Ford will be asking 56,479 Fusion owners to return to their nearest Ford or Lincoln dealer because their vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) No. 114, “Theft Protection and Rollaway Prevention.” According to reports filed with the NHTSA, these vehicles are equipped with a mechanical key and dual screen cluster that may allow drivers to remove the key even if the transmission is not in park. The vehicles could unexpectedly roll away possibly striking and/or injuring the driver, other vehicle occupants, or other bystanders. 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

A number of safety concerns affecting certain 2015 Jaguar F-Type, XF, and XJ cars will have approximately 272 owners returning to their dealership for repairs.

A questionable assembly process could result in the Front End Accessory Drive (FEAD) belt, Power Assisted Steering (PAS) pump pulley, positive cable at the alternator, and associated parts to loosen and detach. If the battery positive cable loosens, an electrical short may result, increasing the risk of a fire. If the FEAD belt looses or detaches, the vehicle may lose power assisted steering, increasing the risk of a crash. Continue reading

A manufacturing error will have some Porsche owners returning their vehicles to the dealership for repairs. According to reports, it is possible that the front hood upper lock components of certain 2014-2015 911, Boxster, and Cayman vehicles were not produced according to specifications. The hood could unexpectedly open while the vehicle is being driven, obstructing the drivers visibility and increasing the chance of an accident. Continue reading

Ford will be asking owners of certain 2005-2011 Ford Crown Victoria, 2005-2011 Lincoln Town Car, and 2005-2011 Mercury Grand Marquis to return their vehicles to their dealership to inspect a previous repair. According to the defect report, vehicles repaired under the previous safety recall 13V-385, may have been improperly serviced. As a result, the upper arm intermediate shaft could separate resulting in loss of steering control and an increased chance of an accident. Continue reading

Hyundai will be asking the owners of certain 2011 Equus and 20092011 Genesis cars to return their vehicles to a manufacturer approved repair facility for a safety problem affecting the braking system. According to reports filed with the NHTSA website, diode failure within the stop lamp circuit could result in the lights becoming inoperative. If the stop lamps are not working, a following vehicle may not recognize that the vehicle is slowing or stopping, increasing the chance of a rear end crash. Owners wanting more information about the problem are asked to contact Hyundai customer service at 1-714-865-3920. Hyundai’s number for this recall is 125 and the NHTSA Campaign number is 14V713.

The Law Offices of Delsack & Associates recently received a call from a 2012 Chevrolet Cruze owner who was experiencing problems that affected the safety of his vehicle. He had complained many times to his GMC dealership and had five (5) unsuccessful repair attempts affecting multiple systems in his vehicle. Continue reading

BMW will be asking a small number of car and SUV owners to return to a BMW dealer for several problems that could affect the safety of their vehicles. These defects include:

2015 X3 & 2015 X4: These vehicles were produced with a driver’s side exterior rear view mirror that does not meet the U.S. market requirements. Objects viewed in the mirror will appear closer than they are, increasing the risk of a crash during lane changes. (NHTSA campaign number: 14V648.) Continue reading