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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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Honda S2000, Acura RSX recalled over brake boosters

Filed under: Convertible, Coupe, Performance, Recalls, Acura, Honda

2006 Honda S2000

Honda has announced a recall that affects two of our favorite, dearly departed cars from the brand’s portfolio: the S2000 roadster and Acura RSX coupe. A total of 5,239 S2000 models from the 2006 and 2007 model years are affected by this problem, as are 13,113 2006 Acura RSX models.

“A production error may have allowed brake booster components to be produced outside of the original specifications, potentially causing decreased brake assistance over time, which could increase the risk of a crash,” American Honda said in a press release. Thus, dealerships will inspect and, if necessary, replace the brake booster setups in these vehicles, free of charge.

No crashes or injuries have been reported in relation to this brake problem. Honda says the problem was discovered during warranty claim analysis.

The recall will officially kick of in July, and owners will be notified by mail of this problem. Scroll down to read Honda’s official statement.

Continue reading Honda S2000, Acura RSX recalled over brake boosters

Honda S2000, Acura RSX recalled over brake boosters originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 14 Jun 2013 17:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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2012 Honda Civic recalled already over potential fuel leak

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

2012 Honda Civic

2012 Honda Civic – Click above for high-res image gallery

Honda is recalling 1,156 of its recently introduced 2012 Civic sedans and coupes over faulty O-rings that could result in a fuel leak. In the affected cars, a misaligned O-ring that seals a connection in the fuel feed line could result in fuel leaking from the engine.

If any sort of ignition source is present, a fuel leak could obviously result in something quite tragic.

To remedy this problem, Honda dealers will replace the fuel feed line assembly free of charge. The recall is expected to begin before the end of the month; follow the jump for the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s official statement.

Continue reading 2012 Honda Civic recalled already over potential fuel leak

2012 Honda Civic recalled already over potential fuel leak originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 20 May 2011 10:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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2,500 Chevy Cruze sedans recalled for “improperly fastened” steering wheels

Filed under: Budget, Sedan, Recalls, Safety, Chevrolet

2011 Chevrolet Cruze

2011 Chevrolet Cruze – Click above for high-res image gallery

Chevrolet has reportedly issued a recall of 2,100 of its Cruze compact car in the U.S. and 400 units in Canada after one car was found to have an improperly attached steering wheel. While the defect sounds terrifying, Chevrolet says the mishap hasn’t caused an accident or any injuries.

According to The Detroit News, Chevy is confident that only one car had the issue, and the recall is a precautionary measure. According to the story, Chevy says it inspected more than 2,000 vehicles at the plant where the defective Cruze was built and several hundred more at dealerships and didn’t find any with a similar fault.

Those affected by the recall will be asked to take their Cruze in to the dealership to be inspected for the fault, which will be repaired for free if a problem is found.

Gallery: 2011 Chevrolet Cruze 1LT: Review

2011 Chevrolet Cruze 1LT

[Source: The Detroit News]

2,500 Chevy Cruze sedans recalled for “improperly fastened” steering wheels originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 08 Apr 2011 17:30:00 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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2010-2011 Jeep Wrangler recalled over possible drivetrain problem

Filed under: Government/Legal, Safety, Jeep

2011 Jeep Wrangler

2011 Jeep Wrangler – Click above for high-res image gallery

Chrysler recently dodged the recall bullet when the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration decided that the automaker didn’t have to recall 2007 and 2008 model year Jeep Wranglers for reported fuel leaks. Good news for Chrysler, but while that fuel issue wasn’t deemed worthy of a recall, a new drivetrain problem is.

The automaker is recalling 20,459 2010 and 2011 Jeep Wranglers for improperly torqued front and rear axle fasteners. NHTSA says the maladjusted fasteners could result in “noise, or ultimately, degradation in steering and handling characteristics.” If this situation isn’t dealt with, the vehicle could lose steering control, which could result in an accident. The crop of affected Wranglers were built between July 12 and September 10, 2010.

To remedy this situation, a Chrysler dealer will re-torque all 19 fasteners to the maximum torque value – free of charge, of course. Hit the jump read NHTSA’s official statement.

Gallery: 2011 Jeep Wrangler

2011 Jeep Wrangler 2011 Jeep Wrangler and Wrangler Unlimited 2011 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited 2011 Jeep Wrangler interior

[Source: NHTSA]

Continue reading 2010-2011 Jeep Wrangler recalled over possible drivetrain problem

2010-2011 Jeep Wrangler recalled over possible drivetrain problem originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 07 Mar 2011 13:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Report: Rental companies drag heels repairing recalled cars

Filed under: Government/Legal, Safety

General Motors and Chrysler have informed the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration that cars sold to rental companies aren’t getting repairs done on recall for months at a time. NHTSA then started monitoring three million units from the two manufacturers in rental fleets to see how long they went unrepaired.

One month after a recall, NHTSA says that between 10 and 30 percent of cars had been repaired. By 90 days, the average was just 30 percent. According to the administration, it takes a year or more for rental companies to get more than 50 percent of their cars repaired.

According to The Detroit News, there aren’t any laws on the books that say a rental company has to get a car repaired before it rents it to a customer. What’s more, hundreds of recall notices go out a year, and rental cars move around a lot, making it difficult to nail them down for repairs.

According to Bob Barton, president of the American Car Rental Association, most companies place a hold on models that have been recalled, preventing them from being rented until repairs are made. The hitch, according to Barton, is that it can take months for the company to realize a recall has been issued.

NHTSA says its investigation is ongoing, and the administration noted a statement that dealerships aren’t allowed to sell a recalled vehicle until repairs have been made. That said, NHTSA also doesn’t have the authority to legally require that customers – including rental companies – have recall repairs made.

[Source: The Detroit News | Image: Hertz Rent-a-Car]

Report: Rental companies drag heels repairing recalled cars originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 28 Feb 2011 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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2009-2010 Ford F-150 being recalled to fix door handles

Filed under: Truck, Etc., Recalls, Safety, Ford, Canada

2009 Ford F-150

2009 Ford F-150 – Click above for high-res image gallery

Ford has announced that the automaker is recalling 280,946 F-150 models in the United States and an additional 68,000 in Canada for faulty door handles. According to the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration, the interior handles feature a housing embossment that may fracture with normal use. If this happens, the door latches may not fully return to their stowed position, and as a result, the doors may pop open during an accident.

NHTSA says that recall covers certain 2009 and 2010 model year trucks manufactured between January 18, 2008 and November 30, 2009. Ford is expected to begin notifying owners on or before February 14. If owners notice any interior door handle that doesn’t return to its stowed position, they’ll be urged to return the vehicle to a dealer to have the defective piece replaced free of charge. Eventually, all vehicles in the recall will be asked to return to the dealer for an inspection and free replacement of any trouble parts. Clear the jump for a look at the full recall notice.

Gallery: 2009 Ford F-150

[Sources: NHTSA, The Detroit News]

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2009-2010 Ford F-150 being recalled to fix door handles originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 03 Feb 2011 16:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ford Windstar recalled again, this time for suspension issues

Filed under: Minivan/Van, Recalls, Safety, Ford

windstar corrosion recall

Back in August, Ford recalled 462,750 Windstar minivans in Salt-belt states for rear axle corrosion problems, with another 117,000 units recalled in Canada. Then Utah’s 29,900 Windstar owners were added to the list in November. In 2009, Ford also recalled 1.7 million Windstars for faulty cruise control deactivation switches.

So is the much maligned Windstar finally over its recall addiction? Hardly. The Detroit News reports that Ford is issuing another recall for 425,000 1999-2003 Windstars in 22 cold-weather states. The recall focuses this time on the front suspension’s lower control arm, rear attaching brackets and body mount attachments, all of which can potentially corrode to the point of becoming a safety hazard. DetNews says that one possible cause of the corrosion problem is condensation from air conditioning lines that drip on the subframe on the right-front side of the vehicle.

Ford actually informed the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration that it was issuing the recall, adding that the company was replacing the parts even though it didn’t feel the repairs were necessary. Ford likely issued the recall in response to NHTSA intensifying its investigation of the minivan to an engineering analysis back in December.

Ford will reportedly begin repairing the recalled minivans as early as March, and some loaner vehicles may be offered while repairs are made.

[Source: Detroit News]

Ford Windstar recalled again, this time for suspension issues originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 27 Jan 2011 11:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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