General Motors has decided that a defect relating to vehicle safety exists in certain 2016-2017 Cadillac, Chevy and GMC trucks and SUVs, and will be asking owners to return to their dealership for repairs. According to the defect report, the welds on the front upper control arm near the bushings may be poor quality and could fail. The upper control arm could deform or separate from the bushing completely, making steering and directional control very difficult. Continue reading
Chevy, Infiniti & Nissan Inaccurate Airbag Classification
Certain 2013-2017 Chevrolet, Infiniti and Nissan owners will be contacted by the manufacturer about a problem affecting the airbag deployment system. The front seat passenger Occupant Classification System (OCS) may incorrectly classify an adult passenger as a child or classify the seat as empty despite it being occupied. As a result, the passenger frontal air bag may not deploy or could deploy incorrectly during a crash. Continue reading
Chrysler Power Train Software Problem
Chrysler will be contacting the owners of certain Chrysler, Dodge and Jeep vehicles about a power train software problem. The affected models are equipped with 8 speed transmissions and a monostable gear selector. According to the defect report, the software used to warn drivers exiting the vehicle, that their vehicle is not in “Park”, may not adequately warn the driver. Drivers thinking that their vehicle’s transmission is in the “Park” position may be struck by the vehicle and injured if they attempt to get out of the vehicle while the engine is running and the parking brake is not engaged. Continue reading
VW Emission Scandal Update
It’s been six months since Volkswagen admitted to modifying their diesel vehicles to pass emissions tests, but few details have emerged about how the problem will be corrected. A recent interim agreement between Federal authorities and Volkswagen could have the German automobile manufacturer buying back or repairing over 500,000 cars, but the details on how this will be done are still vague. Meanwhile, consumers have been left with unanswered questions. The problem does not pose a safety risk to drivers and vehicles will still pass inspection, but some owners living in California and states that enforce tough emissions rules, question whether the problem will affect their vehicle registration renewal. Continue reading
Mazda Cars Could Experience A Loss Of Steering
A small number of Mazda car owners will be contacted by the manufacturer about a problem affecting the steering system. According to the defect report filed with the NHTSA, during installation of the front strut assembly to the steering knuckle, the lower mounting nuts and bolts may have been insufficiently tightened. The bolts could loosen resulting in an increasing rattle noise over time. If the problem is not repaired, the front strut assembly and steering knuckle could completely separate. Drivers could experience a significant loss of steering control, increasing the risk of a crash. Continue reading
Chevy Silverado & GMC Sierra Seat Belt Problem
General Motors have announced a safety defect relating to seat belts exists in certain 2014-2015 Chevrolet Silverado and 2014-2015 GMC Sierra 1500 trucks. According to reports, in certain vehicles and seating positions, the seat-belt tensioner could move into a position forward of the seat back bolster. This allows the occupant to sit on top of it in a sliding motion while entering the vehicle. This action can bend the cable at a severe angle over the seat-side shield, and over time may cause the cable to fatigue. During an accident, the fatigued tensioner cable could separate, increasing the risk of injury to the driver. Continue reading
2016 Toyota Sienna Seat Belts Could Separate
Toyota will be contacting the owners of certain 2016 Toyota Sienna vehicles about a problem that could leave occupants unsecured during a collision. The subject vehicles may have been equipped with an incorrect front seat belt height adjuster. In the event of a collision with significant loads, there is a possibility that the stresses could cause the adjuster to separate, increasing the risk of injury to occupants. Continue reading
2016 Nissan Maxima and Murano Brake Problem
The owners of certain 2016 Nissan Maxima and Murano vehicles will be contacted by the manufacturer about a problem affecting the braking system. According to the defect report, some vehicles were manufactured with an ABC actuator with a damaged o-ring. During ABS and VDC operation, the brake fluid pressure may not be properly controlled and could result in lengthened distance needed to stop the vehicle. Continue reading
