Tag Archives: manufacturing error

Porsche Boxster, Cayman & 911 Seat Mounted Airbag Failure

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Porsche will be contacting the owners of certain 2017 718 Boxster, 718 Cayman, and 911 vehicles regarding a defect affecting the seat mounted side air bag inflators. According to the defect report, Porsche may have been supplied with air bag initiators with deviations in the generant mix ratio. If the mix ratio does not meet specification, the initiators may not function properly, possibly leading to a non-deployment condition during a crash.

Owners receiving notices will be asked to return to their dealers to have the affected air bag modules replaced. For more information about the problem, owners are asked to contact Porsche customer service at 1-800-767-7243. Porsche’s number for this recall is AG10 and the NHTSA campaign number is 16V-946.

Mercedes Benz GL, GLE & GLS OCS Airbag Warning

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Daimler has determined that certain Mercedes-Benz GL/GLE/GLS (166 Platform) and GLE Coupe (292 Platform) vehicles may have a problem affecting the front passengger occupant classification system (OCS). According to the defect report, a light occupant remaining stationary on the edge of the seat for a long time could be incorrectly classified as a child seat. The passenger side frontal airbag may be deactivated, increasing the risk of injury to occupants. Drivers will be alerted with an “Airbag Off” warning message illuminated in the center console, even though an occupant is seated in the front passenger seat. Continue reading →

Mercedes Benz GL-Class & ML-Class Reduced Stability

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A small number of Mercedes-Benz GL and ML class vehicles manufactured September 29, 2014 – March 27, 2015, could experience reduced stability due to a manufacturing assembly error. According to the defect report, the bolts on the front and/or rear axle carriers may not be correctly assembled and could cause the mechanical limits of the remaining bolts to be exceeded. If the bolts fracture the driver may hear unfamiliar noises while driving and could experience loss of control under certain circumstances.

The vehicles affected include:

MBUSA will notify owners, and dealers will correct the problem by replacing the axle carrier bolts. Owners wanting more information about the problem are asked to contact Mercedes Benz customer service at 1-800-367-6372. The NHTSA campaign number for this recall is 16V-900.

Toyota Avalon & Toyota Camry Air Bag May Be Incorrectly Installed

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A small number of 2016 Toyota Avalon and 2017 Toyota Camry owners will be contacted by the manufacturer concerning a problem affecting their vehicles front passenger knee airbag. According to the defect report, the airbag module may have been installed with the incorrect fasteners. The mounting holes could become damaged and the fasteners could loosen over time. If this happens, airbag performance will be decreased, increasing the risk of injury during an accident.

Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the fasteners, and replace the instrument panel brace and body bracket, if necessary. Owners wanting more information about the problem are asked to contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331. Toyota’s number for this recall is G05 and the NHTSA campaign number is 16V-906.

2015 Porsche 918 Spyder Reduced Vehicle Handling

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Porsche will be contacting the owners of certain 2015 918 Spyder vehicles, regarding a problem that could increase the risk of a crash. An analysis of a single observation in the field revealed that the lower control arms of the front axle may contain a manufacturing error at the ball joint. Due to variations of the surface coating processes, components and some of the underlying material may have been left unprotected, potentially leading to cathodic stress corrosion cracking (SCC). The problem could affect vehicle handling and increase the risk of a crash.

Porsche will notify owners, and dealers will replace the lower control arms. Owners wanting more information about the problem are asked to contact Porsche customer service at 1-800-767-7243. Porsche’s number for this recall is AG09 and the NHTSA campaign number is 16V-885.

2017 Mercedes-Benz E400 & E550 Safety Defect

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Mercedes-Benz (MBUSA) will be contacting the owners of certain 2017 E400 4Matic Coupe, E400 Convertible, E550 Coupe and E550 Convertible vehicles, because one of the under body panels may have been manufactured out of specification. Vehicles equipped with dual exhaust systems may not have enough clearance between the catalyst and the panel. High temperatures could melt the panel and under certain conditions result in a fire.

Dealers will inspect and replace the under body panel, as necessary. Owners wanting more information about the problem are asked to contact Mercedes customer service at 1-800-367-6372. The NHTSA campaign number for this recall is 16V-831.

Mercedes-Benz S-Class Coupe / Convertible Seat Belt Defect

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Mercedes-Benz will be contacting the owners of certain 2016-2017 Mercedes Benz S63 AMG, S65 AMG and S550 coupe/convertible vehicles because the seat belt extender may not retract as intended. According to the defect report, the control unit for a specific production range was not properly coded to account for friction conditions during activation of the extender. In the event of a crash, the extended seat belt extender could break, minimizing the full protection of the seat belt and may create edges that could inflict additional injuries.

MBUSA will notify owners, and dealers will update the control unit software. The recall is expected to begin in mid-December 2016. Owners wanting more information about the problem are asked to contact MBUSA customer service at 1-800-367-6372. The NHTSA campaign number for this recall is 16V-829.

2017 Jeep Wrangler Cracked Control Valve

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Chrysler will be contacting the owners of certain 2017 Jeep Wrangler vehicles regarding a problem affecting the fuel system. The affected vehicles may have been assembled with a fuel tank that has a cracked or broken control valve. The problem could result in a fuel leak during a rollover event, debris in the fuel tank and/or the potential of over fueling the vehicle. A fuel leak in the presence of an ignition source can increase the risk of a fire.

Jeep dealers will inspect the fuel tank and replace fuel tank and sending unit as necessary. Owners wanting more information about the problem are asked to contact Chrysler customer service at 1-800-853-1403. Chrysler’s number for this recall is S90 and the NHTSA campaign number is 16V-849.