Ferrari is recalling 303 2010 Ferrari 458 Italia cars in the U.S. because glue could leak onto the exhaust system and cause a fire, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. The U.S. recall is part of a global recall of the supercar that involves 1,248 458 Italia vehicles — said to be possibly the largest recall in the history of Ferrari, according to the Financial Times.

"The heat created by the engine could cause possible deformation of the rear right-hand and left-hand wheelhouse and heat shield assemblies," said NHTSA in its recalls summary of the problem. "The assembly could come excessively close to the exhaust system, causing the bonding adhesive used in the assembly to overheat and produce smoke. Under particularly high ambient operating temperature this could cause the adhesive to ignite, resulting in a vehicle fire and/or rendering the vehicle inoperable and possibly resulting in a crash."

Curiously, the legally required defect information report filed with NHTSA and dated August 31 was not filed by Ferrari, but by the Washington, D.C., law firm of Mayer Brown LLP and signed by Adam C. Sloane, a lawyer described in his biographical information posted online by the firm as an expert in "products liability" with a "strong focus on federal motor vehicle and freight railroad regulation." It is unusual for a law firm — and not the automaker — to file recall notices with NHTSA.

The Mayer Brown documentation filed with the federal government says "Ferrari has now decided to file this report, and has decided to include in its proposed campaign all Ferrari 458 Italia vehicles manufactured up to August 2010."

Source: InsideLine

Honda has announced plans to recall 383,000 Civics, Accords and Elements built in 2003 and 2004. Due to a fault with the ignition interlock system that normally prevents the key from being removed until the transmission lever is in Park, the affected Hondas could roll away on their own accord.

According to Honda, the interlock system can wear prematurely, allowing the key to be pulled regardless of the shifter position. If the parking pawl isn't engaged, the vehicle can roll away if parked on a slope.

While this has nothing to do with the sort of problems that Toyota has experienced, there is an interesting parallel regarding the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's defect database. Toyota complained that there was insufficient detail in the database categories, resulting in the appearance that there were more incidents of unintended acceleration than there actually were. This Honda issue is purely a mechanical failure of the locking system and yet it is grouped under Electrical System:Ignition problems. This lack of detail makes it much more difficult and time consuming for engineers to sift through the data to find and prioritize issues to fix. As part of the follow-up to its recalls, Toyota has been talking to NHTSA about revising the database to make it easier to mine relevant information other automakers will likely be following suit.

Source: AutoBlog

The attorneys leading a class-action lawsuit against Toyota say they have uncovered internal Toyota documents showing that some at the company were aware as far back as 2003 of the problem of unintended acceleration in cars the company made.

In a revised complaint against the automaker filed Monday in U.S. District Court in California, the plaintiffs' attorneys say that in a 2003 field report a company technician wrote up a case of sudden, unintended acceleration.

"The author requested immediate action due to the 'extremely dangerous problem' and [said] 'we are also much afraid of frequency of this problem in near future,' " according to the lawsuit.

Source: WashingtonPost

Shares of Toyota Motor jumped more than 1% after a report suggested that some of the company's recall woes may have been due to driver error.

Toyota was up 83 cents, or 1.1%, to $71.89 a share in afternoon trading. Shares rose to a high of $72.14 shortly after the report was published.

The U.S. Transportation department has been analyzing data from recorders on Toyota vehicles involved in accidents blamed on sudden acceleration. According to a report in the Wall Street Journal, the analysis has found that throttles were wide open and the brakes were not engaged at the time the cars crashed.

The results, if correct, suggest that some drivers who said their Toyota and Lexus vehicles surged out of control were mistakenly holding down the gas pedal when they intended to hit the brakes, according to the Journal.

However, the report adds that the findings would not exonerate Toyota from two known issues blamed for sudden acceleration in its vehicles: sticky accelerator pedals and floor mats that can trap accelerator pedals to the floor.

Source: CNN Money

General Motors Co. said Tuesday it was recalling about 1.5 million vehicles worldwide to address a problem with a heated windshield wiper fluid system that could lead to a fire, its second recall over the issue in two years.

The recall affects several pickup trucks, sport utility vehicles, crossovers and passenger car models from the 2006 to 2009 model years. GM conducted a similar recall in 2008 but came across new reports of fires in vehicles that had been fixed.

GM said it would disable the heated washer fluid system module that could lead to fires. The Detroit automaker will pay owners and those leasing vehicles $100 each since the feature is being disabled.

GM said it was aware of five fires but there had been no injuries or crashes reported. Nearly 1.4 million vehicles are in the U.S. and more than 100,000 vehicles are in Canada, Mexico and other international markets. Vehicles in the jump!

The recalled vehicles cover the following 2006-2009 model year vehicles:

* 2006-2009 Buick Lucerne
* 2006-2009 Cadillac DTS
* 2006-2009 Hummer H2
* 2008-2009 Buick Enclave
* 2008-2009 Cadillac CTS
* 2007-2009 Cadillac Escalade, Escalade ESV and Escalade EXT
* 2007-2009 Chevrolet Avalanche, Silverado, Suburban and Tahoe
* 2007-2009 GMC Acadia, Sierra, Yukon and Yukon XL
* 2007-2009 Saturn Outlook
* 2009 Chevrolet Traverse.

Source: Yahoo

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has announced that Chrysler is recalling almost 600,000 Dodge Grand Caravans, Chrysler Town & Country, Jeep Wranglers and another 100,000 elsewhere due to a brake or wiring issue that could create safety issues.

The recall consists of 288,968 Jeep Wranglers from the 2006 through 2010 model year due to a potential brake fluid leak. The Dodge Caravan and Chrysler Town & Country minivans from the 2008 and 2009 model year are being recalled due to a wiring problem that can cause a fire inside the sliding doors.

Source: eGMCarTech

We've seen a rash of recalls in the past few months, but none of the cars and trucks under the spotlight of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration have quite the cache of the Lamborghini Murciélago.

The Raging Bull is recalling 428 of its 2007 and 2008 model year Murcielago coupes and roadsters for a potentially serious problem that could result in a fuel leak and possibly a fire. The problem apparently lies with the welds holding the fuel pump support inside the fuel tank. If the welds fail to hold, the tank could detach – and nobody wants a $350,000 exotic with a detached fuel tank.

Owners of the potentially defective Murciélagos can take their supercar to the nearest Lambo dealer for a free repair. Hit the jump to read over the official NHTSA press release.

Source: AutoBlog

GM has issued a recall for 40,028 Corvette vehicles from the 2005 and 2006 model years, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. The recall is for vehicles built between March 2004 and January 2006 that have a tilt and telescoping steering column. You can find a car’s build date listed on a sticker applied to the driver’s door or doorjamb.

Repeated movement of the steering column could interrupt the signal within the column, which will illuminate the message “Service Active Handling System.” In rare instances, this could apply one or more of the brakes and pull the Corvette to the right or left. If the driver is caught off guard, this could lead to a dangerous situation.

GM dealers will repair the steering column for free. Owners may contact Chevrolet at 800-630-2438 or GMC at 866-996-9463. They may also contact NHTSA’s vehicle safety hot line at 888-327-4236.

Source: Kicking Tires

Toyota announced today that it has agreed to settle the civil penalty demanded in the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s April 5 letter related to the company’s recall for slow-to-return and sticky accelerator pedals by paying $16.4 million.

“We agreed to this settlement in order to avoid a protracted dispute and possible litigation, as well as to allow us to move forward fully-focused on the steps to strengthen our quality assurance operations,” Toyota said in a statement. “This will allow us to focus on delivering safe, reliable, high quality vehicles for our customers and responding to consumer feedback with honesty and integrity. These have been core Toyota values for 70 years, and we pledge to make an even greater effort to adhere to this philosophy now and in the future. We also welcome a new, more transparent chapter in our relationship with NHTSA
, consistent with our commitments to Congress and the American people.”

However, Toyota said that it denies that it violated the Safety Act or its implementing regulations.

“We believe we made a good faith effort to investigate this condition and develop an appropriate counter-measure. We have acknowledged that we could have done a better job of sharing relevant information within our global operations and outside the company, but we did not try to hide a defect to avoid dealing with a safety problem.”

Toyota said that is already moving ahead with a number of important steps to strengthen the company’s quality assurance operations.

Source: eGMCarTech

Toyota Motor Corp. knew about flaws that could cause unintended acceleration more than 3 1/2 years before it recalled cars and trucks to fix the defects, according to company timelines.

Toyota, the world's largest automaker, learned that floor mats could entrap accelerator pedals as early as Feb. 7, 2006, and was aware five months later that pedals could stick, according to documents dated March 24 that were submitted to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and obtained Thursday.

The timelines show what Toyota has said was a slow response that led to the recall of about 8 million vehicles worldwide starting last year to repair the two types of acceleration-related defects.

The first report was from a model year 2005 Prius hybrid "regarding floor mat interference with an accelerator pedal," according to the documents, which were sent by the carmaker to the safety agency.

Martha Voss, a Washington-based spokeswoman for Toyota, had no immediate comment.

Source: AutoNews

Chrysler is recalling 3,498 2010 Jeep Grand Cherokee and 2010 Jeep Commander vehicles because an improperly manufactured rear track bar could result in noise and reduced vehicle stability, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

"Reduced vehicle stability could occur, increasing the risk of a crash," said NHTSA in its recalls summary of the problem.

Chrysler told the federal government it is not aware of any accidents or injuries related to this issue.

Dealers will inspect the rear track bar bushing retaining hoop and replace the rear track bar, if any are found to be out of position. The recall is expected to begin in April. Owners can contact Chrysler at 800-853-1403.

Source: InsideLine

The driver of a Toyota Prius says he was taken on a wild ride Monday after the car's accelerator became stuck, reaching speeds in excess of 90 mph on a winding, hilly portion of a southern California interstate.

It took the California Highway Patrol to bring the car safely to a stop.

The driver, Jim Sikes, said he was traveling east on Interstate 8 outside of the San Diego area when he attempted to pass a slower vehicle.

"I pushed the gas pedal to pass a car, and it just did something kind of funny ... and it just stuck there," he said at a news conference outside a Highway Patrol office. "As I was going, I was trying the brakes ... and it just kept speeding up."

Sikes said he called 911 for help, and dispatchers talked him through instructions on how he might be able to stop the car. But nothing worked.

At one point, Sikes said he reached down to try to pull the accelerator up, but it "stayed right where it was."

Alerted by emergency dispatchers, a California Highway Patrol officer was able to catch up to Sikes' Prius and used the patrol car's public address system to instruct Sikes to apply the brakes and the emergency brake at the same time.

The tactic worked, and the car slowed to about 50 mph. Sikes said he was able to shut off the car, and it rolled to a stop. The responding officer, Todd Neibert, positioned his patrol car in front of the Prius as a precaution to prevent it from moving again.

Toyota recently issued widespread recalls due to problems related to the accelerator pedal in several of its auto models. One theory behind the sticky accelerators is the vehicles' floor mats.

But Sikes said "my mat was perfect. There was nothing wrong with my mat."

Sikes said he took his 2008 Prius into a local Toyota dealership about two weeks ago for service and gave workers there his recall notice. He said he was told his car wasn't on the recall list.

"I'll be back there tomorrow," he said Monday, visibly shaken up.

CHP spokesman Brian Pennings said the ordeal lasted just over 20 minutes.

"We are extremely thankful that there was a safe end to this," Pennings said.

A Toyota spokesman issued a statement Monday night saying the automaker had been notified of the incident.

"Toyota has dispatched a field technical specialist to San Diego to investigate the report and offer assistance," the statement said.

Source: CNN

Looking to make a million bucks? Well, all you have to do is figure out the root cause for unintended acceleration in vehicles. Edmunds.com said that it is going to offer $1 million to whoever (or a group of people) can figure out once and for all what’s causing the unintended acceleration issues in Toyota and other vehicles. Of course, you have to come up with a solution as well.

“We have heard compelling testimony from consumers. Many incidents are not fully addressed by recalls. NHTSA is responding to the challenge with more of what they have already done: additional investigations. Isn’t it time to try a different approach? We at Edmunds.com think so,” commented Edmunds.com CEO Jeremy Anwyl.

Edmunds.com is currently working on coming up with rules for a new prize in hopes to attracting the best thinkers in the world.

“‘Open source’ created a forum for great programmers to contribute in building great software. Let’s see if this kind of ‘crowd sourcing’ can work in the pressing area of automotive safety,” said Anwyl.

Source: eGMCarTech

General Motors is recalling 1.3 million compact cars, including the 2005-'10 Chevrolet Cobalt, the 2007-'10 Pontiac G5, the 2005-'06 Pontiac Pursuit sold in Canada and the 2005-'06 Pontiac G4 sold in Mexico, to replace a motor in the power steering system.

The recall announcement comes right after the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration ordered an investigation into about 905,000 Cobalt models in the U.S. after getting more than 1,100 complaints of loss of power steering assist, 14 crashes and one injury. GM's big recall also comes at a time when the spotlight has been trained on Toyota and its massive recalls and on a day when the Japanese automaker is due back before a U.S. Senate committee to explain the flaws in its vehicles.

GM did not spell out what the remedy is for the power steering problem in its compact cars, nor did it disclose a timetable for repairs. It also did not provide any contact information for concerned customers.

It noted in a statement that "while greater steering effort under 15 mph may be required, if the customer experiences loss of power steering assist, it is important to note that the vehicle can still be safely controlled because the customer can still steer the vehicle."

"After our in-depth investigation, we found that this is a condition that takes time to develop," said Jamie Hresko, GM vice president of quality.

Source: InsideLine

Akio Toyoda, who will appear before the House Committee tomorrow, has written a piece for the Wall Street Journal outlining steps the company is taking to set a new benchmark in automotive safety.

“The first step is taking care of vehicles on the road today, Toyoda said. “But it also means making even safer vehicles in the future—and being more open and transparent about any safety issues that arise.”

“I have personally placed the highest priority on improving quality, not quantity.” he said. “All Toyota vehicles bear my name. When cars are damaged, it is as though I am as well.”

Toyoda said that Toyota will be one of the first mass automaker to produce an advanced brake-override systems, which will be standard on all Toyota models worldwide. Known as the “Smart Pedal” braking system, the technology will automatically cut engine when the brake pedal and the accelerator pedal are pushed simultaneously.

“In short, I pledge that Toyota will set a new standard for transparency and speed of response on safety issues,” Toyoda said. “We also will strive to lead on advanced safety and environmental technologies.”

Source: eGMCarTech