2011-2016 Toyota Sienna Sliding Door May Unexpectedly Open

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A safety defect will have certain 2011-2016 Toyota Sienna owners returning to their dealership for repairs. The subject vehicles are equipped with power sliding doors which rely on certain inputs to open or close the door. There is a possibility that, under certain conditions which impede the opening of the door, such as when the door becomes frozen with ice, the sliding door motor could stall when the door is operated. If the motor stalls, high current in the door motor circuit could be generated, operating the fuse for the door motor. If the fuse is operated with the sliding door latch mechanism in an unlatched position, the door could open while driving.

Owners will be mailed an interim notice for this defect because a remedy is still under development. 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 G04 and the NHTSA campaign number is 16V-858.

2013 Chrysler 200 California Lemon Law Buyback Help

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The Law Offices of Delsack & Associates P.C. helped the owner of a 2013 Chrysler 200 get a buyback under the California Lemon Law. She purchased the vehicle in February 2013 and had been trying to get it repaired until March 2015.  During this time she provided FCA eight (8) repair opportunities to fix defects and manufacturing non-conformities.  The vehicle would go into limp mode under normal operating conditions; the transmission was difficult to shift, would surge and hesitate; the vehicle would not accelerate over 40 mph; and the A/C was defective and would not work.

Within a short time of retaining our services, our firm was able to negotiate a repurchase of the defective vehicle. Our client was reimbursed for her down payment, monthly payments, and registration, less the mileage deduction fee as allowed under the California lemon law. The manufacturer paid off her vehicle and her attorney’s fees. Our client was delighted with the outcome of her case.

Need help getting rid of your lemon? Contact the Law Offices of Delsack & Associates for advice. We can determine if your vehicle qualifies and help you get it bought back. Call us today at 1-888-395-3666 or fill in and submit the case review form at the top of this page.

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.

2017 Cadillac XT5 & GMC Acadia Reduced Braking Power

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General Motors will be contacting the owners of certain 2017 Cadillac XTSs and 2017 GMC Acadias regarding a problem affecting the brake system. An investigation into the subject vehicles found that the supplier of the brake caliper assembly may have incorrectly oversized the front caliper piston bore during machining. The oversized bore could prevent proper compression, allow the seal to extrude between the piston and the bore, and could result in a brake fluid leak. Drivers may experience reduced braking and/or an illuminated brake warning light.

Dealers will inspect the front brake calipers, replacing the assemblies as necessary. Owners wanting more information about the problem are asked to contact GM customer service at 1-800-458-8006 (Cadillac), or 1-800-462-8782 (GMC). GM’s number for this recall is 16096 and the NHTSA campaign number is 16V-8020.

2016 Nissan Titan XD Inaccurate Fuel Readings

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The owners of certain 2016 Nissan Titan Diesel XD trucks may experience problems with their fuel readings due to a manufacturing error affecting the fuel tank ventilation. During the assembly process, certain technicians may not have removed the temporary fuel tank breather tube cap and failed to affix the tube to the bed rail. As a result, the fuel tank may not receive proper ventilation and in rare instances may deform. This condition could result in the fuel gauge and the distance to empty meter displaying inaccurately.

Dealers will inspect the fuel tank breather tube, replacing the fuel tank, fuel sending unit, and/or fuel tank breather tube, as necessary. Owners wanting more information about the problem are asked to contact Nissan customer service at 1-800-647-7261. The NHTSA campaign number for this recall is 16V-847.

NHTSA Delays Recall Of Takata Air Bags In Some GM Trucks & SUVs

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The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has agreed to delay a recall of certain General Motors vehicles equipped with potentially defective Takata air bags. The decision will give the manufacturer time for additional testing to prove that their devices are safe. The vehicles under investigation are certain 2007 to 2011 trucks and SUVs, including the Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra.

The case first began when Takata filed papers with the NHTSA declaring that 40 million inflators from 17 auto manufacturers were defective and should be recalled. The addition pushed the number of recalled inflators to about 70 million, making it one of the largest auto recalls in the United States. In the petition to delay the recall, GM said its trucks and SUVs have experienced 52,000 airbag inflations with no ruptures. The company also said Takata tested 1,475 GM inflators and all worked as designed. According to General Motors, bigger vents, stronger steel end caps and solar-absorbing glass that reduces cabin temperatures has resulted in their airbags deploying safely.

If the 2.5 million truck recall is canceled, GM will likely seek the same decision for 4.3 million more trucks with the same inflators that are due to be recalled starting next year.

Dodge Durango & Jeep Grand Cherokee Fuel Line Leaks

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Chrysler will be contacting the owners of certain 2016 Dodge Durango and 2016 Jeep Grand Cherokee vehicles equipped with 3.6L engines, regarding a problem affecting the fuel system. According to the defect report, the fuel rail crossover tube may have been damaged during engine assembly. Over time a fuel leak could develop, increasing the risk of a vehicle fire.

Dealers will inspect the engine assembly for damage to the fuel rail crossover tube and replace it as necessary. For more information about the recall, owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 1-800-853-1403. Chrysler’s number for this recall is S85 and the NHTSA campaign number is 16V-814.