Air Bag Control Module Failure

The following vehicles have been recalled by their respective manufacturers for the failure of the air bag control module and its ability to respond to electronic noise.  The response causes the air bag(s) to suddenly deploy increasing the risk of injury and crash.

2003-2004 Honda Odyssey manufactured between February 13, 2002 to August 13, 2004

2003 Acura MDX manufactured between February 21, 2002 and September 23, 2003

2002-2003 Jeep Liberty manufactured between January 9, 2001 and March 28, 2003

2002-2004 Jeep Cherokee manufactured between February 13, 2001 and May 23, 2003

2003-2004 Dodge Viper manufactured between November 1, 2001 and June 30, 2004

2003-2004 Toyota Corolla manufactured between December 28, 2001 and May 2, 2004

2003-2004 Toyota Corolla Matrix manufactured between January 6, 2002 and April 29, 2004

2003-2004 Avalon manufactured between June 5, 2002 and December 20, 2004

2003-2004 Pontiac Vibe manufactured between January 18, 2002 and April 27, 2004

For additional information, owners can contact manufacturers as follows:

Honda customer Service 1-800-999-1009         Chrysler customer service 1-800853-1403

Toyota customer service 1-800-331-4331          Pontiac customer service 1-800-620-7668

Nissan Rogue Recall

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Nissan North America is recalling 2008 – 2013 Nissan Rogue vehicles. These vehicles were manufactured between March 7, 2007 and November 26, 2013. Nissan is also recalling its 2014 Nissan Rogue Select vehicles, manufactured between September 23, 2013 and July 2, 2014. Due to the infiltration of ice, snow and salt through the carpet on the driver’s side of the floor, these vehicles can experience an electrical short circuit in a wiring harness connector located in the kick panel. The short circuit can result in a fire. Nissan dealers will inspect the wiring harness connector and if necessary, replace the harness connector free of charge. For additional information, owners can contact Nissan Customer service by calling 1-800-647-7261.

Low SEER HVAC Units Still Available

As of January 1 of this year, all air conditioning unit manufacturers are required to discontinue manufacturing a/c units with SEER ratings below 14. The minimum SEER rating available is now 14. This means that surplus inventory might be available for installed costs less than what the same size unit with a higher SEER rating would cost. If you are considering the replacement of your HVAC unit, be sure to ask your dealer if units with SEER ratings below 14 might be available. Be sure to also get several bids with different unit brands so that you can get the best price for your job. For those not familiar with SEER ratings, SEER stands for Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio. This number is a measure of the efficiency of a cooling unit during the cooling season; the higher the number, the higher the efficiency. Currently, a/c units are commonly available in SEER ranges from 14 to 16.