certain vehicles began displaying a check engine malfunction indicator lamp (MIL) during post production testing. After observing an increase in warranty claims, GM has decided to issue a recall to have the problem repaired. Continue reading