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The EPA has announced that FCA will be issuing a voluntary recall of 862,520 gasoline vehicles in the United States that do not meet emissions standards. The vehicles covered are the 2011-2016 Dodge Journey, 2011-2014 Chrysler 200 and Dodge Avenger, 2011-2016 Jeep Patriot and Compass (with CVT and FWD), and 2011-2012 Dodge Caliber. Due to the scope of the recall, the fixes will be issued in stages starting with the oldest vehicles. The fix involves replacing the catalytic converter. FCA has stated there are no safety concerns and no fines will be issued by the EPA. The issue was discovered during routing in-use emissions testing by FCA and subsequently reported to the EPA. FCA just settled a claim by the EPA that FCA used a cheat device in its diesel trucks and SUVS. View full article

The Ford Ranger is beginning to hit dealers, but it has already been hit with a recall. Ford announced today that 3,500 Rangers in North America (3,000 in the U.S. and 500 in Canada) have an issue with the PRNDL bezel wiring, The problem deals with the wiring interfering with the shifter interlock override, preventing the transmission from locking when put into park. This means you can shift it out of park when the vehicle is off and without a foot on the brake. Ford says that it is unaware of any accidents or injuries arising from this issue. The trucks involved were built between June 4, 2018 and Jan. 9, 2019. Dealers will investigate whether or not the truck does shift out of park when it is turned off, and without a foot on the brake. If it does, then dealers will relocate the harness and perform the test. Source: Ford Ford Motor Company Issues Recall For Select 2019 Ranger Vehicles To Verify Shifter Interlock Functionality DEARBORN, Mich., Feb. 6, 2019 – Ford is issuing a safety compliance recall on certain 2019 Ford Ranger vehicles to verify shifter interlock functionality. In the affected vehicles, the PRNDL bezel wiring may interfere with the shifter interlock override, preventing the shifter from locking in the park position and allowing the driver to shift the transmission out of park with the vehicle off and without a foot on the brake pedal. Ford is not aware of any accidents or injuries resulting from this condition. This action affects approximately 3,500 Ranger vehicles in North America, including approximately 3,000 in the United States and 500 in Canada. Affected 2019 Ranger vehicles were built at Michigan Assembly Plant, June 4, 2018 to Jan. 9, 2019. Dealers will verify shifter interlock functionality by attempting to move the transmission shifter out of park with the vehicle off and without a foot on the brake pedal. If the shifter moves out of park, dealers will look for wiring interference, relocate the wiring and retest. The Ford reference number for this recall is 19C02. View full article

Ford announced a sizeable recall of 1.5 million Focuses from the 2012-2018 model year equipped with the naturally-aspirated and turbocharged variants of the 2.0L engine. The issue deals with the engine's fuel system, specifically the canister purge valve. This valve allows fuel vapor to circulate but may become stuck open. Plus, the powertrain control module which monitors the valve may malfunction. The end result is a malformed gas tank due to excessive vacuum, which in turn will cause the check engine to come on; the fuel gauge will start acting weird; and may cause the car to stall - the latter being a safety issue. The recall is the result of a number of complaints filed to NHTSA on the loss of power in 2012-2014 Focus models. After sharing data, both NHTSA and Ford decided a recall was a smart idea. The good news is that no accidents or injuries related to this problem have been reported. The total amount of vehicles involved breaks down like this, U.S.: 1,282,596 Canada: 136,272 Mexico: 44,521 What's the fix? Dealers will reprogram the powertrain control module that will allow for better detection if the valve does become stuck. The fuel system will be inspected and parts will be replaced if necessary. For the time being, Ford is asking owners to keep their Focus' gas tank half-filled until they can get their vehicle in for repair. The recall notice is expected to be sent in the mail beginning in December. Source: Ford Ford Motor Company Issues Recall In North America For Select 2012-18 Ford Focus Vehicles For Malfunctioning Canister Purge Valve DEARBORN, Mich., Oct. 25, 2018 – Ford is issuing a recall for approximately 1.5 million select 2012-18 Ford Focus vehicles equipped with 2.0-liter GDI and 2.0-liter GTDI engines for a malfunctioning canister purge valve. Affected vehicles are equipped with a canister purge valve that may become stuck in an open position. If this occurs, an excessive vacuum in the fuel system could cause deformation of the vehicle’s plastic fuel tank. As a result, the customer could observe a malfunction indicator light or a fuel gauge with fluctuating or inaccurate fuel levels. This could lead to a stall while driving and/or an inability to restart the vehicle, which can increase the risk of a crash. Ford is not aware of any accidents, injuries or fires as a result of this condition. Affected vehicles include 2012-18 Ford Focus 2.0-liter GDI vehicles built at Michigan Assembly Plant prior to April 13, 2017 and 2.0-liter GTDI vehicles built prior to Feb. 2, 2018. There are approximately 1,463,389 vehicles in North America relating to this concern, with 1,282,596 in the United States and federalized territories, 136,272 in Canada and 44,521 in Mexico. The Ford reference number for this recall is 18S32. Dealers will reprogram the powertrain control module with new software that will detect a malfunctioning canister purge valve and prevent a potential excessive fuel vapor system vacuum condition from occurring. Dealers will inspect and replace the canister purge valve, carbon canister, fuel tank and fuel delivery module, as necessary. There will be no charge for these services. Customers should maintain at least a half tank of fuel until the recall is completed. View full article

General Motors is recalling 1,015,918 pickup trucks from the 2015 model year due to a problem with the electric power steering (EPS) system. In a letter published by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration yesterday, the EPS may momentarily lose assist before regaining it. "If EPS assist is lost and then suddenly returns, the driver may have difficulty steering the vehicle, especially at low speeds, increasing the risk of a crash," wrote NHTSA. The models affected include, Cadillac Escalade Chevrolet Silverado Chevrolet Suburban Chevrolet Tahoe GMC Sierra GMC Yukon The fix is simple as dealers will update the EPS software. No word on when GM will begin the recall. GM issued a similar recall for about 700,000 Chevrolet and GMC trucks in the US last year. Source: NHTSA (PDF) Pic Credit: William Maley for Cheers & Gears View full article

Toyota has announced that it will be recalling 1.03 million vehicles worldwide to fix an issue that could start a fire. According to Reuters, the problem deals with a wiring harness that connects to the hybrid system's power control unit. Vibrations and accumulating dirt can wear down the wire insulation at the connection point. This will expose the bare wires and possibly cause an electric short - increasing the chances of a fire. Toyota has told the news service they have one report of a vehicle in Japan that went up in smoke. The majority of vehicles involved in the recall are located in Japan. In the U.S., around 192,000 examples of the 2016-2018 Toyota Prius are involved. Owners of the affected models will be notified later this month by Toyota. Dealers will inspect the harness in question and, if any wires are exposed, replace it with an updated harness with a protective sleeve, If none of the wires are exposed, dealer technicians will apply a protective coating to the harness. Source: Reuters View full article

A new audit released by the U.S. Transportation Department’s Office of Inspector General rips the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) over its handling of the Takata airbag recall. In the report, the Inspector General says NHTSA's recall monitoring process "does not ensure that remedies are reported completely and in a timely manner," nor does it "verify recall completion rates, although it has the authority to do so." Other issues the audit found included the long time it took the agency to determine the scope of the Takata recall and missing documents due to limited monitoring and inadequate procedures. "In June 2014, RMD [NHTSA's Recall Management Division] received a recall notification for Takata airbag inflators in over 140,000 vehicles. The notification stated that the manufacturer planned to tell owners to take their vehicles to dealerships for repairs in February 2015. However, as of February 2018, RMD had not received the manufacturer's remedy documents, and [the Office of Defects Investigation's] recall recordkeeping system does not indicate that RMD staff requested those documents," the report said. The Inspector General makes six recommendations including better training for staff, creating a system to handle missing documents and communications, and documenting various lessons from the Takata recall. NHTSA in a letter said it "did not endorse all of the report’s findings," but did agree to some of the recommendations. The agency has come under fire for a number of years due to its poor handling of various auto safety issues, including Toyota's unattended acceleration crisis and GM's ignition switch mess. This latest audit is fourth since 2011 by the inspector general. The last audit done in 2015 said NTHSA failed to investigate safety issues carefully, hold automakers accountable, and adequately train their staff which resulted in “significant safety concerns being overlooked.” Source: Reuters View full article

Audi finds itself in hot water once again with Germany's federal transport authority over illegal emission software fitted to TDI vehicles. According to Reuters, the KBA has found illegal emission-control software in Audi’s latest Euro-6 diesel engines. The authority has ordered Audi to recall 127,000 vehicles fitted with these engines (the majority in Germany) or face punishment which may include the withdrawal of an approval for the new A8. In a statement sent to Reuters, Audi said the vehicles were part of "a voluntary recall of 850,000 diesel vehicles with V6 and V8 TDI engines" back in July. “The engine control software for the vehicles in question will be completely revised, tested and submitted to the KBA for approval,” the company said in the statement. Audi did not comment further on the KBA's request. Source: Motor1, Reuters View full article

Ford has issued a recall 1.3 million 2014-2018 Fusion and Lincoln MKZ sedans that can have their steering wheels come off. The problem is a faulty bolt that attaches the wheel to the steering column. The bolt may not provide enough torque, which results in the bolt loosening and causing the wheel to fall off. Ford reports that two accidents and one injury are attributed to this issue. The models affected by this were built between July of 2013 and March of 2018 at Ford's Flat Rock, MI and Hermosillo, Mexico plants. The fix involves a dealer replacing the current bolt with one a larger one featuring more threads along with a larger nylon patch to keep the steering wheel where it should be. Source: Ford Press Release is on Page 2 Select 2014-18 Ford Fusion and Lincoln MKZ vehicles for loose steering wheel bolts that could lead to a steering wheel detaching from steering column Ford is issuing a safety recall in North America for approximately 1.3 million 2014-18 Ford Fusion and Lincoln MKZ vehicles for potentially loose steering wheel bolts that could result in a steering wheel detaching from the steering column. In affected vehicles, the steering wheel bolt may not maintain torque, allowing the bolt to loosen over time, and if not serviced, a steering wheel could potentially detach and lead to a loss of steering control and increased risk of a crash. Ford is aware of two accidents with one injury allegedly related to this condition. Affected vehicles include: 2014-17 Ford Fusion vehicles built at Flat Rock Assembly Plant, Aug. 6, 2013 to Feb. 29, 2016 2014-18 Ford Fusion vehicles built at Hermosillo Assembly Plant, July 25, 2013 to March 5, 2018 2014-18 Lincoln MKZ vehicles built at Hermosillo Assembly Plant, July 25, 2013 to March 5, 2018 The recall involves approximately 1,378,637 vehicles in North America with 1,301,986 in the United States and federalized territories, 62,479 in Canada and 14,172 in Mexico. The Ford reference number for this recall is 18S08. Dealers will replace the steering wheel bolt on the vehicle with a longer bolt with more robust thread engagement and larger nylon patch placed properly for proper torque retention— at no cost to customers. View full article

October has not been the best of months for Nissan. Earlier this month, Japan’s transport ministry revealed that at five of the company's six plants in the country had quality checks being certified by unauthorized workers. According to Reuters, vehicles destined for the domestic market have to go under a final check by certified technicians. “It’s extremely regrettable, causing anxiety for users and shaking the foundation of the certification system,” said Minister of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism Keiichi Ishii at a press conference earlier this month. Nissan announced that it would be recalling 1.2 million vehicles built within the past three years due to this issue. The news has only gotten worse as the Japanese automaker announced today that it would be suspending production at all of their Japan plants for at least two weeks to investigate and address this issue. Nissan CEO Hiroto Saikawa revealed at a briefing that this unauthorized approval continued a month after Nissan was told about this issue and said it strengthened the control of its inspection processes. “Our emergency measures were not enough. We were unable to change our bad habits,” said Saikawa There are numerous factors as to how this debacle developed including increasing the efficiency of the inspection process and plants transferring the checks to other lines. Nissan is planning on recalling an additional 34,000 vehicles for re-inspection. Production of export vehicles will continue as this issue is specific to Japanese-market models. Source: Reuters, 2, Bloomberg, Nissan Press Release is on Page 2 Regarding recurrence of final vehicle inspection issue at Nissan’s vehicle plants in Japan YOKOHAMA, Japan – As previously announced, on September 18 the Japanese Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transportation (MLIT) notified Nissan that in the final vehicle inspection process, certain checks were carried out by technicians not properly registered to perform those duties under Nissan’s own processes. Nissan took corrective measures at Japanese production plants by September 20 to address the issue. By October 18, the investigation team (led by a third party) discovered that at its Oppama, Tochigi and the Nissan Kyushu plants, certain parts of the final inspection process were still being carried out by technicians not properly registered to perform those duties for vehicles for the Japan market. Nissan decided today to suspend vehicle production for the Japan market at all Nissan and Nissan Shatai plants in Japan. Nissan regrets any inconvenience and concern this has caused to its valued customers and other stakeholders in Japan. Findings The plants transferred final vehicle inspection check items from the final vehicle inspection line to other lines, such as the “marketability inspection” and the “offline inspection”. As a result, employees who were not internally registered as final vehicle inspectors performed final vehicle inspections. Measures planned Nissan will take the following actions with regard to the production line and vehicles that did not meet Japanese market requirements for final inspection: Production line in the plants The final vehicle inspection line will be configured as originally submitted to MLIT, consolidating all final inspection processes. Final inspection process will be separated from other processes and only internally registered final vehicle inspectors will have access to the final inspection line. Unregistered and registered vehicles Nissan is considering re-inspecting the unregistered vehicles at certified Nissan dealership facilities throughout Japan. Nissan is considering submitting a noncompliance recall report for registered vehicles. Approximately 34,000 vehicles produced between September 20 – October 18, 2017 including those produced for other makers will be subject to re-inspection. Nissan regards the recurrence of this issue at domestic plants — despite the corrective measures taken — as critical. The investigation team will continue to thoroughly investigate the issue and determine measures to prevent recurrence. Details of the above will be included in the final report to be published on a later date. View full article

Fiat Chrysler Automobiles announced today that it would be recalling a million Ram Trucks for a computer glitch that could prevent the airbags and seat-belt tensioners from engaging in the event of a crash. The issue comes from the software used in a module that controls the deployment of restraint systems in rollover situations. Underbody impacts could cause the module to think a sensor has failed and will disable the side airbags and seat-belt tensioners for that ignition cycle. This means in the event of a rollover, the key safety systems will not go into action. The good news is that if you turn the truck off and then on, the system should revert back to normal. You can tell this if the airbag warning light goes off when you restart the truck. FCA says it is aware of a fatality, two injuries, and two accidents possibly related to this problem. The models involved in this recall include, 2013-2016 Ram 1500 2013-2016 Ram 2500 2014-2016 Ram 3500 FCA says they will begin notifying owners about this issue next month along with they schedule to bring their truck to get repaired. Dealers will reprogram the occupant restraint control modules used throughout the truck. Source: Fiat Chrysler Automobiles Press Release is on Page 2 Statement: Software update May 12, 2017 , Auburn Hills, Mich. - FCA US LLC is voluntarily recalling an estimated 1 million trucks in the U.S. to reprogram computer modules that help control restraint-system deployment in rollover situations. An FCA US investigation identified a population of vehicles equipped with modules featuring certain types of sensors. If such a vehicle were subjected to a significant underbody impact, its module may erroneously conclude the sensor has failed and then activate an instrument-cluster warning light. The error code associated with the warning may temporarily disable side air bag and seat belt pretensioner** deployment for that ignition cycle, which would then be unavailable in the event of a vehicle rollover. (Deployment suppression is a feature of restraint systems. It serves as a potential safeguard against inadvertent system activation, should a sensor failure actually occur.) If the warning light is illuminated, normal restraint-system function may be restored by turning the vehicle’s ignition to “off,” and then to “on/run.” Function restoration may be verified by the absence of a warning light. However, FCA US urges affected customers to follow the instructions on their recall notices. The Company is aware of one fatality, two injuries and two accidents that may be related. Affected vehicles are certain 2013-16 Ram 1500 and 2500 pickups, and 2014-2016 Ram 3500 pickups. Their occupant restraint control modules will be reprogramed with software that affords more robust sensor performance. The recall also affects an estimated 216,007 vehicles in Canada; 21,668 in Mexico; and 21,530 outside the NAFTA region. Affected customers will be advised when they may schedule service. As always, the Company urges all customers to use seat belts when operating or riding in any motor vehicle. Customers with questions may call the FCA US Customer Care Center at (800) 853-1403. View full article

G. David Felt - Staff Writer Alternative Energy - www.cheersandgears.com Hyundai and Kia possibly replacing 1.2 Million engines! According to a breaking story on King 5 News, Hyundai and Kia are recalling 1.2 million auto's for possible engine failure. 2013 - 2014 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport & Sonata 2011 - 2014 Kia Sportage & Sorento Company has stated that debri from manufacturing was possibly left in the engine that will restrict oil flow to connecting rod bearings that will increase temperatures and cause premature wear and failure on the bearings. Dealerships will inspect engines and if wear is detected, will replace the block if needed at no cost. The Detroit Free Press also has this story but states that the recall is 1.4 million as they are also including Canada and South Korea models affected in this recall.

Fiat Chrysler Automobiles announced yesterday that it would be recalling 1,908,911 vehicles worldwide due to the airbags and seatbelt pre-tensioners possibly not deploying in the event of a crash. Approximately 1.4 million vehicles involved in the recall are in the U.S. In a statement released by FCA, the issue deals with a specific restraint control module and front impact sensor wiring. "The condition may occur when vehicles equipped with a particular occupant restraint control module and front impact sensor wiring of a specific design, are involved in certain collisions. If all these factors are present, there may be an increased potential for occupant injury.” The vehicles involved include, 2010 Chrysler Sebring midsize car 2011-2014 Chrysler 200 midsize cars 2010-2012 Dodge Caliber compact car 2010-2014 Dodge Avenger midsize cars 2010-2014 Jeep® Patriot and Compass SUVs FCA says it is aware of three fatalities and five injuries possibly linked to this issue. The company has also said that it stopped using the affected parts and wire routing in newer vehicles. Fiat Chrysler Automobiles is currently working on a notification schedule to alert owners about the problem. If you have questions, you are asked to call FCA US Customer Care Center at 1-800-853-1403. FCA's recall comes a week after General Motors announced a similar recall for 4.3 million vehicles because of a software bug. Source: Reuters, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles Press Release is on Page 2 Statement: Occupant Restraint Controller September 15, 2016 , Auburn Hills, Mich. - FCA US LLC is voluntarily recalling an estimated 1.4 million vehicles in the U.S. to resolve a condition that may prevent air-bag and seat-belt pretensioner deployment capability in certain crashes. The condition may occur when vehicles equipped with a particular occupant restraint control module and front impact sensor wiring of a specific design, are involved in certain collisions. If all these factors are present, there may be an increased potential for occupant injury. This action was prompted by an FCA US analysis of certain field events and other vehicle data. The Company is aware of three fatalities and five injuries that may potentially be related to this condition. FCA US no longer uses the occupant restraint controllers or wire routing design found in the affected vehicles, which are: 2010 Chrysler Sebring midsize car 2011-2014 Chrysler 200 midsize cars 2010-2012 Dodge Caliber compact car 2010-2014 Dodge Avenger midsize cars 2010-2014 Jeep® Patriot and Compass SUVs An additional 142,959 of these vehicles are subject to recall in Canada; 81,901 in Mexico, a population that includes the 2010 Chrysler Cirrus compact car; and 284,051 outside North America, which also includes the 2012-2013 Lancia Flavia midsize car. FCA US will advise affected customers when they may schedule service, which will be performed free of charge. Customers with questions may call the FCA US Customer Care Center at (800) 853-1403. View full article

General Motors today announced a recall of 4.3 million vehicles globally with 3.64 million of those vehicles located in the US. The recall involves a software bug in the sensing and diagnostic module that could prevent the deployment of the front airbags in certain circumstances preceded by a specific series of events. Most of the vehicles involved are GM's recent trucks and large SUVs. The repair for this recall requires a software update and no physical parts are required for most vehicles. The following vehicles are affected by this recall: 2014 - 2016 Chevrolet SS, Spark EV / Buick Lacrosse 2014 - 2017 Chevrolet Corvette, Trax, Caprice, and Silverado 1500 / Buick Encore / GMC Sierra 1500 2015 - 2017 Chevrolet Tahoe, Suburban, Suburban HD / GMC Yukon, Yukon XL / Cadillac Escalade, Escalade ESV GM stated that it was originally made aware of the problem in May 2016 via an internal Speak Up program that encourages employees to report potential safety issues in its vehicles. GM received a report that a 2014 Silverado involved in a crash did not deploy its front airbags or seat-belt pretensioners. The investigation started on June 7th and GM spent the next several weeks working with Delphi, the supplier of the part, and investigating other possible incidents with similarities to the original report. Owners of the above vehicles can check their VIN in the NHTSA Database or on the GM Website. Source: GM Media and Automotive News View full article