NHTSA
Chevrolet Volt Fire Solution Expected Soon, Coolant Leak May Be The Culprit
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General Motors is moving closer to a solution for the fires that occurred in Volts after crash testing earlier this year. Fox News reported yesterday that, according to an unnamed source, fires sparking inside Chevrolet‘s lauded green car might be caused by coolant crystallizing on the car’s battery after a crash, leading to a short…
GM Working On A Low-Cost Fix For Volt Battery
The Chevrolet Volt was a big part of the restructuring deal General Motors had with the Obama Administration, when it applied for bail-out money. Now that the vehicle is here, it is not without its problems. Sales of this plug-in hybrid have not been great, and these days, everyone is talking about the recent crash-related…
Dozens of Worried Chevy Volt Owners Have Requested Buy Backs
Despite GM recanting their statement that they’d buy back Chevy Volts from concerned customers, a couple dozen have come forward requesting buy backs of their plug-in hybrids. The buy back statement originally came from GM CEO Dan Akerson, but GM’s PR department stepped in by backpedaling on that offer. Nonetheless, after receiving a couple dozen…
Chevrolet Volt Battery Issues Growing, Safety Findings May Have Been Suppressed
Joan Claybrook, a former adminstrator at NHTSA believes part of the reason for the delay was the “fragility of Volt sales.” Yet she also believes that “NHTSA could have put out a consumer alert, not to tell them [customers] for six months makes no sense to me.”
2011 Nissan Rogue Recalled For Power Steering Defect
r 2011 Nissan Rogue models have been issued a recall due to possible incorrectly installed circuit boards within the Rogue’s electronic power steering assist control unit. According to Nissan and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, this defect could cause additional stress on the solder of the terminal to the circuit board and may lead…
Chevrolet Dealers Preparing For Volt Questions Following NHTSA Investigation
In response GM has sent out letters detailing the findings of the investigation to some 2,500 dealers across the US and more than 5,000 Volt owners. It has also instigated a nationwide program of offering loaner vehicles to Volt customers who feel their vehicles are unsafe.
NHTSA Announces Chevy Volt Post-Crash Fire Details, Promises Further Investigation
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has released an official statement in regards to the post-crash fire risk of the Chevrolet Volt. As a result of a fire that occurred at the NHTSA’s facilities, they will be opening a formal safety defect investigation in order to determine the fire risk of Volts after a…
2012 Chevrolet Suburban Rolls Over During NHTSA Side-Impact Crash Test
s While there are merits to the safety benefits from riding in a taller, heavier vehicle, there are disadvantages as well. According to safety evaluations from NHTSA, the 2012 Chevrolet Suburban suffered a rollover during a side-impact crash test. Simulating a passenger car striking the driver’s side at 38 miles an hour, the inertia caused…
General Motors Recalls Almost 2000 Full-Size Vans
If you own a new GMC or Chevrolet van, there’s a chance the airbags might not be safe. The notice comes after General Motors and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration found that airbags in 1,798 Chevrolet Express and GMC Savana vans manufactured between June 2, 2011 and October 17, 2011 have faulty airbag systems that fail…
Saturn Aura Investigated By NHTSA For Faulty Transmission Shift Cable
NHTSA is ramping up its investigation into the Saturn Aura after numerous complaints of the vehicle moving while in park or accelerating in the opposite direction to which the driver intended. A total of 33 complaints have been received by NHTSA and GM combined, covering both 2007 and 2008 model Auras. So far, an engineering analysis is…
Chevrolet Volt Fire May Lead To New Safety Standards
A fire involving a Chevrolet Volt that had undergone government crash testing has led to authorities investigating the possibility of requiring emergency responders to drain the batteries of electric and hybrid vehicles following a collision. A Volt that underwent a 20 mph side-impact crash test caught on fire several weeks later, causing the Volt as…
2012 Cadillac CTS Recalled
General Motors is recalling a certain production run of Cadillac CTS models built between October 21 and October 26, 2011. According to reports, “the power vacuum brake boost pushrod retention nut may not be torqued to the proper specification.” This defect could cause catastrophic consequences, specifically brake failure, and lead to accidents. Cadillac dealers began…
Ford Releases Findings on NHTSA Mustang Transmission Investigation
Back in August, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration opened an investigation regarding the Getrag MT82 6-speed manual transmissions found in 2011+ Ford Mustangs. At the time, Ford was already carefully monitoring customer feedback as well as online forums as well to better understand the issues concerning the transmission. While only 3 percent of all…
This is What a Wrecked Chevy Volt Looks Like
Would you trust new technology with your life? One Chevy Volt owner did, and walked away from a rather serious smash-up mostly unharmed. A forum user on GM-Volt.com posted pictures recently of his totaled Volt on the New Jersey Turnpike. The car (number 187) became a martyr after a nasty highway collision. “Except for some…
Most Stolen Cars List Ranks Toyota Camry, Audi S8 as Top Picks by Thieves
However, despite thieves appearing to target luxury and performance vehicles, the overall vehicle theft rate was actually down in 2009, to an average of 1.33 per 1000 vehicles, versus 1.69 the previous year.
Pontiac G8 Recalled For Delayed Airbag Deployment
The Pontiac G8, the brand’s last hurrah before GM completely discontinued its operations, is now subject to recall due too concerns regarding the front passenger air bag module. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), the air bags may suffer from a possible delay in airbag deployment at the moment of a collision,…
Volvo S60, C70 Recalled Over Incorrect Tire Pressure Labels
Swedish car firm Volvo takes safety very seriously, and so it’s taking the extra step to correct a small error it had made in the past. The issue is in regards to the tire pressure label for the spare tire. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), some Volvo vehicles had incorrect information…
2012 Chevrolet Equinox And GMC Terrain Crossovers Recalled For Malfunctioning Tire Pressure Monitoring System
34,000 units of GM’s 2012 Chevrolet Equinox and GMC Terrain crossovers are recalled due too improperly calibrated tire pressure monitoring systems. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, NHTSA, requires all tire pressure monitoring systems to illuminate a warning signal when the tires are below 25 percent of the vehicle’s recommended psi. However, the sensors fitted into…
MINI Cooper S Engine Fire Concerns Prompt Safety Investigation
The British hot hatch just got hotter. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 12 complaints were received in regards to MINI Cooper S engine fires, 5 of them resulted to total vehicle loss. Concerned that this is not an isolated incident, NHTSA has announced an investigation on 36,000 2007-2008 Mini Cooper S, Mini…
2009 Honda Odyssey Investigated By NHTSA For Liftgate Malfunction
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is investigating the 2009 Honda Odyssey for a possible liftgate malfunction. The Odyssey’s power liftgate is said to close unexpectedly, and NHTSA has received seven complaints so far, with two of the complaints resulting in injury after the owners were unexpectedly struck with the liftgate. An estimated 20,000 vehicles are affected….
2011-2012 Volkswagen Jetta Recalled Over Tail Pipe Burn Hazard
In a country where people can sue restaurants over coffee being too hot, the latest recall for the 2011-2012 Volkswagen Jetta is dubious, but legally sound. According to NHTSA, some vehicles built between March 18, 2010, and Aug. 22, 2011 had a stainless steel exhaust tip installed at the port. The exhaust tip may stick out past the…
BMW Recalling 241,000 3 Series Models Due To Faulty Tail Lights
BMW is recalling 241,000 3-Series models due to faulty tail lights. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has confirmed that certain 2002-2005 325i, 325xi, 330i and 330xi models built between September 1, 2001 and March 1 2005 may experience resistance in the electrical contacts of one or more rear lamp functions. The resistance could eventually lead…
Nissan Trucks, SUVs Suffer Transmission Woes
Owners of Nissan’s 2005-2010 Pathfinders, Frontiers and Xteras are experiencing failures to their automatic transmissions because radiator coolant is leaking into the system. The radiator cooler tanks are rupturing, which forces the coolant into the transmission through the transmission cooler lines. Nissan has offered an extended warranty for the radiators, but the coverage only applies to vehicles…
2012 Nissan Altima, NV Recalled For Air Bag Defect
Two weeks ago, a recall was launched for approximately 20,000 Nissan Altima sedans for a front suspension bolt that may not have been properly tightened during production of the vehicle. Today, another recall was launched regarding an incorrectly assembled air bag control unit in both the 2012 Altima and the 2012 NV work van. The affected vehicles…
