Category Archives: quality

By the Seat of Their Pants – Premium Seats Lag in Quality?

Posted on 23 September 2026 by Ken Zino

Along with findings from the JD Power 2026 U.S. APEAL Study, which show premium brands no longer hold a clear advantage across key ownership attributes, this year’s results reveal that mass market brands now outperform premiums in seat satisfaction Continue reading →

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Chrysler Recalls 97,349 Jeeps for Flying Roof Racks

Posted on 21 September 2026 by Ken Zino

Chrysler is recalling more than 97,000 model year 2022-2026 Jeeps for roof racks flying off. Continue reading →

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F-Series Fuel Tanks Falling Out – Ford Recalls 223,472 Pickups

Posted on 14 September 2026 by Ken Zino

Ford Motor is recalling model-year 2023-2027 F-Series pickups because the fuel tank may be incorrectly secured and leak fuel, or detach from the vehicle while driving. Continue reading →

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Triumph Motorcycles Recalls TF450 Models

Posted on 12 September 2026 by Ken Zino

Triumph Motorcycles is recalling 2025 and 2026 Triumph TF450 Closed Course Competition Motorcycles because of the  risk of serious injury or death from a crash hazard. The engine rocker arm on the recalled motorcycles can seize or stick and the exhaust valves can remain open or break. Continue reading →

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Chrysler Recalls 239,000 Ram Pickups for Camera Failures

Posted on 7 September 2026 by Ken Zino

  A radio software error may cause the rearview camera image to fail. No driver warning occurs. Continue reading →

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Ford Recalls 150,000 Mustangs for Sudden Drive Power Loss

Posted on 7 September 2026 by Ken Zino

“In affected vehicles, the engine compartment wiring harness ground eyelet terminals may experience fatigue fracture. Depending on which ground eyelet fractures, this condition may result in a loss of motive power, loss of right and/or left headlamps, loss of windshield washer fluid pump function, loss of air conditioning, and/or an inoperable engine cooling fan,” Ford said in the mandatory safety defect recall filing made public by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) this morning. Continue reading →

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Toyota Recalls Tacoma and Tacoma Hybrid Pickup Trucks

Posted on 25 August 2026 by Ken Zino

“The subject vehicles are equipped with front and rear shock absorbers that have an external oil reservoir attached to the shock absorber using a welded flange of a certain length. The untreated metal surfaces between the flange, reservoir, and the shock absorber can corrode over time due to moisture intrusion. The corrosion buildup can create an expansive force on the welds securing the reservoir to the shock absorber, which can lead to weld failure.

“In some cases, the reservoir can detach from the shock absorber. If the reservoir detaches while driving, it can create a road hazard, potentially increasing the risk of a crash or an injury to another road user,” Toyota said in the mandatory recall filing made public by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Continue reading →

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Software Recall – 500,000 Toyota Camry Hybrids

Posted on 17 August 2026 by Ken Zino

Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (NYSE: TM, 7203T) is recalling more than 500,000 model year 2025-2026 Camry Hybrid vehicles. The Visteon Corporation Mexican-built instrument cluster display may fail during vehicle startup.

“The subject vehicles are equipped with a 7-inch display combination meter, which controls certain vehicle functions and displays various information in the instrument panel. At vehicle startup, an error may occur in the startup sequence for this combination meter that can cause the combination meter to become blank,” Toyota said in the mandatory safety defect recall filing made public this morning by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Continue reading →

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Seat Belt Recalls – Alfa Romeo Tonales and Dodge Hornets

Posted on 10 August 2026 by Ken Zino

Chrysler (aka FCA US) is recalling ~49,000 model year 2023-2025 Dodge Hornet and 2023-2026 Alfa Romeo Tonale vehicles. The rear outboard seat belts may become twisted and fail to retract properly. No warning is given before the failure.*

“Seat belts that do not freely retract or maintain tension do not provide the designed occupant restraint function, which can increase the risk of injury to occupants during certain types of crashes, FCA US told the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), which made the recall public this morning. FCA US will conduct a voluntary safety recall to replace the rear outboard seat belt retractors from Autoliv ASP. The remedy component is a new seat belt retractor. Dealers will replace the retractors, free of charge as required by Federal Motor Vehicle Safety regulations. Continue reading →

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Brawley GTS ROVS Recalled for Sudden Acceleration

Posted on 10 August 2026 by Ken Zino

“Consumers should stop using their vehicles immediately and contact Vanderhall North America for instructions on how to update their vehicles to at least firmware version 7.1.0 through the Vanderhall customer mobile app. The updated software was released on 15 April 2026, and can be identified by the Vanderhall logo. Owners requiring assistance updating their firmware should contact their dealer or Vanderhall directly for assistance,” Vanderhall said in a recall filing released by the Consumer Product Safety Commission. Continue reading →

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J.D. Power 2026 APEAL Scores Rise Again

Posted on 24 July 2026 by Ken Zino

“Automakers have made real progress in reducing problems, but JD Power data makes it clear that quality alone isn’t enough,” said Frank Hanley, senior director of auto benchmarking at JD Power. “Owners are most enthusiastic when their vehicle not only works reliably but also feels thoughtfully designed and offers comfortable interiors, useful storage and technology that’s easy to live with. The brands that get both sides of that equation right see the strongest advocacy from their customers.” Continue reading →

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Jeep Grand Wagoneer, Grand Wagoneer L Brake Recalls

Posted on 14 July 2026 by Ken Zino

Chrysler* (FCA US) is recalling ~120,000 2026 model year Jeep Grand Wagoneer and Jeep Grand Wagoneer L SUVs. The brake system control module software may cause a loss of electronic stability control and a loss of electronic brake assist. These SUVs go not comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard numbers 126, “Electronic Stability Control Systems” and 135, “Light Vehicle Brake Systems.” The supplier is ZF group. Continue reading →

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Ford Mustang Recalls – Sudden Power Loss, Washer/Wipers

Posted on 13 July 2026 by Ken Zino

Ford Motor Company (NYSE: F)) is recalling ~43,000 2021-2023 model-year Mustang Mach E vehicles for powertrain [primary drive unit or PDU- AutoCrat] failures. It is also recalling 2024-2026 Mustang and 2025-2026 Mustang GTD models for defective wiper and washer systems. All told ~111,000 Mustangs are affected. The most serious safety defect is a powertrain failure (NHTSA recall 26V417 or 26V-417, Ford 26S50) that results from Mexican supplied Borg Warner PDU for the 2021-2023 Mustang Mach E. The rear-wheel drive vehicles a rear differential pinion shaft may fracture without warning. Continue reading →

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Park Outside! Kia Recalls ~463,000 Telluride Models for Fires

Posted on 13 July 2026 by Ken Zino

“Owners are advised to park outside and away from structures until the recall repair is complete,” Kia said in the mandatory safety defect filing that the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) made public this morning. Continue reading →

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Honda Recalls ~326,000 Odysseys for Bad Rearview Cameras

Posted on 8 July 2026 by Ken Zino

“The defect was caused by two contributing factors. First, the specification for the rearview camera housing boss hole was inadequate for the mounting screw. Second, due to variations in the positioning of the housing on the assembly jig, the mounting screw is susceptible to being misaligned during assembly. As a result, the stress generated during screw fastening exceeded the material strength of the boss, causing it to crack. Through environmental exposure (thermal expansion/freezing of trapped water), these cracks can expand, allowing water to penetrate the interior of the assembly,” Honda told NHTSA. [This causes the printed circuit board (PCB) to corrode and fail – AutoCrat.] Continue reading →

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