General Motors will be asking owners of certain 2015 Chevrolet Corvette sports cars to return to their dealership for a defect that could affect safety. On some of these vehicles, the toe link outer ball joint may have not been fastened properly to the right rear suspension knuckle. A loose toe link could cause the rear suspension to make a loud metallic noises when turning corners or driving over bumps. Over time, the toe link could separate creating sudden vehicle instability. Continue reading

A defect affecting the suspension in certain 2014 Avalon and 2014 Camry will have approximately 5,650 vehicle owners returning to their dealership for repairs. According to the defect report, an incorrect left side front suspension lower arm may have been installed during manufacturing. The wrong part could result in insufficient clamping surface for one of the bolts that secures the lower arm to the lower ball joint. Impact to the lower ball joint during normal driving conditions could result in separation of the lower arm form the ball joint and loss of steering control. 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

After completing an investigation into difficult steering in certain 2014 FJ Cruiser‘s, Toyota has found a problem that will have owners returning their vehicles to a manufacturer approved repair facility for repairs.

According to reports filed with the NHTSA, these vehicles are equipped with an optional “Trail Teams Ultimate Edition” package in which the front shock absorbers and springs are replaced with more robust off road suspension parts. In some of these vehicles, the two bolts which secure the front lower ball joint to the steering knuckle might have been tightened with insufficient torque . The bolts could loosen and fall out, resulting in the front lower ball joint detaching from the steering knuckle. Drivers could experience complete loss of steering control and an increased chance of an accident. Continue reading

A problem relating to motor vehicle safety will have almost three hundred thousand 2010-2015 Cadillac SRX and 20112012 SAAB 9-4X vehicles returned to a manufacturer approved repair facility to have the problem fixed.

On the affected vehicles, the jam nut in the rear suspension toe adjuster link may not be torqued to the proper specification. A loose toe adjuster link can cause the vehicle to wander, activate the vehicle’s electronic stability control system, and cause excessive wear to the links threads. Drivers may notice loud metallic noises from the rear suspension when traveling over bumps or potholes. If the treads in the link become worn, the link could separate and create sudden vehicle instability , increasing the risk of an accident. Continue reading

A problem relating to suspension has been identified in certain 2014 Acura RLX full size luxury sedans manufactured between August 7, 2012 to November 5, 2013. Honda will be notifying customers to take their vehicles to their manufacturer approved repair facility to have the rear suspension lower control arm bolts replaced. Honda’s recall number is JD0 and the NHTSA Campaign Number is 13V-622. Continue reading