Toyota is recalling more than 6 million vehicles that could potentially catch fire due to an improperly lubricated power window switch.

Toyota Motor Corporation issued a recall of 6.5 million vehicles with defective power window switches. The recalled models include Yaris/Vitz subcompact, Corolla, Camry and others.

Debris caught in the window switch could short circuit, overheat and cause a fire.

Recall Details

An incorrectly lubricated power window switch is a fire hazard.
Image: Hapamoto

The recall includes 2.7 million North American cars, 1.2 million European cars and 600,000 cars sold in Japan. Toyota has not received any reports of incidents related to the recall.

During the manufacturing process, the power window switch was incorrectly lubricated.

The improper lubrication could allow debris to accumulate and cause a short circuit. The switch assembly could then overheat and melt, which is a fire hazard.

The other models included in the recall are the Matrix, RAV4, Highlander, Tundra, Sequoia and Scion xB. The vehicles were produced between January 2005 and December 2010.

The company is only recalling models manufactured in certain years:

• 2007 and 2009 Camry and Camry Hybrid
• 2009-2011 Corolla
• 2008-2011 Highlander and Highlander Hybrid
• 2009-2011 Matrix
• 2006-2011 RAV4
• 2009-2011 Sequoia
• 2009-2011 Tundra
• 2006-2010 Yaris
• 2009-2011 Scion xB
• 2009-2010 Scion xD

Recall Solution

Toyota asserts that safety is a priority.
Image: Home and Garden Blog

“Toyota previously recalled certain 2007-2009 model year vehicles for a similar condition. This Safety Recall adds vehicles not previously involved in the prior action that utilized an alternative lubricant application method,” according to Toyota’s recall statement.

Toyota will notify consumers with affected vehicles by mail, after which Toyota dealers will inspect the switch. Dealers will decide if lubricating the switch with heat-resistant grease is enough to remedy the problem. If not, dealers will replace the internal circuit board.

The company can be reached by phone at 1-800-331-4331. More information about the recall can be found by visiting toyota.com/recall.

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Volkswagen has been the topic of a recent scandal for knowingly cheating vehicle emissions tests.

Volkswagen admitted to falsifying vehicle emission tests for diesel-powered engines, leaving an estimated 11 million cars under scrutiny.

Affected Volkswagen owners who have been mislead may be entitled to compensation. Click here to find out.

The instance of cheating has undoubtedly damaged the Volkswagen reputation. In the wake of the scandal, Germany launched a criminal investigation into former Volkswagen CEO Martin Winterkorn as he steps down for new leadership.

How Many Cars Are Affected?

The scandal is most prominently related to Volkswagen’s Audi brand.
Image: Blogspot

The reputation of Audi, VW’s luxury brand, was greatly impacted by the scandal. The manufacturer admits that about 2.1 million Audi vehicles are equipped with the cheating device that allowed the German car maker to falsify emission tests.

In the U.S., 13,000 vehicles contain fraudulent emissions readers, along with  577,000 in Germany. The number is even greater in Western Europe, with about 1.42 million cars possessing the cheating software.

About 11,600 of the affected models are 2010 to 2013 A3 TDIs, which were marketed as possessing the company’s first “clean diesel” engine. Ironically enough, the Audi A3 TDI was awarded the Green Car of the Year in 2010.

About 2,400 A3 TDIs manufactured in 2015 use a different method to reduce emissions but are still equipped with the cheating device.

The 3.0-liter V6 diesel engine used on the A6, Q5, and Q7 models in the U.S. is not included in the scandal.

“An internal evaluation on Friday established that a service procedure is required for some five million vehicles from the Volkswagen Passenger Cars brand out of a total eleven million Group vehicles worldwide,” the company said in a statement.

“These vehicles from certain models and model years (such as the sixth generation Volkswagen Golf, the seventh generation Volkswagen Passat or the first generation Volkswagen Tiguan) are fitted with Type EA 189 diesel engines. All vehicles are technically safe and roadworthy.”

A Recovery Plan In The Works

Former Volkswagen CEO Martin Winterkorn has stepped down to allow Porsche boss Matthias Mueller to take over.
Image: Inhabitat

On Sept. 28, German officials announced an official investigation into former CEO Martin Winterkorn.

But Winkerton’s mistakes have consequences that extend far beyond himself. Germany’s Deputy Finance Minister Jens Saphn said the scandal could be a serious detriment to the country’s economy, according to Reuters.

Volkswagen is not only Germany’s biggest car manufacturer. The company employs a large portion of the workforce, numbering at about 270,000 employees.

“Volkswagen is a core pillar of German engineering and for something like this to happen is a strong blow,” he said. “Getting this reputation thing resolved is going to be a herculean task.”

Wiknerton stepped down to allow Porsche boss Matthias Mueller to take the reins and attempt to propel the company to recovery mode.

Audi is currently working to release a recall plan to address the situation. The German Federal Motor Transport Authority has set Oct. 7 as the official deadline for a recall plan to be submitted.

The company plans “to get in front of the EPA and California Air Resources Board as soon as possible,” according to an Audi spokesman.

Impact on Volkswagen

The scandal has instilled fear in the hearts of Volkswagen investors, who question if recovery is possible.
Image: Amazon

Volkswagen is a 78-year-old conglomerate that continued to grow after purchasing Toyota at the beginning of 2015. The company has boasted the largest market share for automotive sales, but many are wondering how the scandal will play out.

“It is clearly a massive blow to the reputation of the company,” Christian Ludwig, automotive analyst at Bankhaus Lampe told CNBC.

Two weeks ago, market shares fell by 30 percent. On Sept. 28, they dropped again by 7 percent. The recent scandal is the largest in the company’s history, leaving many investors to wonder if recovery is even possible.

“My biggest fear is that the amount of money we are talking about, the 6.5 billion euros ($7.3 billion) that has provisioned for, is a smaller amount than Volkswagen will probably have to pay,” Juergen Pieper, head of automotive research at Bankhaus Metzler, told CNBC.

“My second concern is the duration of this scandal – it will probably take years before it sorts out all this and there’s the reputational damage too,” he added.

The company plans to use $7.3 billion to clean up the scandal, in addition to fines that are up to an estimated $18 billion.

According to the German media, a Volkswagen engineer warned the company about cheating emission testing in 2011. There’s no doubt that company would be in a much better position if they had taken the advice.

The post Volkswagen Under Fire For Falsifying Vehicle Emissions Tests appeared first on Citizens Report.

Hyundai is recalling almost half a million Sonatas built with metallic debris that may restrict oil flow and cause the engine to fail.

Hyundai Motor Company, an international automotive manufacturer headquartered in South Korea, is recalling about 470,000 Sonatas with stalling engines.

The issue was caused by an assembly line error at a manufacturing plant in Alabama. Debris that weren’t fully removed from the engine could potentially restrict oil flow and cause the vehicle to stall or fail.

Recall Details

Although Hyundai is Korean-owned and operated, more than half of vehicles sold are made in the U.S.
Image: News Net

The recalled vehicles include the 2011-2012 Sonata model that were manufactured between Dec. 11, 2009, and Apr. 12, 2012. Hyundai’s recall number is 132.

The defective models are equipped with 2.0 or 2.4-liter direct injection gas engines. The engines contain metal debris that were meant to be removed.

“If the debris was not completely removed, oil flow may be restricted through the connecting rod bearings, causing connecting rod damage and possible engine failure. A worn connecting rod bearing will produce a metallic, cyclic knocking noise from the engine and possible engine failure,” according to the report.

There have been no reported injuries thus far, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. The administration estimates that only 2 percent of the 2011-2012 models are equipped with engines that have the potential to stall.

Read the letter from the NHTSA to Hyundai here.

Recall Solution

The engine problem stemmed from a Hyundai manufacturing facility in Montgomery, Alabama.
Image: HMMA USA

Hyundai will notify drivers who need to have their vehicles inspected. The group will replace defective engines if necessary. The fix will be free of charge.

“Additionally, Hyundai Motor America will increase the warranty for the engine sub-assembly (short block) to 10 years/120,000 miles for both original and subsequent owners of 2011 and 2012 Sonatas manufactured at Hyundai Motor Manufacturing Alabama equipped with 2.0 and 2.4-liter Gasoline Direct injection engines,” the report said.

Please contact your Hyundai dealer or Hyundai Customer Care Center at 855-671-3059 for more information.

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When you’re on the road, keeping control of your car is necessary to ensure personal safety and the safety of others.

Chrysler is recalling about 200 Ram Pickup Trucks with ineffective vehicle stability control. This means the driver could lose control of the vehicle, increasing the likelihood of a crash. Loss of control would undoubtedly endanger the driver, passengers and other people on the road. Bengal Law is a car accident lawyer in Orlando, can provide the necessary guidance and support to navigate through the legal complexities that may arise from such incidents.

The Recalled Models

Chrysler is recalling 199 Ram 4500 and 5500 pickup trucks manufactured between January 30 to February 6, 2015. The recall identification number is R34.

 The Reason

Drivers are at risk of losing control of the vehicle if they do not get the suspension on the recalled Ram pickup trucks repaired.
Via: Gipsa Lab

The issue is the vehicle suspension, which is an important part of keeping the vehicle in control.

According to the recall announcement, the vehicle could have “inadequate penetration of the front upper control arm loop to spacer weld, reducing the front suspension stability.” A lack of suspension could result in a crash.

Chrysler’s Solution

The vehicle manufacturer will notify Chrysler Ram pickup truck owners and car dealerships that may be linked to the sale of the recalled vehicles by direct mail. The company will replace upper control arms free of charge.

The recall will begin on September 19, 2015. Contact Chrysler customer service at 1-800-853-1403 or visit Chrysler’s website for more information.

The post Chrysler Recall: Drivers Could Lose Control Of Ram Pickup Truck appeared first on Citizens Report.

Chevy is recalling almost 60,000 Cobalt model cars because of defective wiring in the driver’s side door. The wiring won’t send the proper electrical signal to make the airbag deploy.

General Motors Company is recalling an estimated 60,000 Chevrolet Cobalt vehicles with defective airbag sensors. The side-door airbag wiring is improperly routed, which means the airbag may not deploy to protect the driver if a crash were to occur.

If the airbags don’t deploy, thousands of people could be in danger. The defective airbags put drivers at risk of increased injury and death.

The Reason For The Recall

The front driver side airbag may not deploy, which could put the driver at risk of injury or death.
Via: Nelson Mazda

General Motors is recalling all Chevy Cobalt cars manufactured during the six months in 2010 between January 4 and June 23. The recall was issued on August 10 with the id number 15075.

GM has been investigating the defective airbags since January 20, 2015. The investigator found that Side-Impact Sensor (SIS) harness in the 2010 vehicles was improperly routed in the driver side front door.

In march, the investigator found the service light meant to notify drivers of airbag issues was not illuminated. The roof-rail airbags were functional, but the improperly routed wiring in the driver side door could rub against and damage the SIS harness, which would cause an electrical short in the airbag sensor’s circuit.

If something were to strike the vehicle on the driver’s side, the impact would normally send an electrical message that would deploy the airbag. But with the defective wiring, the airbag wouldn’t receive the information it needed to initiate the airbag to deploy.

Chevrolet’s Solution

Chevy is offering to fix the airbag issue free of charge.
Via: All Car Brands List

The vehicle manufacturer will notify Chevy Cobalt owners and car dealerships that may be linked to the sale of the recalled vehicles beginning on August 26.

GM urges customers to have their vehicles checked out and repaired free of charge. Contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020 for more information.

The post Chevrolet Recall: Cobalt Driver Side Airbags Won’t Deploy appeared first on Citizens Report.

Armored Lock

Honda Motor Co., Ltd. recently announced it would be cutting its profit forecast by more than $400 million as a result of the mounting costs to recall cars containing potentially deadly defective airbags.

The automotive manufacturer has been forced to recall around four million vehicles, which contain airbags manufactured in Japan by the safety equipment supplier Takata Corporation. Honda’s list of recalled models include Accords, Civics, CR-Vs, Elements, Odyssey, Pilots, and Ridgelines. Lawyers for Honda have estimated that injuries from the defective airbags have climbed to 64 and a possible sixth death is currently being investigated.

Though Honda sells it cars worldwide, its most lucrative market is the United States, which is why executives at the company are trying to downplay any safety issues in this country. For instance, Tetsuo Iwamura, an executive vice president at the carmaker, has failed to mention the latest suspected death that recently happened in Texas.

According to police reports, a 35 year-old man died after his 2002 Honda Accord struck another vehicle and the airbag deployed, sending pieces of metal into the car. One of those pieces lodged in the man’s neck, and he bled to death at the scene. Honda immediately released a statement saying it had been alerted of the incident, but added that it was too early to tell if a faulty airbag was responsible.

Honda Has Company

Alexis Benter

Toyota has also recalled cars due to the same faulty inflaters manufactured by Takata. These inflaters deploy with too much force, sending pieces of metal into the interior cabin of cars.

Honda, Toyota and Chrysler are all dealing with separate recalls, still having to do with airbags, but this one is  due to a bad electric component manufactured by an American supplier. This particular defect causes the airbag to deploy for no reason while the car is actually in motion. Toyota is recalling close to one million vehicles, Chrysler is recalling around 753,000 vehicles and Honda is recalling around 374,000 vehicles.

Federal safety administrators are urging consumers who have yet to get their recalled cars fixed to do so as soon as possible. While some fixes may only be temporary, and some may take quite a long time, these safety issues are urgent and remedies should be immediately installed.

If you believe your car may be at risk, visit Honda’s official recall page.

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The bad news keeps on piling up for GM – the owners of Chevrolet. Since January GM has recalled 13.3 million vehicles. GM’s most recent recall was made after the company found out that drivers could accidentally shut the car off with their knees while driving. A similar problem caused deaths and the subsequent recall of 2.6 million Chevy Cobalts.

While GM only is aware of three accidents resulting from this issue, the company is maintaining that all of the recent recalls represents GM’s dedication to being safe rather than sorry.

Camaro owners will be notified personally by GM, who will make repairs at no expense to the owners.

The post Every Single One: The Chevy Camaro Recall appeared first on Citizens Report.

In a March 13 filing with NHTSA, Honda said 2005-2010 Odysseys built in Alabama have a fuel-pump part that could crack and cause a fuel leak, increasing the risk of fire. The company said it has no reports of fires or injuries related to the problem.

Read More.

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The big automaker also said it will take a $300 million charge against first-quarter earnings to pay for the four recalls.

GM said the trio of new recalls is “a result of (CEO) Mary Barra’s request for a comprehensive internal safety review following the ignition switch recall.”

VIDEO: GM CEO Mary Barra offers video update on switch recall, company improvement efforts

Last month’s switch recall of 1.62 million vehicles worldwide has triggered federal investigations into why GM knew of a switch problem as early as 2001 but recalled the cars only last month. Twelve deaths and 31 crashes have been linked to the switch recall.

Read More

The post GM issues 3 NEW recalls appeared first on Citizens Report.

“We’re very aware of the issue with the cars and we’re concerned for our customers,” said Greg Cole, owner of Athens Chevrolet in Athens, Ga.

While G.M. has said they are safe as long as extra items are removed from the key ring, some consumer advocates and lawmakers have urged G.M. to warn owners not to drive the cars until they are fixed, saying that they still pose a danger.

Read More

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