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Tag: automotive recalls

  • Repairing a CVT transmission failure on a Toyota C-HR – MoneySense

    Repairing a CVT transmission failure on a Toyota C-HR – MoneySense

    1. The owner of a 2018 C-HR that experienced a failure at just over 100,000 kilometres and five years received an estimate of $10,000 to replace the transmission with a new one. After he complained, the repair cost was reduced to $4,000, with Toyota Canada and the dealer making up the difference.
    2. Toyota Canada rejected a claim for a transmission failure at 138,000 kilometres on a 2019 C-HR; the Montreal-area dealer estimated the repair at slightly over $10,000.

    An alternative to replacing the transmission: A less expensive repair

    If no help is forthcoming, an alternative may be to find a used transmission from a wrecked C-HR and have it installed, for a final price in the range of $4,000 to $5,000. The risk: a replacement used transmission may well develop the same defect as your original transmission over time—that’s a risky bet if you intend to hang on to your C-HR for many more years.

    A third way to fix a CH-R transmission

    I checked with Alain Groulx, a transmission expert who has helped many members of the APA resolve transmission failures. Here’s his take on the transmission failure in your C-HR:

    “Based on the information provided, it seems to be an issue with defective bearings inside the transmission. It’s a shame that dealers are recommending replacing the entire transmission at the customer’s expense instead of trying to repair it. By replacing a complete transmission, the warranty is carried by the manufacturer, so there is less risk for the dealer, but it comes at a heavy price to the customer.

    “A good transmission rebuilder may be able to open and repair the transmission. We had similar issues with the Jeep Patriot that used a CVT transmission on some models. The differential carrier bearings experienced many failures at low mileages; we were able to source and replace the bearings at a fraction of the cost of a new transmission.

    “If this is a recurring problem, Toyota could make a bearing set available as a recommended repair kit. That has the potential to drop the repair price to about $3,000, if the problem is picked up early before a complete bearing failure ruins other components inside the transmission. Sometimes bearings are available from independent suppliers like General Bearing Service (GBS) or similar suppliers. In order to know if they are available in the aftermarket, the transmission would have to be dismantled to get the part number on the defective bearing. In many cases, the bearing is made exclusively for the manufacturer and is not available unless the automaker offers it as a replacement part independently of a complete transmission.”

    “Broken telephone” effect: Documenting your transmission failure complaint to prepare a claim

    Information sometimes gets lost in translation when a customer reports a problem. In your case, a suggestion to check for “a whine from the engine” may have been enough to throw the technician off the trail. Or the road test conducted during the warranty period was not done at sufficient speed or for enough time to elicit the noise you were hearing.

    Here are some steps you can take during the warranty period to improve the odds that issues with your vehicle will be addressed and avoid the “broken telephone” effect:

    1. Ensure your concerns are recorded accurately. Focus on symptoms over solutions, unless you are already familiar with the problem and its repair.
    2. If possible, identify a location on the vehicle to check more carefully, the speed, road conditions, warm/cold engine and other factors that appear relevant.
    3. Use your cellphone to capture intermittent problems that magically seem to disappear when you take your vehicle in for service. For example, record abnormal sounds that come and go, and take photos of warning lights that come on temporarily.
    4. Obtain copies of repair orders, even for no-charge inspections, and retain them.

    In my experience, helping consumers with resolving complaints, you can go back about a year relatively successfully for a problem that was reported during the warranty period but wasn’t addressed. To do that, having complete service records will improve your chances of a favourable outcome significantly.

    Making your case if your claim is rejected

    A transmission, which is a lifetime component of a vehicle, should last for much more than six years or 110,000 kilometres, as long as it’s maintained and isn’t abused. Almost all the automakers that introduced CVT transmissions eventually extended the warranties on some of them past the original “five-year, 100,000-km” powertrain warranty to address durability concerns.

    If Toyota Canada isn’t forthcoming with assistance, Ontario lawyer Michael Turk says you could sue the manufacturer, basing your claim on the implied warranty of fitness under the province’s Sale of Goods Act:

    You will need to obtain an expert report from a third party, typically a mechanic or transmission expert who will be able to confirm that the bearing is the cause of the failure, and that the failure occurred as a result of a manufacturer’s defect in the transmission. With the expert’s report in hand, your next step is to file a claim in the Small Claims Court for the cost of repair and any additional costs you have incurred as a result of the loss of use of the vehicle arising form the transmission failure. You could also argue that the vehicle exhibited problems with the transmission while it was still under the manufacturer’s original warranty and this was brought to the attention of the dealer at the 88,000-kilometre service while still under warranty. Lastly, when choosing an expert, it is important for the expert to be able to be qualified by the Court as an expert and that your expert is willing to come to court and testify on your behalf. This process has become easier and less disruptive to those who provide expert evidence as the courts have transitioned to a virtual format.

    Given that the complaints received to date are serious, I invite other Toyota C-HR owners with an experience to share about their vehicle’s transmission to contact the APA. This will help the association identify a pattern of failures and determine what actions Toyota Canada is taking to address complaints.

    George Iny

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  • Easily stolen Hyundais and Kias should be recalled, more than a dozen attorneys general say | CNN Business

    Easily stolen Hyundais and Kias should be recalled, more than a dozen attorneys general say | CNN Business



    CNN
     — 

    A coalition of attorneys general for 17 states and the District of Columbia on Thursday called for a federal recall of Hyundai and Kia vehicles that they say are unsafe and too easy to steal.

    The attorneys general called for the recall “following the companies’ continued failure to take adequate steps to address the alarming rate of theft of their vehicles,” a release from California Attorney General Rob Bonta, who is leading the coalition, said.

    In a letter to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the coalition requested a recall of “unsafe” Hyundai and Kia vehicles manufactured between 2011 and 2022 “whose easily bypassed ignition switches and lack of engine immobilizers make them particularly vulnerable to theft.”

    The vehicles in question, 2015-2019 Hyundai and Kia models, such as the Hyundai Santa Fe and Tucson and the Kia Forte and Sportage, when equipped with turn-key ignitions — as opposed to cars that only require a button to be pushed to start — are roughly twice as likely to be stolen as other vehicles of a similar age. Many of these vehicles lack some of the basic auto theft prevention technology included in most other vehicles, even in those years, according to the Highway Loss Data Institute, an industry group that tracks insurance statistics.

    These models became the subject of a viral social media trend in which thieves filmed themselves and others stealing Hyundai and Kia vehicles and taking them for a drive. In some parts of the country, the problem became so bad that some insurance companies refused to write new policies on these Hyundai and Kia models in places where the thefts had become extremely common.

    The models in question don’t have electronic immobilizers, which rely on a computer chip in the car and another in the key that communicate to confirm that the key belongs with that vehicle. Without the right key, an immobilizer should do just that — stop the car from moving.

    “Hyundai and Kia announced that they will initiate voluntary service campaigns to offer software updates for certain vehicles with this starting-system vulnerability. Unfortunately, however, this is an insufficient response to the problem and does not adequately remedy the safety concerns facing vehicle owners and the public,” the letter to the NHSTA said.

    Hyundai and Kia did not immediately respond to CNN’s request comment.

    The two South Korean automakers have created a software patch to fix the problem, the automakers have said. Hyundai and Kia operate as separate companies in the United States, but Hyundai Motor Group owns a large stake in Kia, and various Hyundai and Kia models share much of their engineering.

    The patch will be installed free of charge on models that need it, with software that requires an actual key in the ignition to turn the vehicle on. The software will also block the car from being started after the doors have been locked using the key fob remote control. The vehicle will need to be unlocked before it can be started.

    The software also extends the length of the alarm sound from 30 seconds to a full minute. Hyundai dealers will also affix window stickers stating that the vehicle has anti-theft software installed.

    “The bottom line is, Kia’s and Hyundai’s failure to install standard safety features on many of their vehicles have put vehicle owners and the public at risk,” Attorney General Bonta said. “We now ask the federal government to require these companies to correct their mistake through a nationwide recall and help us in our continued efforts to protect the public from these unsafe vehicles.”

    Recalls are ordered by NHTSA or, much more commonly, undertaken by automakers to correct safety-related defects. The attorneys general’s letter asserts that the ease of theft of these Hyundai and Kia vehicles constitutes a safety hazard and the vehicles fail to meet federal standards for theft prevention.

    “Moreover, thieves have driven these vehicles recklessly, speeding and performing wild stunts and causing numerous crashes, at least eight deaths, and significant injuries,” the letter said.

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  • Tesla recalls almost 3,500 Model Y cars for loose bolts | CNN Business

    Tesla recalls almost 3,500 Model Y cars for loose bolts | CNN Business


    New York
    CNN
     — 

    Tesla is recalling 3,470 2022-2023 Model Y cars due to bolts in the second-row seat back frames not being secured properly.

    An estimated 4% of cars are affected, a recall report submitted in late February said.

    The loose bolts could cause the seat belts to not work properly in a crash, “which may increase the risk of an injury for occupants seated in affected second-row seating positions,” the National Highway Traffic Administration said.

    On Model Y vehicles, the second-row driver- and passenger-side seat back frames are secured with four bolts per seat back. But during production for certain Model Y cars, one or more of the bolts securing the seat back frames to the lower seat frame “may not have been torqued to specifications.”

    Owners can tell if their car is affected by seeing if their second-row seat back frame folds improperly or if it’s loose and rattles when driving.

    Tesla found five warranty claims regarding the bolts since last December, but is not aware of any injuries or deaths due to it.

    A driver in Fremont, California, found a faulty seat back bolt last December, triggering a Tesla investigation and risk assessment which ended February 17. A recall determination was made on the same day.

    Tesla will inspect the bolts and tighten them if necessary for free of charge, and owner notification letters will be mailed.

    The recall was filed the same month Tesla recalled all 363,000 US vehicles with the “Full Self Driving” driver assist software due to safety risks, a significantly larger recall, which was a blow to the automaker’s business model.

    The NHTSA said, based on its analysis, Tesla’s “Full Self Driving” feature “led to an unreasonable risk to motor vehicle safety based on insufficient adherence to traffic safety laws.” And it warned the feature could violate traffic laws at some intersections “before some drivers may intervene.”

    “The FSD Beta system may allow the vehicle to act unsafe around intersections, such as traveling straight through an intersection while in a turn-only lane, entering a stop sign-controlled intersection without coming to a complete stop, or proceeding into an intersection during a steady yellow traffic signal without due caution,” said the recall notice, posted on NHTSA’s website.

    Tesla will attempt to fix the feature, which costs $15,000, through an over-the-air software update, the notice added.

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  • Nissan recalling more than 700,000 SUVs that can accidentally shut off while driving | CNN Business

    Nissan recalling more than 700,000 SUVs that can accidentally shut off while driving | CNN Business


    New York
    CNN
     — 

    Nissan is recalling more than 700,000 Rogue and Rogue Sport compact SUVs because they can be shut off accidentally while driving.

    Some model year 2016 through 2020 Nissan Rogue and 2017 through 2022 Rogue Sports, have jackknife-style keys – the type in which the metal blade of the key flips out from within a plastic key fob. An internal joint in the key can weaken over time, allowing the key to accidentally fold while in use. If this happens while the key is in the ignition, then the vehicle can be accidentally turned off if they is key is touched or bumped.

    The recall only involves the base Rogue S and smaller Rogue Sport S models. Nissan hasn’t yet worked out a solution to the problem, according to documents the automaker filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Once a solution is available, according to NHTSA, it will be provided by Nissan dealers free of charge.

    In the meantime, owners of vehicles involved in the recall are advised not to attach anything to the keys that might pull it down and, also, to insert the key into the ignition in a direction that allows the key to fold fold only upward, not down.

    Nissan will begin alerting owners about the recall later in March. Owners with questions about recall can also call NHTSA’s Vehicle Safety Hotline at 888-327-4236.

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  • Ford recalls over half a million SUVs after 20 fires break out | CNN Business

    Ford recalls over half a million SUVs after 20 fires break out | CNN Business



    CNN
     — 

    Ford has announced another SUV recall, this time impacting about 520,000 Ford Escape and Bronco Sport compacts in the United States. Potential cracks in the vehicles’ fuel line could cause fires to break out under the hood of some cars, according to Ford and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

    A total of 634,000 of the SUVs are being recalled for the problem worldwide, the company said.

    Specifically, fuel injector can crack in some Escapes from model year 2022 through 2023 and 2021 through 2023 Bronco Sports that are equipped with the 3-cylinder 1.5-liter turbrocharged engine. This could allow fuel, or fuel vapor, to leak over hot parts of the vehicle and start a fire.

    Ford is not suggesting that owners stop driving their vehicle. The company said that it expects the problem to occur in only a very small percentage of vehicles. The company said it is aware of 20 fires that seem to be related to this new issue.

    Some of these same SUVs were involved in an earlier recall that also involved a possibility of fire. That recall, announced in March, involved a potential leak that could allow oil to get to places in the car where it might catch fire.

    The majority of vehicles involved in that earlier recall have had the needed work to fix that issue, according to the company. That doesn’t mean they’re protected from the issue in this latest recall, however.

    Under the new recall, Ford dealers will install a software update that will detect a possibly cracked injector. If an injector crack is detected, a warning light will show in the vehicle’s dashboard and engine power will be reduced. This will allow the driver to find a safe place to pull over, stop and call for service, Ford said.

    Ford dealers will also install a tube that will drain leaked fuel down onto the ground and away from hot surfaces in the vehicle. The needed work will be performed at no cost to the SUVs’ owners.

    Ford said it is arranging for dealers to offer free pick up and drop off of the vehicles for the needed repair work. Owners can also bring their vehicles in to dealerships themselves.

    The Ford Bronco Sport shares much of its engineering with the Ford Escape. It is unrelated to the larger Ford Bronco, a more truck-like SUV that is a competitor to the Jeep Wrangler.

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