BMW will be contacting the owners of certain 2016 740LI, 750LI, and 750LXI cars because their vehicles may be equipped with airbag control modules that were not produced to specifications. A supplier manufacturing error could result in small metallic particles adhering to the inside of the air bag control module housing. Under driving conditions involving excessive vibration or acceleration, particles could separate from the housing and contact the control module circuit board, causing a short circuit. The problem will result in an airbag reset where the air bag will be temporarily inactive and an air bag warning lamp alert. Continue reading

Nissan will be contacting the owners of certain 2016 Nissan Frontier V6 vehicles about a problem affecting the starter motor wire harness. According to the defect report filed with the NHTSA, the harness may have been installed incorrectly, allowing the harness terminal to contact the heat shield. The resulting electrical short could increase the risk of a vehicle fire. Continue reading

Chrysler will be asking the owners of certain 2015-2016 Dodge Durango and 2015-2016 Jeep Grand Cherokee vehicles to return to their dealerships to repair a problem affecting the braking system. According to the defect report, the left front brake caliper may have been cast from an incorrect material. Under hard braking conditions, the incorrect material could crack and result in increased stopping distances. Drivers may notice brake fluid leakage, illumination of a low brake fluid light and reduced braking performance. Continue reading

Subaru will be asking the owners of certain 2015-2016 WRX and Forester vehicles to return to their dealerships to repair a problem affecting the turbocharger air intake duct. According to the defect report filed with the NHTSA, the manufacturer used the wrong material for a portion of the duct. The difference in material could result in cracking in that area and an engine stall. The problem could result in rough engine idling, reduced engine power, and the “Check Engine Light” may illuminate. Continue reading

General Motors has decided that certain 2016 Chevrolet Malibu vehicles have side airbag modules that do not comply with Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards for side impact protection and will be asking owners to return to their dealerships for repairs. According to the defect report filed with the NHTSA, the welds that mount the front and rear side impact airbag inflators to the seat frame could fracture and separate during deployment, increasing the risk of injury to occupants. Continue reading

The owners of certain 2015-2016 Volkswagen e-Golf electric vehicles will be contacted by the manufacturer about a problem that could lead to sudden unexpected shutdown. Under certain conditions, oversensitive diagnostics in the battery management system may classify a brief internal electrical current surge as a critical battery condition. This could cause an emergency shutdown which will deactivates the vehicle’s electrical drive motor. Continue reading

GM will be notifying the owners of certain 2016 Chevrolet and GMC vehicles about a problem affecting the driver frontal airbag, after a supplier investigation found some airbags do no meet the airbag fill time requirements for colder temperatures. According to the defect report, the secondary chemical enhancer required for proper deployment of second-stage frontal airbags was not loaded during the airbag inflator build. Vehicle involved in a high speed crash that triggers the second stage deployment of the driver frontal airbag may not fill the airbag as completely and as quickly as designed, which could lead to an increased risk of injury to the driver. Continue reading

A small number of 2015-2016 Jeep Renegade owners will be contacted by the manufacturer about a problem affecting the suspension in their vehicles. According to the defect report, certain Daystar aftermarket replacement rear control arm brackets, included in 2015-2016 Jeep Renegade 1.5″ spacer kit (part KJ09168BK), may have improper or incomplete welds on the top flange on the rear control arm bracket. The problem could result in the rear axle shifting while driving, increasing the risk of an accident. The problem will be accompanied by noise and a sagging rear suspension at the wheel well. Continue reading