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Mitsubishi recalling 2013 Outlander Sport for suspension issue

Filed under: Recalls, Safety, Crossover, Mitsubishi

2013 Mitsubishi Outlander Sport - front three-quarter view, tan

Just 305 units of the 2013 Mitsubishi Outlander Sport are the subject of a recall over a potential suspension issue. Crossovers made from January 17-25 of this year might suffer from a bad weld on the front left strut’s stabilizer link. If it fails, damage to the brake hose or tire could result, in turn making steering or braking control of the compact CUV more difficult.

When the recall begins, owners can take their Outlander Sports to Mitsubishi dealers for inspection and replacement of the strut assembly if necessary. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration bulletin below has more information.

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Mitsubishi recalling 2013 Outlander Sport for suspension issue originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 22 Jul 2013 18:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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GM reportedly recalling select 2014 Silverado, Sierra pickups over airbag issue

Filed under: Truck, Recalls, Safety, Chevrolet, GM, GMC

2014 Chevy Silverado front three-quarter

2014 GMC Sierra front three-quarter General Motors is recalling 843 2014 Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra Crew Cab pickups, due to a fault with the vehicle’s airbags. According to GM, the airbags may not inflate properly in the event of a crash. There haven’t been any crashes or injuries associated with this recall, which is always good. Naturally, repairs will be free of charge, and GM will begin contacting affected owners soon.

GM has a lot hanging on the 2014 Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra. Not only is it banking over $12,000 per vehicle on these trucks, as reported by Automotive News, but GM is counting on the Sierra and Silverado to take the fight to cross-town rivals Ford and Ram. The F-150 and Ram 1500 have been on a tear over the past few years, with fresh updates, advanced powertrains, and plenty of solid press while the GM trucks have been waiting for the 2014-model-year upgrades.

It’s still entirely too early to judge the Sierra and Silverado, particularly as those 843 recalled trucks make up barely two percent of the over 40,000 units moved so far. But, as AN rightly states, these trucks are the most important vehicles to come out of GM since bankruptcy, with about 60 percent of global profits relating to pickups and SUVs. Starting an introduction of such a big product with a recall, however small, is not the preferred way to do things.

GM reportedly recalling select 2014 Silverado, Sierra pickups over airbag issue originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 21 Jul 2013 15:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Tesla Model S recalled for seat safety issue

Filed under: EV/Plug-in, Tesla Motors

Tesla Model S at sunset

Back when the first Tesla Model S electric vehicles were rolling off the assembly line in California, CEO Elon Musk was literally checking each vehicle before it went out into the wild. As production ramped up, this was no longer possible. And, not that we’re suggesting the two issues are directly related, now the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and Tesla are announcing the first big Model S recall. Tesla’s first NHTSA recall affected the Roadster back in 2009.

The Model S recall affects 1,228 vehicles that were made between May 10 and June 8 of 2013 and is about a possible failure of the seatback mounting. Specifically, “an improper method for aligning the left hand seatback striker to the bracket may have weakened the weld between the bracket and the frame of the vehicle.” What does that mean? “In the event of a crash, the left hand seatback may not stay mounted, increasing the risk of injury to passengers.”

“Tesla has revised assembly procedures and retrained manufacturing technicians.”

The problem happened because Tesla redesigned the joint between the bracket and vehicle to “improve function and reduce weight,” and the new joint was put into place May 10. The new bracket worked just fine, but then, “on June 7, 2013, a technician on the assembly line was adjusting the alignment for the newly designed left hand second row seat striker utilizing a slide hammer when he noticed the action caused the striker to become loose. … Upon review, Tesla Quality determined that the weld and bonding between the second row left hand seat striker mounting plate and the vehicle was compromised due to this method of adjustment.” Since then, “Tesla has revised assembly procedures and retrained manufacturing technicians.”

There have been no complaints or reports of injury about this issue. Tesla will repair the issue in the affected cars, but has not yet said when. Owners should be on the lookout for notification from Tesla if their car is subject to the recall.

You can read more in these PDFs (1, 2), which are letters between Tesla and NHTSA regarding the recall. You can also find more information on the NHTSA site by searching for campaign number 13V249000, and the text of the recall can be seen below.

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Tesla Model S recalled for seat safety issue originally appeared on Autoblog Green on Wed, 19 Jun 2013 11:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Report: 205k Suzuki models being investigated for airbag sensor issue

Filed under: Sedan, Government/Legal, Recalls, Safety, Crossover, Hatchback, Suzuki

The Detroit News is reporting that the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has opened an investigation on the 2006-11 Suzuki Grand Vitara and 2007-11 Suzuki SX4 due to issues with the airbag and seatbelt for the front passenger seat. So far, NHTSA has received 128 complaints on these vehicles for airbag warning lights, airbag off lights and seatbelt lights, on a vehicle set that totals around 205,000 units, but there is no indication as to how many, if any, injuries have reported.

Via technical service bulletins, Suzuki has already acknowledged two airbag-related issues with front passenger seats on both vehicles, including a programming error for the passenger seat load indicator on 2009 models and an open-circuit problem for the sensor mat that determines if an adult or child is sitting in the front seat. Since this latter issue would not shut off or lessen the impact of the passenger airbag, Suzuki has already extended the warranty for the seat cushion bottom to 10 years or 120,000 miles. After ceasing new-car sales in the US and Canada, potential recall repairs (which still may or may not happen) would be handled by remaining dealers as laid out in the recent court-approved bankruptcy plan.

205k Suzuki models being investigated for airbag sensor issue originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 19 Jun 2013 07:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Official: Chrysler resolves recall issue with NHTSA, will inspect, upgrade affected Jeeps

Filed under: SUV, Government/Legal, Recalls, Safety, Jeep

Chrysler made big news earlier in the month by refusing a recall request from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration for the 1993-2004 Jeep Grand Cherokee and 2002-2007 Jeep Liberty. Last week, NHTSA boss David Strickland countered by defending his agency’s request for the recall of 2.7 million Jeep SUVs. Today marked the deadline for Chrysler to formally respond to NHTSA, and it seems that both parties have met in the middle with Chrysler inspecting and upgrading some of the affected vehicles without using the word “recall,” which would constitute the admission of a defect; instead, Chrysler said that it is conducting a “voluntary campaign.”

At issue on these vehicles is the positioning of the fuel tank behind the rear axle that could get damaged during a rear-end collision. NHTSA has stated that at least 51 people have been killed in rear-end collisions involving these Jeeps after the vehicles caught fire, to which Chrysler countered by pointing out that both models “met and exceeded” the requirements for fuel-system integrity.

As a compromise on the situation, Chrysler says that it will inspect all pre-2004 Grand Cherokees and pre-2007 Liberty models and, “if necessary, provide an upgrade to the rear structure of the vehicle.” According to Automotive News, this upgrade will consist of adding a trailer hitch that will presumably better protect the rear-mounted gas tank. Vehicles already equipped with a factory or Mopar hitch will not be modified. Chrysler’s official statement on the matter is posted below, but no additional information has been released, such as when the campaign will begin and how many vehicles could be affected.

Continue reading Chrysler resolves recall issue with NHTSA, will inspect, upgrade affected Jeeps

Chrysler resolves recall issue with NHTSA, will inspect, upgrade affected Jeeps originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 18 Jun 2013 16:25:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Audi recalls A6, S6, RS6 over possible fuel tank issue

Filed under: Sedan, Performance, Wagon, Recalls, Safety, Audi, Luxury

2004 audi a6 avant

2004 Audi A6 Avant – Click above for high-res image gallery

Got a hankering to own an Audi from the beginning of the Aughts? If you’re hunting for an example that wears a model badge with the number “6,” you might want to have a mechanic take a look its nipples. More specifically, make sure the rollover valve in the fuel system has been given proper attention, otherwise the nipple can become cracked and lead to fuel winding up on the ground instead of feeding the engine.

Audi and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration have just announced a recall for specific years of the Audi A6, S6 and RS6. This recall affects 2001-2004 A6 models, 2002-2003 S6 models and the 2003 RS6. Up to 5,992 vehicles are potentially affected by this action. Click past the jump for the official recall announcement with more details.

Continue reading Audi recalls A6, S6, RS6 over possible fuel tank issue

Audi recalls A6, S6, RS6 over possible fuel tank issue originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 09 May 2011 17:19:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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2011 Volkswagen Jetta recalled for wiring issue

Filed under: Sedan, Recalls, Safety, Volkswagen

2011 Volkswagen Jetta

2011 Volkswagen Jetta – Click above for high-res image gallery

Volkswagen is recalling 71,043 of its 2011 model year Jetta sedans for a wiring problem with the horn and anti-theft alarm system. The automaker has long been chastised for problems with wiring and electronics in its vehicles, and though we’re told that VW is working to improve quality in this area, some gremlins continue to crop up. No accidents or injuries have occurred as a result of this defect.

Customers will be notified via mail about this issue. Volkswagen will include information about corrective measures and anticipated repair time – something that the automaker has not yet released. Affected cars were built between March 2010 and March 2011. Follow the jump for VW’s official release.

Gallery: 2011 Volkswagen Jetta: Review

2011 Volkswagen Jetta

[Source: Volkswagen]

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2011 Volkswagen Jetta recalled for wiring issue originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 28 Mar 2011 15:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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2011 Honda Civic recalled over fuel tank valve issue

Filed under: Coupe, Sedan, Recalls, Safety, Honda

2011 honda civic

2011 Honda Civic – Click above for high-res image gallery

Honda has released notice of a recall for its 2011 Civic compact. The issue stems from a malignant fuel pump, which may have modules inside that became damaged during production. So far, no accidents or injuries have been reported as a result of the faulty fuel pumps. However, the damaged unit could cause fuel to leak onto the emissions canister in the event of a roll-over crash, potentially turning a bad accident into a fiery tragedy.

This recall comes on the heels of another Honda issue, which involves 2006-2007 Civic Hybrid models. This new voluntary recall affects 18,056 vehicles, and Honda plans to begin notifying owners beginning in mid-April. Peek beyond the jump for the official press verbiage with all the details.

Gallery: 2011 Honda Civic

[Source: Honda]

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2011 Honda Civic recalled over fuel tank valve issue originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 17 Mar 2011 16:19:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Consumer Reports reveals details of 2011 Auto Issue

Filed under: Car Buying, Etc.

consumer reports 2011 The 2011 edition of Consumer Reports‘ annual Auto Issue will hit newstands on March 8, but we have a sneak peek at what you’ll find inside.

First up is are CR’s Automaker Report Cards, and Honda, Toyota and Subaru continue to enjoy their three-year run at the head of the class. General Motors and Ford, however, are playing catch up fast. In fact, the Blue Oval now has a Recommended rating for 71 percent of its fleet. Chrysler, however, is sitting near the bottom of the pack, though it’s kept company by former classmate Mercedes-Benz and BMW.

The Consumer Reports 2011 Auto Issue also examines the best and worst values across eight vehicle segments. Hyundai and Kia both earned a couple of “bests” while General Motors was given a few “worsts.” Beyond the value of a vehicle, CR also names its Top Picks for 2011. For the first time ever, the Ford Mustang has made this list thanks to its multitude of engine choices, fuel economy and price.

If used cars are more your speed, Consumer Reports has even compiled a list of its top choices for 2001-2010 model year vehicles. Awards for best-in-class were chosen based on the results of road tests when the vehicle was new combined with ongoing reliability data.

We have a hefty dose of information for you to digest. The Top Picks, Best and Worst Values and Best of the Best Used Cars are all waiting for you after the jump.

[Source: Consumer Reports]

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Consumer Reports reveals details of 2011 Auto Issue originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 28 Feb 2011 17:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Chrysler fixes Grand Cherokee handling issue identified by Consumer Reports

Filed under: SUV, Etc., Safety, Chrysler, Jeep

2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee

2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee – Click above for high-res image gallery

According to Consumer Reports, Chrysler has addressed a handling issue with the 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee that the publication discovered during independent testing. During a double-lane-change emergency maneuver, CR testers noted a considerable amount of skidding and hopping at the very limit of traction. Chrysler engineers then went to the magazine’s test track to review the findings before returning to Auburn Hills to come up with a solution. In December, the automaker released a software update for the vehicle’s stability control, and all Grand Cherokee models manufactured since then have come from the factory with the fix.

Consumer Reports was recently able to put the updated 2011 Grand Cherokee through its paces at the track once again and found that the issue had been corrected. The big SUV managed to maintain an average speed of 50 mph through the course and behaved itself at and beyond the limits of the vehicle’s traction. The fix has helped to improve the vehicle’s Consumer Reports rating for the Grand Cherokee from a 66 to a 71.

Gallery: Review: 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee

[Source: Consumer Reports]

Chrysler fixes Grand Cherokee handling issue identified by Consumer Reports originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 17 Feb 2011 16:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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