Ford has issued a recall for certain 2010 Ranger trucks manufactured from October 15, 2009 to May 19 2010 for a problem that could lead to an engine fire. A fuel line in the area of the throttle body shield may not have a protective cover installed properly The edge of the shield may contact the fuel line and chafe through resulting in a fuel leak. Dealers will inspect for fuel line and trim the shield back to give proper clearance.

Ford will also be recalling certain vehicles manufactured between October 25, 2010 to November 20, 2010 for body control modules (BCM) that could develop an electrical short which could lead to a fire. The vehicles recalled for this problem includes:

  • 2011 FORD F-150
  • 2011 FORD F-250
  • 2011 FORD F-350
  • 2011 FORD F-450
  • 2011 FORD F-550
  • 2011 FORD EDGE
  • 2011 LINCOLN MKX TRUCKS

Owners wanting more information may contact the Ford Motor Company customer relationship center at 1-866-436-7332, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s (NHTSA) vehicle safety hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to http://www.safercar.gov.

Suzuki is recalling certain 2008-2010 motorcycles for regulator/rectifier assemblies that were produced with insufficient adhesion between the power module circuit board and the rectifier case heat sink. Without proper adhesion, the power module could overheat causing the circuit board to deform and lift from the case. As a result, there could be insufficient charge to the battery. The part numbers of the rectifier assemblies being recalled are: 32800-41F11, 32800-15H10, 32800-05H11, 32800-41G10, 32800-15H00, 32800-18H00, 32800-05G10, 32800-10G10, 32800-05H20, OR 32800-06G01. These rectifiers have been installed on:

  • 2008-2009 – SUZUKI / AN400
  • 2008-2009 – SUZUKI / DL1000
  • 2008-2009 – SUZUKI / GSF1250
  • 2008-2009 – SUZUKI / GSX-R600
  • 2008-2009 – SUZUKI / GSX-R750
  • 2008 – SUZUKI / GSX1300B
  • 2008-2010 – SUZUKI / GSX1300R
  • 2008-2009 – SUZUKI / GSX650F
  • 2009-2010 – SUZUKI / SFV650
  • 2008-2010 – SUZUKI / VL800
  • 2008-2009 – SUZUKI / VLR1800
  • 2009-2010 – SUZUKI / VZ1500

Suzuki will notify owners of the recall starting March 02, 2011. For more information contact Suzuki at 1-714-996-7040 or the Nation Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to http://www.safercar.gov.

ford f150 airbag recallInvestigations started by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) last September has lead the government agency to urge a recall that could affect almost 140,000 F-150 trucks in the United States. The recall is over concerns that the air bags could deploy without warning. The NHTSA said that they have received almost 240 complaints of unwanted airbag deployment on 2004-2006 F-150 vehicles with almost 80 leading to injuries.

According to Ford spokesman Wes Sherwood, an improperly installed wire in the steering wheel may chaff, causing a short and an illuminated seat belt warning lamp. If it is not serviced, it could lead to deployment of the airbag. The recall will cover 2004-2006 Ford F-150 trucks, built in their Norfolk, Virginia assembly plant, for a relatively low risk of inadvertent air bag deployment. The NHTSA said they will review the recall and determine if it is sufficient.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) have opened up a defect investigation into 2006 Toyota Highlander hybrid electric vehicles (HEV) after receiving 32 complaints of stalling engines. None of the incidents resulted in an accident, but many complained that the vehicle could not be restarted and had to be towed to the dealership. The NHTSA have carried out several investigations into stalling engines of different vehicles and manufacturers over the years, many of which have led to recalls.

Honda Fit Recalled for Engine ProblemsHonda has announced a recall that will affect about 100,000 2009-2010 Fit vehicles in the United States and almost 700,000 Honda vehicles world wide. The problem is being blamed on a spring in the engine that can break over time causing engine noises, stalling and potential engine damage. Owners of recalled vehicles will be notified by the manufacturer starting early March. You can find out if the recall applies to your vehicle by going online to www.recalls.honda.com or by calling (800) 999-1009 and selecting option 4.

General Motors Cadillac CTS recall rear suspensionGeneral Motors is recalling some 2009-2010 Cadillac CTS vehicles for a problem that could significantly change the handling of the vehicle, increasing the chance of an accident. GM suspects that some of the vehicles may have a condition where the wax coating on the rear suspension toe link jam nuts may allow the nuts to loosen. The driver may hear a metallic clanking noise coming from the rear of the vehicle, eventually leading to the toe link separating and allowing the wheel to turn inboard or outboard.

Dealers will clean the wax residue from the rear suspension toe link and install two new jam nuts, and if necessary replace the rear suspension toe link. GM has not yet provided an owner notification schedule, but owners may contact Cadillac at 1-866-982-2339 or go to www.gmownercenter.com for more information.

California is known as one of the largest automobile markets in the United States. They also have some of the strictest government environment regulations which has made them one of the leading markets for hybrid vehicles. Because of this, the Center for Automotive Research (CAR) in Ann Arbor feel that the demand for plug-in and electric cars will follow a similar pattern.

California was the first state were the Chevy Volt, Nissan leaf and the Ford Focus Electric was released, and where fuel cell vehicles are leased in small numbers. According to the CAR report the demand for cleaner technologies is fed by incentives such as tax credits, priority parking spaces for environmentally friendly vehicles, and because California has invested into infrastructure to accommodate the electric vehicle.

recall out of spec rubber for tiresToyo Tire Holdings of America has announced a safety recall for Toyo and Nitto brand tires produced using out of spec rubber. The tires were manufactured at the Toyo Tire & Rubber Co. plant in Sendai, Japan during a two week period in September of last year, and distributed to retailers across the United Stated. Because of the out of spec rubber, sections of the tread may become detached potentially causing loss of vehicle control. The recall will be issued to almost 5,000 tires but only about 600 tires are suspect of having the problem. The tires being recalled are:

  • Toyo Versado CUV
  • Toyo Versado LX II
  • Toyo Open Country A/T
  • Toyo Tourevo LS II
  • Nitto Terra Grapplertires

The tires can be identified by the “Made in Japan” stamp and the numbers “3810” or “3910” at the end of the Department of Transportation (DOT) serial number, both located on the tire sidewall. Tires with the “Made in U.S.A” stamp on the sidewall are not being recalled.

A Consumer Relations staff is available at Toyo Tires and Nitto to answer questions such as how to identify and replace recalled tires. Consumers should call the hotline for the tire brand that they own: Toyo Tire U.S.A. Corp.: 800-442-8696 or Nitto Tire U.S.A. Inc.: 888-529-8200 . Consumers can also visit the web site of the tire brand that they own: www.toyotires.com or www.nittotire.com.