Category Archives: quality

2016 Reliability Study – Ford F150 Not Recommended

Fiat-Chrysler continue to be a depressing example of Detroit’s lack of quality or care for its customers. The Fiat 500L, the most defect-prone new car for the past two years, is now only the seventh-most troublesome. No Fiat or Ram vehicle managed even an average reliability rating. Continue reading

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Chinese-Made Junk – HAUS Mosquito Zapper, Toys R Us Pacifier

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission said today that Chinese made HAUS Mosquito Zapper LED Light Bulbs pose and electrical shock hazard. The firm has received two reports of the bulb separating from the connector. No injuries or property damage have been reported. In addition, Toys ‘R’ Us is recalling Chinese-made Pacifier Clips due to choking hazard because the clip’s spring mechanism can break and release small parts. Continue reading

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Polaris – Stop-Ride/Stop-Sale for Fires on Off-Road Vehicles

Polaris Industries (NYSE: PII) is issuing a stop-ride/stop-sale advisory, pending a formal recall for 2016 RZR Turbo off-road vehicles. Continue reading

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Kia Recalls Sedona Minivans for Suspension Failures

In a move approved by NHTSA – but much decreed by critics – it’s a regional recall. Continue reading

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Volkswagen Recalls e-Golf for Shutting Off

Volkswagen Group of America is recalling 5561 model-year 2015-2016 e-Golf electric vehicles because diagnostics for the high-voltage battery management system may falsely detect an electrical surge shutting the electric drive motor suddenly. Continue reading

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Only Two Detroit Vehicles Make Consumer Reports Top Picks

The Chevrolet Impala ($39,110) repeated as the Top Pick in the Large Car category, and joins the Ford F-150 ($51,630-$57,565) as the only Detroit Three winners this year. Continue reading

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Honda Recalls Expand Nationwide for Bad Takata Inflators

With this new Takata recall, ~ 8.51 million Honda and Acura vehicles have been or now are subject to replacement of a Takata driver and/or passenger front airbag inflator in the United States. Continue reading

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Mercedes-Benz Recalls C, GLK for Sudden Airbag Explosions

The safety defect is caused by a manufacturing error at its supplier Continental that causes semiconductors in the air bag control unit to corrode and cause the control unit to malfunction. Continue reading

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432k Focus, C-MAX, Escape Recalls for Bad Ignition Switch

In these defective vehicles, among the best sellers at Ford, it is possible for the engine to continue running after turning the ignition key to the “off” position and removing the key. Continue reading

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Chrysler Expands Takata Recall Nationally

Chrysler Group is expanding its current regional recall of Takata PSDI-4 driver airbag inflators to all 50 U.S. States and Federalized Territories at the request of NHTSA. Continue reading

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More Chrysler Group Recalls on Dodge and Jeep SUVs

A week after Chrysler Group’s dismal finish on the initial quality survey from Consumer Reports and the firing of its head of quality control, the company is recalling its best-selling Dodge Durango and Jeep Grand Cherokee models for defective airbags and malfunctioning electronic stability controls. More 250,000 are involved in the latest, supplier- caused quality problems. Continue reading

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Infotainment Systems Continue to be Troublesome. Duh

While so-called infotainment systems and their associated in-car electronics are a growing reliability “plague” for many brands, there are still plenty of bad cars out there with problematic traditional systems. Mechanical parts remain troublesome at many makers, according to the … Continue reading

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Say It Ain’t So! GM Recalls 500,000 Cadillac, Chevy, Saabs

GM CEO Mary Barra’s claim that GM recalls are behind it was mocked today by two more recalls covering half a million vehicles including 2015 Cadillac SRX models. Continue reading

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Huge Toyota Tacoma Pickup Corrosion Recall

Toyota claimed it is not aware of any fires, crashes, injuries or fatalities associated with its latest safety defect that it has told NHTSA about in its required legal filing. However, NHTSA has several hair-raising complaints from Tacoma owners about incidents. Continue reading

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Automakers Flub Launch of High Tech Vehicles, IQS Shows

The latest IQS or quality data revealed today at the Automotive Press Association meeting in Detroit shows that the number of problems experienced by new-vehicle owners has increased from the previous year, as automakers continue to have severe problems with complicated technologies now being deployed in new vehicles. Continue reading

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