Tag Archives: manufacturing error

2021-2022 Chevrolet Corvette – Missing Bearings In Rear Half Shaft

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A small number of 2021-2022 Chevrolet Corvette owners will be contacted by the manufacturer regarding a problem affecting the rear half shaft assemblies in their vehicles. According to the defect report, Some Corvettes may have a rear half-shaft assembly that is missing one or more ball bearings. If any ball bearings are missing, the half-shaft will eventually fail, resulting in a loss of propulsion.

In September 2021, a General Motors (GM) engineer carried out a warranty inspection of a rear half shaft recovered from a 2021 Chevrolet Corvette. The half shaft fractured and caused the vehicle to lose propulsion. Upon further inspection, it was found that the half shaft was missing two of six ball bearings. Follow-up, discussions with the supplier identified a potential failure in the inspection process that led to the miss-build. In October, the GM engineer submitted a report to GM’s Speak Up For Safety (SUFS) program and the supplier identified 19 vehicle identification numbers (VINs) containing half-shafts that may have been improperly inspected.

GM is not aware of any injuries or crashes related to this condition. In February, GM’s Safety and Field Action Decision Authority decided to conduct a safety recall for any 2021-2022 Chevrolet Corvette that may have received suspect rear half shaft assemblies.

Those receiving notices will be asked to return to their GM dealers to have the left and/or right rear half-shaft assemblies inspected and replaced as necessary. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed in April. GM’s number for this recall is N212351320 and the NHTSA campaign number is 22V-091.

Do you think your Chevy Corvette could be a Lemon? Don’t live with a Lemon, especially if the problems you are having are safety-related. If you have any questions about your rights and the California Lemon Law, please call our office at 888-395-3666 for some great Lemon Law advice.

2021 Toyota C-HR Pre-Collision System Inoperative Without Warning

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In December 2020, Toyota began an investigation into certain 2021 Toyota C-HR crossover SUVs after receiving field reports from the Japanese market alleging that when using the Traffic Movement Notification feature (a Japanese market feature not available in the U.S.), the vehicle radar sensor did not detect a vehicle driving in front of it. An inoperative radar sensor also meant that other features, such as Pre-Collision System (PCS), Dynamic Radar Cruise Control (DRCC), and Lane Tracing Assist (LTA) could be affected. In these cases, dealer technicians observed that the beam axis for the radar sensor was out of specification and adjusted it during the inspection. After completing the adjustment and initializing the radar sensor, the vehicles were able to detect the preceding vehicle.

According to the defect report, certain 2021 Toyota C-HR vehicles are equipped with a millimeter-wave sensor (radar sensor) and a camera to detect objects in front of it. These sensors also support certain driver assistance features, including the Pre-Collision System (PCS).

Under certain circumstances, the initialization of the radar sensor may not have been completed correctly, resulting in the PCS not being able to detect an object in front of it. As a result, the vehicle will not provide warnings or braking assist, and would not display a message or indicator to the driver that PCS is not functional. An inoperative PCS, without a PCS malfunction indicator to the driver, may increase the risk of a crash in certain driving situations.

As of January 2022, Toyota has not received any U.S. field reports or warranty claims related to this condition. Based on their investigation results, however, Toyota decided to conduct a voluntary safety recall campaign. Owners of the subject vehicles will be asked to take their vehicles to their Toyota dealer to have the radar sensor inspected and properly initialize if necessary. Toyota’s number for this recall is 22TA02 and the NHTSA campaign number is 22V-107.

Rear Wheel Driveshaft Assemblies May Fail In Certain GM SUVs

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The rear-wheel driveshaft assemblies on certain 2021 Cadillac, 2021 Chevrolet and 2021 GMC SUV trucks could fail and cause an increased chance of an accident. GM will be contacting owners and asking them to return to their dealership for repairs.

In October 2021, GM’s supplier of rear-wheel drive-shaft assemblies informed them that certain assemblies shipped to GM’s Arlington, Texas plant may have been manufactured improperly. GM opened an investigation and found that the suspect components could deform over time and result in drive shaft seizures.

According to the defect report, the rear-wheel drive-shaft assemblies may have been manufactured with recirculating balls that were not properly heat treated. The recirculating balls could deform over time, resulting in noise and vibration. If the vehicle continues to be driven, the affected joint in the drive shaft assembly could seize and the vehicle could lose propulsion.

Vehicles manufactured with these defective driveshafts assemblies include:
2021 Cadillac Escalade
2021 Cadillac Escalade ESV
2021 Chevrolet Suburban
2021 Chevrolet Tahoe
2021 GMC Yukon
2021 GMC Yukon XL

The supplier’s equipment failure was corrected on June 4, 2021 and components produced after that time were properly heat treated. Vehicles produced after October 4, 2021, were equipped with drive shaft assemblies containing components that were produced outside of the suspect window.

Owners will be asked to return to their dealers to have the left and/or right rear driveshaft assemblies replaced. GM’s number for this recall is N212351030, N212351031 and N212351032. The NHTSA campaign number is 22V-036. Customer interim notifications are estimated to be sent out on March 14, 2022.

Don’t live with a Lemon. If you are having problems with your vehicle and have questions about your rights and the California Lemon Law, please call our office at 888-395-3666.

2020-2021 Kia Rio Spongy Brake Pedal And Increased Stopping Distance

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A small number of 2020-2021 Kia Rio vehicles may have been built with brake master cylinders that are not designed to manufacturer specifications. Kia will be contacting the owners of the affected vehicles starting January 11, 2022. The letter will have information describing the problem and how owners can get repairs done.

Kia first became aware of the defect in October 2021 when the supplier of the brake master cylinder notified them of a brake-related complaint in a Hyundai vehicle. Because this vehicle uses the same brake master cylinder as certain Kia Rio vehicles an investigation into the problem was opened for both Kia Rio and Hyundai Accent vehicles.

Based on a review of supplier quality control records and Kia’s vehicle production records, vehicles produced before 7/2/2021 could be equipped with improperly machined brake master cylinder bodies.

According to the defect report, the master cylinder body may have been machined with a sharp edge that could contact and damage the oil seal in the master cylinder. A damaged oil seal can impair vehicle braking functions, such that the driver may experience a hard or spongy brake feel, longer brake pedal travel, and extended stopping distances.

All owners of the affected vehicles will be notified by first class mail with instructions to bring their vehicles to a Kia dealer. Dealers will replace the brake master cylinder with a new one. Kia’s number for this recall SC223 and the NHTSA campaign number is 21V-936.

This problem also affects certain 2021 Hyundai Accent vehicles. The brake master cylinder may have been manufactured with sharp edges that can damage the inner oil seal and result in reduced braking performance. Hyundai’s recall number is 213 and the NHTSA campaign number is 21V-937.

Don’t live with a Lemon. If you are having problems with your vehicle and have questions about your rights and the California Lemon Law, please call our office at 888-395-3666.

2021 Ford Bronco and 2021 Ford Ranger Collision Avoidance Reacts Slowly

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Owners of certain 2021 Ford Bronco SUVs and 2021 Ford Ranger trucks will be returning to their Ford dealership to fix a problem affecting the forward collision avoidance system. According to the defect report, a misaligned radar module may prevent the vehicle from maintaining a safe distance from other vehicles when adaptive cruise control is active. In addition, the automatic emergency braking (AEB) system may react slowly, or not react at all, during a pre-collision assist braking event.

Back in July 2021, a problem affecting the alignment of the cruise control radar modules was brought to the attention of Ford’s Critical Concern Review Group (CCRG). An investigation was carried out to understand the potential effect of an incorrect calibration and how it could vary on the vehicle configuration and ride height. They found that radars aligned with the incorrect programming could be up to 2.6 degrees lower than design intent. Numerous reviews were conducted to understand the effect on vehicle Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC) and Pre-Collision Assist (PCA) features as part of the Advanced Automatic Emergency Braking system.

The ACC and PCA features use information from the vehicle’s forward-looking radar and camera sensors to detect and track objects in the host vehicle path. A misaligned cruise control module radar can cause the vehicle to have a closer-than-expected following distance when using the adaptive cruise control feature, or the automatic emergency braking system may react late resulting in a sudden loss of speed during an automatic Pre-Collision Assist braking event. As a result, the Pre-Collision Assist system’s effectiveness to detect a potential frontal collision may be compromised and could increase the risk of a crash.

Dealers will correct the problem by adjusting the angle of the cruise control radar module. Ford’s number for this recall is 21S52 and the NHTSA campaign number is 21V-982.

2021-2022 Toyota Sequoia and 2021 Toyota Tundra Power Steering Leak

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Toyota will be contacting the owners of certain 2021-2022 Sequoia and 2021 Tundra trucks because of a problem affecting the power steering gear assembly. Owner notification letters are expected to be sent out on January 22, 2022.

In late September 2021, Toyota observed an increase in field reports and warranty claims affecting the power steering in certain 2021-2022 Sequoia and 2021 Tundra trucks. A high percentage of these vehicles experienced power steering fluid leaks, all from the area of the power steering gear assembly. Manufacturing records showed that these reports mainly involved vehicles produced during the months of August and September 2021. Toyota began recovering additional parts involved in these reports and sent them to the supplier for inspection.

These inspections found that the circlip holding the oil seal and end stopper in position at the end of the power steering rack housing was disengaged from the groove machined in the rack housing and that the oil seal and the end stopper were moved from the correct position. Further investigation of the returned parts revealed that the groove where the circlip is installed was improperly machined leading to an incorrect groove shape.

Based on these findings, the supplier investigated their production process and identified that one of the four pieces of equipment used to machine the groove in the rack housing was not creating a groove of the correct shape. The tool was inspected, it was found that certain teeth on the cutting tool, which creates the groove in the rack housing, were damaged. Based on these results Toyota has decided to conduct a safety recall campaign.

Owners of the affected vehicles will be notified to return to their Toyota dealer to have the power steering gear assembly inspected and replaced if necessary. Toyota’s numbers for this recall are 21TB10 and 21TA10, and the NHTSA campaign number is 21V-920.

Jeep Cherokee And Wagoneer Air Bags Disabled With No Warning

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During a configuration review at the supplier for an unrelated manufacturing issue, FCA US LLC Product Engineering became aware of an error with an airbag squib driver circuit that identified three internal faults not mapped to a diagnostic trouble code (DTC). An investigation was opened and it was discovered that some 2021 Jeep Grand Cherokee, 2022 Jeep Wagoneer, and 2022 Jeep Grand Wagoneer vehicles may not set a DTC, and the airbag warning indicator may not illuminate.

The problem started in February 2021, when occupant restraint controllers (ORCs) with an incorrect software version were introduced into vehicle production, through to November 1, 2021, when the suspect ORCs were no longer used in vehicle production. Vehicle and supplier production records were used to determine the vehicles included in the recall population.

According to the defect report, “If specific ORC internal faults are active then a DTC will not be set and the airbag warning indicator may not illuminate. The internal faults will disable deployment of both the driver and passenger airbag squib 3 (related to airbag venting post-deployment) and knee airbags. The airbag warning indicator may not illuminate to notify the driver of possible compromised airbag system functionality. Reduced occupant protection in the event of a crash may result in an increased risk of injury to motor vehicle occupants.”

Owners receiving notices will be asked to return to their FCA dealers to have the occupant restraint controller reprogrammed with the correct software version that maps subject internal faults to a DTC. FCA US, LLC’s number for this recall is Y79 and the NHTSA campaign number is 21V-873.

If you purchased or leased a defective vehicle in California, it has turned out to be a lemon, and you need help to get rid of it, just fill out the above contact form or call us now at 1-888-395-3666 for a free case evaluation.

Mazda Engine Stall From Fuel Pump Failure

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Mazda is recalling certain 2018-2020 vehicles because the impeller inside the low-pressure fuel pump may crack and deform, potentially causing the fuel pump to fail.

In March 2019 Mazda received the first field report of an engine stall due to an inoperative fuel pump. A study of the pump showed that cracking on the impeller surface made the impeller more likely to deform. Further investigation found that solvent used during the manufacturing process and low-density impellers may be factors causing impeller cracking. During the test, the surface of the impeller cracked as the solvent dried over time. It was confirmed that fuel pumps produced with impellers of lower density exposed to production drying solvent for longer periods of time could experience the impeller cracking at a level that could lead to excessive fuel absorption, and could cause impeller deformation.

The Vehicles Affected Include:
2019 Mazda CX-3
2018-2019 Mazda CX-5
2018-2019 Mazda CX-9
2019-2020 Mazda Mazda2
2018 Mazda Mazda3
2018 Mazda Mazda6
2018-2019 Mazda MX-5

Fuel pump failure may result in engine no start and/or vehicle stall while driving at low speed and, in rare instances, a vehicle stall could occur while driving at higher speeds, increasing the risk of a crash. Drivers may notice this defect by a check engine light, and/or rough engine operation.

Mazda will be contacting owners of affected vehicles with instructions to return to their dealers to have the fuel pump replaced. Mazda’s number for this recall is 5321K and the NHTSA campaign number is 21V-875.