Safety Watch: Recalls and Investigations

NHTSA reported recalls and active investigations for July, 2006

by Autobytel Staff

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August 4, 2006

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4 min. Reading Time

Number of vehicles: 11,640 Cause: The lower rubber mount of the rear shock absorbers may not have been manufactured to specifications and may not adhere correctly to its housing within the shock absorber. The bushing could loosen and over time could separate from its housing. The driver will experience impaired vehicle handling and control increasing the risk of a crash. Dealers will replace the rear shock absorber free of charge. The recall is expected to begin during July 2006.

Recall: 2004-05 Cadillac XLR

Number of vehicles: 7,689 Cause: The daylight running lights (DRL), turn signal, and parking lamps use the same bulb, and the bulb may become damaged from vibration within a loose fitting socket -- or via air entering the bulb due to an inadequate seal. Both of these conditions will cause the bulb to burn out prematurely. If this were to occur, the driver would notice that the arrow in the instrument panel would flash faster than normal when the turn signal is activated. Dealers will replace the socket and bulb in both lamps free of charge. The recall is expected to begin on July 31, 2006.

Recall: 2006 Dodge Durango

Number of vehicles: 230 Cause: The left rear suspension watts link may have been damaged during vehicle assembly and could fail. A failed watts link could adversely affect vehicle handling and cause a crash without warning. Dealers will replace the left rear suspension watts link free of charge. The recall is expected to begin on July 17, 2006. 06V-240

Recall: 1996 - 2002 Ford Trucks, SUVs and Vans

Number of vehicles: 1.2 million Cause: The cruise control deactivation switch may overheat, which could result in smoke, burn or in an underhood fire. Dealers will install a fused wiring harness into the cruise control system free of charge. The recall is expected to begin on August 7, 2006. Owners can contact Ford at (866) 436-7332.

Recall: 2006 Honda, Acura

Number of vehicles: 1.19 million: 2006 Accord, Accord Hybrid, Civic, Civic Hybrid, CR-V, Element, Insight, Odyssey, Pilot, Ridgeline, S2000 as well as Acura MDX, RL, RSX, TL and TSX. Recall includes 2007 Honda Fit. Cause: The owner's manuals contain incorrect contact information for the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's (NHTSA) vehicle safety Hotline. Honda will send a postcard to dealers and owners with the correct NHTSA Vehicle Safety Hotline information and with instructions to insert the card into the "Reporting Safety Defects" section of the owner's manual. The recall is expected to begin in early August 2006.

Recall: 2006 Kia Sedona

Number of vehicles: 13,060 Cause: The rear caliper brake hoses may be out of position. An improperly positioned rear caliper brake hose may contact rear suspension components and over time breach the integrity of the hose. This would result in the loss of brake fluid, which could cause decreased brake function, leading to crash and personal injuries. Dealers will inspect the positioning of the rear caliper brake hoses and adjust or replace them free of charge. The recall is expected to begin in early September 2006.

Recall: 2003 Nissan Altima, Sentra

Number of vehicles: 200,866 Cause: For Altimas and Sentras equipped with a 2.5L engine, a variation in temperature occurs due to the unique location of the sensor in the engine. Under certain driving conditions, these variations in temperature can be large enough to cause a brief interruption in the signal output from the sensor. If the interruption in the signal from the sensor is so brief that the electronic control module (ECM) logic does not have time to diagnose the condition, the engine may stop running without warning increasing the risk of a crash. Dealers will reprogram the ECM free of charge. The recall is expected to begin on August 21, 2006. This recall was the subject of an investigation, RQ06-001, conducted by the Office of Defects Investigation.

Recall: 2001-02 Toyota Echo, Prius

Number of vehicles: 34,771 Cause: Due to improper molding of the resin body of the crankshaft position senor installed on the engine block, engine oil may penetrate the seal and enter the sensor wiring connector. The wire harness connector may not be sufficiently attached to the locking tab of the sensor wiring connector. Engine oil inside the sensor wiring connector could cause expansion due to the heat of the engine and could deform the sensor wiring connector. The connector may become disconnected, which could cause the engine to stall while driving and not be able to be restarted increasing the risk of a crash. Dealers will replace the crankshaft position sensor free of charge. The recall is expected to begin early August 2006.

Recall: 2004-06 Toyota, Lexus SUVs

Number of vehicles: 367,594 Highlanders from model year 2004-05 and 2006 Highlander Hybrids; 2004-05 Lexus RX 330 and 2006 RX 400h. Cause: The two retaining clips for the driver's side forward center console can become loose. If both clips separate from the floor carpet cover, the cover may lean toward the accelerator pedal, causing interference with the accelerator pedal rod. This condition may interfere with the accelerator pedal returning to the idle position increasing the risk of a crash. Dealers will replace the two floor carpet cover retaining clips free of charge. The recall is expected to begin in late July and should be completed by early September 2006.

Recall: 2003 - 05 Toyota Tundra

Number of vehicles: 157,199 Cause: Vehicles have a manual air bag on-off switch to disable the front passenger air bag and do not have a child restraint lower anchorage system in the front passenger seat. This standard establishes requirements for child restraint anchorage systems to ensure their proper location and strength for the effective securing of child restraints, to reduce the likelihood of the anchorage systems' failure, and to increase the likelihood that child restraints are properly secured and thus more fully achieve their potential effectiveness in motor vehicles. Dealers will remove the manual air bag on-off switch, replace the owner's manual, and affix a new sun visor air bag warning label. The recall is expected to begin in late September 2006.