More About Hyundai and Kia Engine Fires

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has announced that it is continuing its investigation of engine fires in Hyundai and Kia vehicles.  NHTSA has reportedly opened a new engineering analysis that covers in excess of 3 million vehicles.  It should be noted that some of the vehicles have already been recalled.  The vehicles in question are 2011 through 2016 Hyundai Elantra, Santa Fe and Sonata; and, Kia Optima, Rio, Sorento, and Soul.  These are the same engine problems that were reported in September of 2020 and again in January and May of 2021 on our blog.  All of the vehicles involved in the investigation are equipped with one of the following engines: Theta II GDI, Theta II MPI, Theta II MPI Hybrid, NU GDI, and Gamma GDI. For additional information, owners can visit NHTSA’s website at www.nhtsa.gov or contact their Hyundai/Kia dealer.       

Hyundai Recalls Vehicles Due to Fire Risk

Hyundai Motor America has recalled approximately one half million vehicles as a result of engine problems that pose a fire risk.  The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has announced that approximately 380,000 Kia Soul and Sportage vehicles will be recalled by Hyundai.  The Kia Soul vehicles are equipped with 1.6 liter engines and can operate at higher than normal exhaust gas temperatures due to abnormal combustion.  The elevated exhaust temperatures can damage the catalytic converter as well as ignite combustible material such as oil, fuel and plastic.  The affected year models are 2012 through 2016.  NHTSA has also announced that Hyundai is recalling approximately 120,000 Tucson vehicles for a potential oil pan leak.  The Kia Sportage is also being recalled for this same problem.  Oil leakage in the presence of an ignition source, such as a hot engine, can pose a fire hazard risk.  The affected year models are 2011 through 2012 for the Sportage and 2011 through 2013 for Tucson vehicles.

For additional information, owners can contact Hyundai Motor America at 855-671-3059 or visiting https://hyundaiengineinfo.com.

Fire Hazard Prompts Ford to Recall 2 Million F-150s

The National Highway Safety Administration, NHTSA, has announced that Ford has recalled approximately 2 million F-150 pick up trucks.  The recall applies to 2015 -2018 F-150 regular and super crew cab pick up trucks.  The seatbelt pretensioner can generate sparks when activated during a sudden stop.  The sparks can ignite flammable material located inside the “B” pillar post including carpeting and insulation.  Ford has also identified the manufacturers of the seatbelts.  Joyson supplied the seatbelts for the 2015 to 2017 models while ZF supplied the belts for the 2018 year models.  Approximately 1.62 million vehicles were sold in the United States, 340,000 vehicles were sold in Canada and 37,000 were sold in Mexico.  The recall is expected to begin on September 24, 2018 with Ford notifying owners.  The Ford recall identification number for this recall is 18S27.  NHTSA’s campaign number is 18V568000.  For additional information, consumers can contact Ford by calling 1-866-436-7332 or visiting Ford’s website at www.ford.com.

 

 

 

GM Recalls 2014 Silverado and Sierra Trucks

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) announced on June 29, 2017 that General Motors is recalling 2014 Silverado and GMC Sierra trucks. According to NHTSA, 690,685 vehicles in the United States are involved.  The problem with these vehicles is that the electric power steering assist can fail increasing the risk of a crash.  At this time, neither NHTSA or General Motors is providing any details about the specific problem.  NHTSA has also indicated that GM has not yet scheduled a date when notification letters to owners would be mailed.  For additional information, owners can contact General Motors customer service by calling 1-800-222-1020.  Similarly, GMC owners can call 1-800-432-8782 for answers to their questions.  In both cases, owners will need to reference GM recall # 17276.

Honda Accord Recall

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has announced that Honda has recalled 1,148,550 vehicles because of a battery fire hazard. More specifically, the recall is for 2013-2016 Honda Accords.  The problem is that a battery sensor, when wet, will short circuit and can ignite.  Honda will begin notifying owners by sending out an initial notification letters beginning July 31, 2017, since parts are not yet available.  The letter will instruct owners to take their vehicles to their Honda dealer and that the dealer will replace the battery sensor free of charge.  Owners should also know that the NHTSA campaign number is 17V418000 and the Honda recall number is KGO.  Lastly, for additional information owners can contact American Honda Customer Support by calling 1-888-234-2138.

Mercedes Benz Recall

Mercedes Benz has announced that they are recalling approximately 354,434 vehicles due to a problem with a current limiter that can be a fire hazard.  The situation is such that the vehicle starter can draw a high current as a result of engine or transmission damage.  If the starter is blocked for whatever reason, the current limiter can overheat as attempts are made to start the vehicle.  Subsequent melting of the current limiter and ignition can result.  The problem applies to certain vehicles manufactured between February of 2015 and February 2017. The affected vehicles include  CLA, GLA, C- CLASS, E – CLASS, and GLC vehicles.  For additional information owners can contact Mercedes Benz by calling 1-800367-6372.  In addition, owners can also visit the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s (NHTSA) website at http://www.nhtsa.gov and search for recall number 17V-114.  The repair encompasses the addition of a fused circuit to prevent any future occurrences.  At the present time, replacement parts are not available and won’t be available until July 2017 at the earliest.

Fiat Chrysler Recalls

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has announced on its website that Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) has recalled approximately 11 million vehicles for various defects. NHTSA has also listed the vehicles, the reason for the recall, and the NHTSA recall number.  The list has been reproduced below.  Owners of the suspect vehicles should review the list to see if their vehicle is part of one or more recalls.  If a recall is identified, owners should then take their vehicle to their Fiat Chrysler dealer for confirmation and then to obtain information on how the vehicle will be repaired.  The information that owners should receive include when the vehicle will be scheduled for repair, what work will be done, and how long the vehicle will be out of service.  Although the work to repair a recalled vehicle usually will not involve any cost to the owner, owners need to make sure that they do not have to pay for any “additional” or “disposable” items. Such items would include shop supplies like rags or the disposal of oil.  For additional information, owners can visit the NHSTA website at www.nhtsa.com and perform a search (under recalls) for the vehicle in question.  The vehicles involved in the recall are:

Vehicle can exceed speed rating of tires, NHTSA recall # 15V-290

2014-2015 Ram 4500 and 5500 equipped with 6.4 L Hemi engines

 

Lack of brake power assist, NHTSA recall # 14V-154

2011-2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee

2011-2014 Dodge Durango

 

Fuel heater leak, NHTSA recall # 14V-635

2010-2014 Ram 2500, 3500, 4500 and 5500

 

Loosening of rear axle pinion nut, NHTSA recall #13V-038 & 14V-796

2009 Chrysler Aspen

2009 Dodge Durango

2009-2012 Dodge Ram 1500

2009-2011 Dodge Dakota

2005 Dodge Ram 1500

 

Failure of rear fuel tank structure, NHTSA recall # 13V-252

2009 Chrysler Aspen

2009 Dodger Durango

2009-2012 Dodge Ram 1500

2009-2011 Dodge Dakota

 

Failure of left tie rod assembly, NHTSA recall # 13V-527, 13V-528 & 13V529

2008-2012 Dodge Ram 4500

2008-2012 Dodge Ram 5500

2006-2008 Dodge Ram 1500

2003-2012 Dodge Ram 2500

2003-2012 Dodge Ram 3500

 

Inadvertent ignition switch movement, NHTSA recall # 14V-373, 14V-438 and 14V-567

2008-2010 Chrysler Town and Country

2008-2010 Dodge Grand Caravan

2009-2010 Dodge Journey

2006-2008 Jeep Commander

2005-2008 Jeep Grand Cherokee

2008 Chrysler 300

2008 Dodge Charger

2008 Dodge Magnum

 

Sudden alternator failure, NHTSA recall # 14V-634

2011-2014 Chrysler 300

2011-2014 Dodge Challenger

2011-2014 Dodge Charger

2011-2014 Dodge Durango

2012-2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee

 

Vanity lamp short circuit fire hazard, NHTSA recall # 14V-391

2011-2014 Dodge Durango

2011-2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee

 

Inoperative instrument cluster, NHTSA recall # 14V-749

2015 Dodge Challenger

 

Broken springs in clutch ignition interlock switch, NHTSA recall # 14V-795

2006-2007 Dodge Dakota

2006 Mitsubishi Raider

2006-2007 Dodge Ram 1500

2006-2007 Dodge Ram 2500

2006-2007 Dodge Ram 3500

 

Defective air bag inflators, NHTSA recall # 15V-313

2004-2007 Dodge Durango

2005-2007 Dodge Magnum

2004-2007 Dodge Ram 1500

2005-2007 Dodge Ram 2500

2006-2007 Dodge Ram 3500

2006-2007 Mitsubishi Raider

2005-2007 Chrysler 300 and Chrysler 300C

2007 Chrysler Aspen

2005-2007 Chrysler SRT8

2005-2007 Dodge Charger

2005-2007 Dodge Dakota

 

Side air bag deployment, NHTSA recall # 15V-041

2014-2015 Jeep Grand Cherokee

 

Inadvertant air bag deployment, NHTSA recall # 15V-046

2003-2004 Dodge Viper

2002-2004 Jeep Grand Cherokee

2002-2203 Jeep Liberty

 

Broken parking pawl, NHTSA recall # 15V-090

2005 Chrysler 200

 

Fuel Leak, NHTSA recall # 15V-114

2015 Dodge Challenger

2015 Dodge Charger

 

Fuel pump relay failure, NHTSA recall # 15V-115

2012-2013 Dodge Durango

2012-2013 Jeep Grand Cherokee

 

Driver and passenger door latch failure, NHTSA recall # 15V-178

2013-2014 Dodge Viper

 

 

 

 

 

 

Takata Air Bag Recall, Part 2

Back in May of this year, it was announced that Takata had recalled its air bags used in several different vehicle manufacturer’s vehicles.  According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), Takata has extended that recall to include 19 million vehicles from 12 manufacturers.  The current list of manufacturers includes BMW, Honda, Mazda, Chrysler, Mitsubishi, Nissan, Daimler Trucks North America, Daimler Vans USA, Subaru, Ford, Toyota, and General Motors.  Owners are advised to go to www.safercar.gov and click on the “Takata Recall” button on the toolbar to see of their specific vehicle is on the list of those recalled.  Note that the list is extensive and should be reviewed carefully.  The website also offers owners an option to enter their vehicle identification numbers to check for recalls.  The vehicle identification number can be found on most vehicles on the lower left corner of the windshield or the manufacturers sticker located on the inside edge of the driver’s side door or pillar.  The vehicle identification number is a seventeen digit number unique to each vehicle.  Owners can also check with their dealers for recall information.

Buick Lacrosse Fires Caused by Faulty HDM Module?

During a recent investigation, it was learned that there have a number of complaints (posted on–line) concerning the inadvertent failure of headlights in Buick Lacrosse vehicles. The vehicle that we were working on was a 2009 year model but, the problem is apparently in 2007 year models as well. Basically, the complaint centers on drivers noticing that their headlights are going out for no reason while driving at night. Sometimes the headlights will come back on. The problem is not as noticeable during the day if the headlights are also used as day running lights. In the case that was investigated, a small fire erupted in the fuse block and specifically the HDM (Headlight Drivers Module) module. As a result, the wiring harness that is connected to the HDM module was also damaged and had to be replaced. It was later learned that headlight failure was also a symptom that had occurred at an earlier time. Although the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has recorded 13 complaints regarding 2009 Buick Lacrosse Vehicles, four complaints are directly related. As of the date of this blog entry, no recall for the HDM modules has been issued by NHTSA or General Motors.

Silly Little Key Fob

NHTSA has announced that Subaru is recalling 2010-2012 Legacy and Outback, 2012-2013 Impreza and 2013 XV Crosstrek vehicles. The Legacy and Outback vehicles were equipped with either an automatic or CVT transmission and an audiovox remote engine starter accessory; the other vehicles were equipped with a CVT transmission and audiovox remote engine starter accessory. The problem wth all of these vehicles is that each has a key fob and if that key fob is dropped, it can start the car without the owner’s knowledge. Imagine getting back to your car and finding the engine running! On the other hand, it is possible for the car to run out of gas. Imagine getting back to your car and wondering where your gas went. If you’re lucky, the engine will shut down after 15 minutes (as it is supposed to do) and save you some gas. Subaru is supposed to replace the fobs free of charge, starting at the end of April. For additional information, owners can contact Subaru by calling 1-800-782-2783. Subaru’s campaign number is WQF-42.