General Motors (GM) has announced a recall for certain 2011-2012 Chevrolet Corvette Coupe sports cars for failing to comply with the federal motor vehicle safety standards for door locks and retention components. There have been no reports of incidents or customer complaints, but according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTA), the rear hatch hinges could separate from the vehicle during a crash, increasing the risk of injury. Owners wanting more information about the recall can contact Chevrolet at 1-800-630-2438.
Tag Archives: auto safety
Volkswagen Fuel Leaks In Diesel Engines
Volkswagen has announced a recall for certain Volkswagen and Audi vehicles equipped with a 2.0L TDI common rail diesel engines. According to a report filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), fuel injection pulses could create stress in the fuel line at the #2 injector. The stress could lead to cracks, fuel leaks and a potential fire in the presence of an ignition source. The vehicles involved in this recall include:
- 2009-2012 Volkswagen Golf
- 2009-2012 Volkswagen Jetta Sportwagen
- 2010-2012 Volkswagen Jetta
- 2010-2012 Audi A3
Volkswagen will install an improved fuel injector line on the #2 cylinder as well as vibration dampers on all injector lines. Owners wanting more information can contact Volkswagen at 1-800-822-8987.
Chrysler Connecting Rod Bearing Failure
Chrysler has announced a recall for certain 2012 Chrysler, Dodge and Jeep vehicles for debris inside the engine block that could lead to connecting rod bearing failure. The vehicles were manufactured between August 31, 2011 to September 13, 2011 and are equipped with 3.6L engines. If the bearings should fail, the engine will seize, increasing the risk of an accident. The vehicles included in this recall include:
- 2012 Chrysler 200
- 2012 Chrysler Town & Country
- 2012 Dodge Charger
- 2012 Dodge Durango
- 2012 Dodge Grand Caravan
- 2012 Dodge Journey
- 2012 Jeep Grand Cherokee
Owners wanting more information may contact Chrysler at 1-800-853-1403.
Saturn Ion Power Steering Investigation
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is intensifying their investigating into power steering problems in some 2004-2007 Saturn Ion vehicles after receiving over 4,300 complaints. Sixteen of these complaints said that the electronic power steering (EPS) warning lamp illuminated before or during the loss of steering assist and the increased steering effort contributed to a crash. NHTSA said they have upgraded the preliminary inquiry to an engineering analysis so they could further assess the frequency, scope and safety consequences of a sudden loss of steering assist in the subject vehicles.
The EPS system is the same as the on used in the 2010 Chevrolet Cobalt and 2010 Pontiac G5 vehicles. In March of 2010, GM recalled over one million of these vehicle to correct a defect with the EPS assist motor. The problem was described as a buildup of brush debris mixed with oily material on the EPS electric motor armature which causes the motor to stop functioning.
Jeep Liberty Investigated For Air Bag Problems
After almost forty complaints of unexpected airbag deployment, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is launching an investigation into Chyrsler’s 2002-2003 Jeep Liberty SUV. Drivers complaints include the drivers side or both front air bags deploying during normal driving conditions. If the investigation leads to a recall, almost 400,000 Jeep Liberty SUV’s could be involved.
Chrysler has experienced air bag problem in several of their vehicles over the past year. The vehicles involved include: 2008 Chrysler and Dodge minivans, 2007-2008 Jeep Wrangler, and 2009 Dodge Journey.
BMW Experiences Drive Shaft Problems
BMW has announced a recall for certain 2011 328I XDrive and 2011 335I XDrive vehicles built between February 8, 2011 to July 29, 2011. During manufacturing, the front drive shaft attachment bolts may have not been torqued to the proper specification, and could loosen during driving. The loosened bolts will result in loss of power to the front wheels. BMW will begin notifying owners of the recall starting in October, where dealers will replace the front drive shaft attachment bolts. Owners wanting more information can contact BMW customer relations and services at 1-800-525-7417.
Dangers of Distracted Driving
Research has shown that distracted drivers are dangerous. Drivers using cell phones are four times as likely to cause a crash as drivers that are not using their cell phones. It has also been found that hands free devices do not improve ones safety. It actually creates a false sense that what you are doing is okay.
And then there is texting. Texting also known as SMS (short message service) is on the rise. Car and Driver Magazine did a test to determine just how dangerous it can be. They rigged a car with a red light to alert drivers when to brake and tested how long it takes to brake. The results showed that an unimpaired driver took .54 seconds to brake, someone reading an e-mail an additional 36 feet, and someone sending a text an additional 70 feet in order to brake. The test was done at 70 mph.
Unfortunately, Americans are ignoring the studies and are increasingly trying to multitask in the their vehicles. So the next time you want to text, tweet, or e-mail, while driving, either ignore the urge or pull over!
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