Safety defect recalls are now active for Audi, Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, Dodge, Ford, Jeep, Lincoln, Nissan, and Volkswagen in what has become an ongoing industry-wide scramble since NHTSA – embarrassed by its lack of regulatory oversight on the Toyota unintended acceleration and GM ignition switch debacles – started enforcing U.S. safety regulations and assessing fines and penalties on automakers.
At Audi 2015 A3 vehicles have bad nickel plating of parts within the fuel pump that can caused the fuel pump to quit. If the fuel pump fails, the expensive small car will not start, or if the engine is running, it will stop and the Audi will stall, increasing the risk of a crash.
At Buick 2004 Regal models need a new spark plug wire retainer to redirect the dripping oil. Regals with the 3.8-liter V6 supercharged engine will also have the left valve cover gasket replaced.
Cadillac is conducting a regional recall – much criticized by safety advocates for the limited scope of such defect remedies that doesn’t fix the defect on all cars – for bad brake lines on 2004-2007 Cadillac CTS-V cars. CTS-V models currently registered, or originally sold, in Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, West Virginia, Wisconsin and the District of Columbia are recalled. In the affected Cadillacs snow or water containing road salt or other contaminants may corrode the foreign-built front brake hose fitting at the caliper. This is the sequel to model year 2003-2007 CTS vehicles which were previously recalled (Safety Recall 09149B or NHTSA 10V-105). This prior safety recall was conducted in 2009 for front brake hose corrosion on model year 2003-2007 Cadillac CTS vehicles in “corrosion-susceptible areas.”
Chevrolet Impala and Monte Carlo 2004 models have the same leak / fire problem described under Buick above.
Ford Motor now has a safety recall for 390,000 2012-2014 Ford Fiesta and 2013-2014 Ford Fusion and Lincoln MKZ vehicles in North America because of bad door latches The door latch in these vehicles can have a broken pawl spring tab, which means the door will not latch. If a customer is then able to latch the door, the door may unlatch while driving, increasing the risk of injury. Ford claims it is aware of two allegations of soreness resulting from an unlatched door bouncing back when the customer attempted to close it, and one, alleged, accident when an unlatched door swung open and struck an adjacent vehicle as the driver was pulling into a parking space.
Jeep and Dodge are recalling 44,000 2006 Jeep Liberty and Wrangler SUVs and Dodge Viper cars with manual transmissions to replace their clutch ignition interlock switches in an expansion of an earlier recall for bad wiring. Affected customers will be notified when they may schedule service. In the interim, FCA says customers should follow recommended procedures for starting their vehicles – activating the parking brake, placing the shift lever in neutral and pressing the clutch pedal before turning the ignition key.
Nissan is recalling model year 2006 Sentra compacts in geographic locations associated with high absolute humidity in the ongoing Takata airbag inflator disaster that sends shrapnel into occupants. Sentras sold, or currently registered, in Puerto Rico, Hawaii, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, Saipan, American Samoa, Florida and adjacent counties in southern Georgia, as well as the coastal areas of Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas are. Upon deployment of the passenger side frontal air bag, excessive internal pressure may cause the inflator to rupture. (NHTSA keeps pressing for a national recall of all affected vehicles.)
Volkswagen 2015 Golf and GTI econoboxes have the same bad nickel-plating of parts within the fuel pump listed under Audi. Volkswagen is also recalling model year 2009 and 2010 Routan minivans built by Chrysler because the ingtion switch may move out of the ‘run’ position, turning off the engine. This is an expansion of VW safety recall 28G1.
Owners can contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.safercar.gov.
