Ford will be contacting owners of certain 2011-2013 Fiesta vehicles because their cars may fail to comply with the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards for occupant crash protection. According to Ford, an incorrect software installation may prevent the side impact airbags from deploying when there is no occupant in the front passenger seat. Ford will reprogram the vehicle’s software to make it consistent with the description on the owner’s manual. Owners wanting more information about the problem can contact Ford at 1-866-436-7332.
Tag Archives: Software Problem
Chevy Volt Software Glitch Stalls Engines
General Motors (GM) has announced a customer satisfaction campaign affecting approximately four thousand 2013 Chevrolet Volt electric cars. A software glitch in the delayed charging function could cause the vehicle to unexpectedly stall. Drivers will still have steering and brakes, but in order to restart the engine, they must stop the vehicle, turn it off, and wait five minutes before restarting.
According to GM spokeswoman, Michelle Malcho, the glitch only affects the small number of owners that have used the delayed charging option. All drivers are recommended to switch to immediate instead of delayed time charging until the problem can be fixed. GM has already sent letters by Federal Express explaining to customers that the repair requires the vehicle’s control system software to be re-flashed. The repair is expected to take less than an hour.
Chevy Sonic Turn Signal Malfunction
General Motors (GM) is warning customer’s of certain 2013 Chevrolet Sonic vehicles about a problem that could leave drivers unaware that their turn signals are not functioning. When a turn signal lamp fails to operate, the Body Control Module (BCM) is suppose to detect the condition and warn the driver of the problem. A programing error in the BCM system may fail to warn the driver and if the problem goes unfixed, other drivers will not know that the vehicle is turning. This could increase the risk of an accident. Owners wanting more information can contact the Chevrolet owner center at 1-866-694-6546.
GM Issues Service Campaign For OnStar Vehicles
General Motors (GM) has asked dealerships to stop selling approximately sixty thousand 2012 and 2013 vehicles because of a software problem with the OnStar communication system. According to GM spokesman, Alan Adler, the problem was discovered during rear end crash testing where the airbags are not suppose to deploy. The “sensing diagnostic module,” still senses when to inflate airbags, but when the airbags are not suppose to inflate, certain models may not always receive a call from an OnStar operator to check to see if the occupants are injured. The problem does not require a recall and GM has already repaired many vehicles through a remote upgrade. Owners with vehicles that cannot be repaired remotely will be notified through a GM customer service campaign and will be asked to bring their vehicles to the nearest dealership to have the problem fixed. The vehicles involved in the service campaign include:
- 2013 Buick Verano
- 2013 Cadillac ATS
- 2012 Cadillac SRX
- 2013 Cadillac XTS
- 2013 Chevrolet Cruze
- 2013 Chevrolet Equinox
- 2013 Chevrolet Volt
- 2013 GMC Terrain
Volvo Tire Pressure Monitoring Problem
Volvo will be asking drivers of certain 2013 Volvo S80 sedans and 2013 Volvo XC70 station wagons to bring in their vehicles for a problem that could lead to premature wear of the tires. A software error within the Central Electronic Module (CEM) may cause the system to fail to warn the driver that the air in their tires is low. Driving on low tires can result in overloading and overheating and could lead to a blowout. Owners receiving a notification will be asked to bring in their vehicles to have the tire pressure monitoring system (TPMS) reprogrammed, free of charge. For more information about the problem, contact Volvo at 1-800-458-1552.
Mitsubishi Airbag Sensor Problem
Mitsubishi is asking owners of certain 2012 i-MEV electric vehicles to bring in their cars to correct a problem that could prevent their airbags from deploying properly. According to Mitsubishi, an incompatibility between the air bag sensor and the self diagnostic software, could deactivate the front and side airbag system. During an accident, the airbags may fail to deploy, increasing the chance of injury. Owners of affected vehicles may notice the Supplemental Restraint System (SRS) warning lamp illuminating to alert the driver of the problem. Owners wanting more information can contact Mitsubishi at 1-800-222-0037.
Hyundai Airbag Problem
Hyundai is recalling certain 2007-2009 Santa Fe and 2012-2013 Sonata vehicles because of airbag problems that could increase the risk of injury to vehicle occupants.
- Approximately 220, 000 Santa Fe vehicles manufactured between April 2006 to July 2008, could have an improperly calibrated occupant classification system (OCS). The problem could lead to the airbags not deploying during an accident increasing the chance if injury. Owners will be notified to bring in their vehicles to get the OCS software updated.
- Approximately 22, 000 Sonata vehicles manufactured between January to June, 2012 are being recalled because the curtain airbag may inflate without a deployment command. The manufacturing error could increase the risk of injury to the occupants and could increase the chance of an accident by distracting the driver.
Owners wanting more information on either recall can contact Hyundai customer services at 1-800-633-5151.
Volvo Transmission Control Problem
Volvo has announced that they will be recalling certain 2011-2013 S80 sedans for a transmission software control problem. According to the recall report filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), a software error may prevent the transmission from downshifting properly, and could result in decreased engine RPMs and a possible engine stall. Volvo will be notifying owners starting in the middle of July, and owners can bring their vehicles to their local dealership and have the software for the transmission control module upgraded. For more information about the problem, contact Volvo cars at 1-800-458-1552.
