Chrysler Group and Volkswagen are the latest automakers to be affected by defective ignition switches that make airbags inoperative. Only in this recall the supplier is not Delphi, which supplied GM, but a company called Methode Electronics of Golden, IL. Methode has design and manufacturing facilities in China. Almost 1,000,000 vehicles are affected, if the drivers’ knee hits the key fob the engine shuts off.
Chrysler will notify owners in September 2014. The fix for this recall is still under development. Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 1-800-853-1403. Chrysler’s number for this recall is P41. NHTSA forced this one with an information request based on the number of complains it received. Chrysler said it is aware of one accident.
On 2009 VW Routan models (as well as 2005-2007 Jeep models) if the ignition switches move into the Off or Accessory position, the engine will turn shut down, which then depowers various key safety systems including – but not limited to air bags, power steering, and power braking. Loss of these systems may increase the risk of crash and/or increase the risk of injury in the event of a crash. This recall at VW is an expansion of a previous NHTSA Recall No. 11V-151. The Routan is a re-badged Chrysler minivan.
In a separate VW recall, 2009-2014 Tiguan vehicles manufactured from July 2007 to June 2014 have a defective fuel pump. When using winterized fuel bubbles may form in the fuel system which could result in the vehicle stalling. More than 151,000 vehicles are affected.
About Ken Zino
Ken Zino, editor and publisher of AutoInformed, is a versatile auto industry participant with global experience spanning decades in print and broadcast journalism, as well as social media. He has automobile testing, marketing, public relations and communications experience. He is past president of The International Motor Press Assn, the Detroit Press Club, founding member and first President of the Automotive Press Assn. He is a member of APA, IMPA and the Midwest Automotive Press Assn.
He also brings an historical perspective while citing their contemporary relevance of the work of legendary auto writers such as Ken Purdy, Jim Dunne or Jerry Flint, or writers such as Red Smith, Mark Twain, Thomas Jefferson – all to bring perspective to a chaotic automotive universe.
Above all, decades after he first drove a car, Zino still revels in the sound of the exhaust as the throttle is blipped during a downshift and the driver’s rush that occurs when the entry, apex and exit points of a turn are smoothly and swiftly crossed. It’s the beginning of a perfect lap.
AutoInformed has an editorial philosophy that loves transportation machines of all kinds while promoting critical thinking about the future use of cars and trucks.
Zino builds AutoInformed from his background in automotive journalism starting at Hearst Publishing in New York City on Motor and MotorTech Magazines and car testing where he reviewed hundreds of vehicles in his decade-long stint as the Detroit Bureau Chief of Road & Track magazine. Zino has also worked in Europe, and Asia – now the largest automotive market in the world with China at its center.
