Archive for the ‘Recalls’ Category

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Recall Alert: 2010 Ferrari 458 Italia

Friday, September 3rd, 2010

2010 Ferrari 458 Italia

Ferrari North America is recalling 303 of its 2010 Ferrari 458 Italia vehicles over inadequate heat shield protection, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Under certain conditions, the heat created by the engine can cause possible deformations of the rear right and left wheel wells. When this happens the wells themselves can deform close enough to the exhaust system to cause the bonding adhesives to ignite, resulting in a vehicle fire or crash.

Owners of affected vehicles will be notified this month. Ferrari dealerships will remove the existing heat shields and bounding adhesives and install new protective heat shields free of charge. Owners can contact Ferrari at 201-816-2600 or NHTSA's hot line at 888-327-4236.

Ferrari says that it received information regarding a possible fire on one of its 458 Italias in August. The automotive community has known about the Ferrari fires for some time, via Jalopnik’s coverage, but that’s not to say that each reported incident there is related to this recall.

Posted in Ferrari, Ferrari 458 Italia, Recalls | Comments Off

Recall Alert: 2011 Kia Sorento, 2010 Kia Soul

Thursday, September 2nd, 2010

Recall Kia Sorento, Kia Soul

Kia Motors is recalling 23,972 2010 Kia Soul and 11,213 2011 Kia Sorento vehicles over faulty installation of an ambient lighting system in those vehicles, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

The Soul’s speaker lights — which are standard equipment on the Soul Exclaim and Soul Sport and optional on the Soul Plus — and the Sorento’s optional accent lighting in the front and rear door trim panels on the EX trim may have been improperly soldered. When the lights are illuminated in certain conditions, an electrical short may occur and cause a fire.

Owners will be notified this month. Kia dealerships will replace the wiring harnesses for the lighting systems free of charge. Owners can contact Kia at 800-333-4542 or the National Highway Safety Administration at 888-327-4236.

2010|Kia|Soul

2011|Kia|Sorento

Posted in In The News, Kia, Kia Sorento, Kia Soul, Recalls | Comments Off

Recall Alert: 1998-2003 Ford Windstar

Friday, August 27th, 2010

2000FordWindstar

Ford is recalling 462,750 Windstar minivans from the 1998 to 2003 model years due to a rear axle that can fracture over time when exposed to corrosive materials used on roads in cold-weather areas.

 

The corrosion and stress can lead to cracks that can result in a “complete fracture” of the rear axle, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. If this happens while the van is driving, it could lead to a crash.

 

We found 10 complaints of completely cracked rear axles on NHTSA’s complaint website for just the 1998 model year. All were from 2009 or 2010, and a few mentioned mileage of 90,000 miles.

 

Ford will begin the recall on or before Sept. 27, and all service and parts will be covered free of charge if needed. Owners can contact Ford at 866-436-7332 or NHTSA’s hot line at 888-327-4236.

Posted in Ford, Recalls | Comments Off

Recall Alert: 1998-2003 Ford Windstar

Friday, August 27th, 2010

2000FordWindstar

Ford is recalling 462,750 Windstar minivans from the 1998 to 2003 model years due to a rear axle that can fracture over time when exposed to corrosive materials used on roads in cold-weather areas.

 

The corrosion and stress can lead to cracks that can result in a “complete fracture” of the rear axle, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. If this happens while the van is driving, it could lead to a crash.

 

We found 10 complaints of completely cracked rear axles on NHTSA’s complaint website for just the 1998 model year. All were from 2009 or 2010, and a few mentioned mileage of 90,000 miles.

 

Ford will begin the recall on or before Sept. 27, and all service and parts will be covered free of charge if needed. Owners can contact Ford at 866-436-7332 or NHTSA’s hot line at 888-327-4236.

Posted in Ford, Recalls | Comments Off

Recall Alert: 2005-2008 Pontiac Vibe

Thursday, August 26th, 2010

2005PontiacVibe

GM has confirmed that the 2005-2008 Pontiac Vibe is included in the previously announced recall of 1.3 million Toyota Corolla and Matrix models. About 200,000 Vibes are included.



As we stated in the earlier recall alert: “The engine control modules in some of these vehicles is defective and can lead to harsh shifting, stalling, or the vehicle could fail to start. Dealers will inspect the part to see if it is one of the defective units and replace it if necessary free of charge to owners."



There is no fix for the defect yet, and owners will receive a preliminary notification in mid-September. When the necessary replacement parts are available, Pontiac owners will be instructed to take their vehicles to an existing GM dealer, where the service will be conducted free of charge.

 

Owners can contact the National Highway Safety Administration at 888-327-4236.

Posted in Pontiac, Pontiac Vibe, Recalls | Comments Off

Recall Alert: 796,000 Garmin Navigation Systems

Thursday, August 26th, 2010



Garmin International has issued a recall for about 796,000 GPS units in the United States, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. The affected units are both aftermarket systems and factory-installed units placed in some Volvo, Volkswagen, Suzuki, Smart, Land Rover, Mazda, Nissan and Mercedes-Benz vehicles. One of the units is labeled Mopar as well, which is the replacement and accessory part maker for the Chrysler Group. A full list of the affected units is provided below.

A potential overheating issue triggered the recall. The batteries, in combination with a specific circuit board layout, can overheat, possibly causing a fire in the car. No reported failures have caused significant property damage or injuries yet, according to Garmin.

Garmin will notify owners of the affected systems, and technicians will repair the GPS units for free by replacing the battery and inserting a spacer on top of the battery. Owners can contact Garmin at 913-397-8200 or NHTSA's vehicle safety hot line at 888-327-4236.

  • GARMIN/AVIS NUVI 760/9999
  • GARMIN/AVIS/BUDGET NUVI 780/9999
  • GARMIN/EUROPCAR NUVI 760/9999
  • GARMIN/HERTZ NUVI 765/9999
  • GARMIN/HONDA NUVI 760/9999
  • GARMIN/LANDROVER NUVI 750/9999
  • GARMIN/MAZDA NUVI 760/9999
  • GARMIN/MERCEDES NUVI 760/9999
  • GARMIN/MOPAR NUVI 250/9999
  • GARMIN/NISSAN NUVI 750/9999
  • GARMIN/NISSAN NUVI 760/9999
  • GARMIN/NUVI 200W/9999
  • GARMIN/NUVI 250W/9999
  • GARMIN/NUVI 260W/9999
  • GARMIN/NUVI 710/9999
  • GARMIN/NUVI 715/9999
  • GARMIN/NUVI 750/9999
  • GARMIN/NUVI 755/9999
  • GARMIN/NUVI 755T/9999
  • GARMIN/NUVI 760/9999
  • GARMIN/NUVI 765/9999
  • GARMIN/NUVI 765T/9999
  • GARMIN/NUVI 770/9999
  • GARMIN/NUVI 775/9999
  • GARMIN/NUVI 775T/9999
  • GARMIN/NUVI 780/9999
  • GARMIN/NUVI 785T/9999
  • GARMIN/SMART NUVI 760/9999
  • GARMIN/SUZUKI NUVI 750/9999
  • GARMIN/SUZUKI NUVI 760/9999
  • GARMIN/SUZUKI NUVI 765/9999
  • GARMIN/VOLKSWAGON NUVI 765/9999
  • GARMIN/VOLKSWAGON NUVI 765T/9999
  • GARMIN/VOLVO NUVI 760/9999
  • GARMIN/VOLVO NUVI 765/9999

Posted in Car Gadgets, GPS, In The News, Recalls | Comments Off

Recall Alert: 2005-2008 Toyota Corolla, Matrix

Thursday, August 26th, 2010
2007TOyotaCorolla

Toyota is recalling nearly 1.3 million 2005-2008 Corolla and Matrix models for a faulty engine control module. Last week, we heard the government was intensifying its investigation into the defect. Toyota will begin notifying owners of the recall in mid-September, but it doesn’t have a timetable for when replacement parts will be available.



In a statement released today, Toyota said there had been "three unconfirmed accidents alleged to be related to this condition, one of which reported a minor injury."



The ECM in some of these vehicles is defective and can lead to harsh shifting, stalling, or the vehicle could fail to start. Dealers will inspect the part to see if it is one of the defective units and replace it if necessary free of charge to owners.



Owners can contact Toyota at 800-331-4331 or the National Highway Safety Administration at 888-327-4236.

Posted in Recalls, Safety, Toyota, Toyota Corolla, Toyota Matrix, Toyota Recall | Comments Off

Recall Alert: 2010 Nissan Frontier, Armada

Tuesday, August 17th, 2010

Recall Alert_2010 Nissan Frontier, Armada

Nissan is recalling certain 2010 Frontiers and Armadas over issues involving the seating system in each vehicle, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. 

An issue involving the child-seat restraint system affects 951 Frontiers. The tether anchor may have been improperly welded to the bottom of the seat. As a result, the tether could give way in an accident and separate from the seat, increasing the risk of injury. The recall of 174 Armadas affects the second-row seat. The rear seat’s center seatback my not fully lock in the upright position, which may increase the likelihood of injury if an accident occurs. 

Nissan will inspect and replace the defective parts for free. Armada owners will be notified Aug. 30; Frontier owners will be notified Sept. 1. For more information, owners can call Nissan at 800-647-7261 or NHTSA’s hot line at 888-327-4236.

2010|Nissan|Frontier

2010|Nissan|Armada

Posted in Nissan, Nissan Armada, Nissan Frontier, Recalls | Comments Off

Recall Alert: 1996-2007 Chrysler Minivans

Thursday, August 12th, 2010

2007townandcountry

Chrysler is recalling 6,686 minivans equipped with optional Class 3 receiver hitches. When loaded to the maximum capacity, the hitch can fracture or bend where it meets the hitch muffler strap, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

Included in the recall are 1996-2007 Dodge Grand Caravan, 1997-2007 Chrysler Town & Country and 1996-2004 Plymouth Voyager minivans.



Chrysler will begin the recall later this month. Owners can call the company at 715-831-8713 or NHTSA's hot line at 888-327-4236.

Posted in Chrysler, Chrysler Town & Country, Dodge, Dodge Caravan, Recalls | Comments Off

Recall Alert: 2010 Honda Element

Monday, August 9th, 2010

2010 Honda Element

Honda is recalling 585 2010 Honda Elements due to a problem with the automatic transmission, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. 

In the affected vehicles, the cable that connects the shift lever to the transmission was not installed correctly. The result is the driver may be able to shift the gear lever, for instance from Drive to Low Gear, but the transmission may not change to the selected gear. 

This could eventually lead to the key being stuck in the ignition switch because the driver wouldn’t be able to shift the vehicle in or out of Park. It could also lead to not being able to shift the vehicle into Reverse or Drive, increasing the possibility of a crash. 

The affected vehicles were manufactured from April 1 through June 25. Honda has contacted some owners already by phone and arranged to fix the car free of charge. All other owners will be notified of the recall by mail. Owners will bring their vehicles to dealers to get the shift cable bushing fixed. The recall begins Aug. 9. 

For more information, owners can call Honda at 800-999-1009 or NHTSA’s hot line at 888-327-4236.

2010|Honda|Element

Posted in Honda, Honda Element, Recalls, Safety | Comments Off

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