online auto brochure-Recall Alert: 833,000 Honda and Acura Vehicles Honda is expanding an earlier recall for a faulty airbag inflator that could deploy with too much pressure, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. This is a serious defect that has resulted in one fatality since the recall was announced in 2008; it was expanded in July 2009 and again in February 2010. The fatality prompted the company to investigate more models, and today Honda added some 2001-03 Honda and Acura models that need to be checked. Although the newly added models weren’t originally equipped with the defective airbag sensor, some of the vehicles may have inadvertently received it during collision repairs or other vehicle service repairs. Recalled models now include the 2001 and 2002 Honda Accord and Civic; 2002 Honda Odyssey; 2002 and 2003 Honda CR-V; selected 2002 and 2003 Acura 3.2 TL; and 2003 Acura 3.2 CL vehicles. This raises the total number of recalled vehicles to about 833,000. Honda will notify owners later this month. Owners can bring their vehicles to dealers for repairs as soon as they receive the letter. Dealers will replace the airbag inflator for free. Owners may contact Honda at 800-999-1009, or Acura at 800-382-2238, or NHTSA’s vehicle safety hotline at 888-327-4236. Honda also has a recall website for owners and so does Acura. Recall Alert: 2010 Hyundai Tucson Hyundai is recalling 7,829 Tucson crossover SUVs from the 2010 model year because the reflectors in the rear bumper do not meet federal safety standards, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. In the affected vehicles, the rear reflectors may not reflect enough light. This could make the rear of the vehicle difficult to see, increasing the risk of a crash. The vehicles in the recall were built between Feb. 27 and April 17, 2010; you can find the build date of your car by looking at a sticker on the driver-side doorjamb. The recall is expected to begin next month. Dealers will replace the rear reflector assemblies at no charge. For more info, owners can call Hyundai at 800-633-5151 or NHTSA’s vehicle safety hotline at 888-327-4236. Recall Alert: 2010 Hyundai Santa Fe Hyundai is recalling 6,169 Santa Fe crossover SUVs from the 2010 model year because the drivetrain could become damaged, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. The recall, which is similar to the recall of the 2011 Kia Sorento (below), affects front-wheel-drive models equipped with a 2.4-liter engine and an automatic transmission. In these vehicles, the intermediate shaft may be misaligned with the right-side output gear. This could lead to a whirring or whining noise and excessive wear. Continuing to drive the vehicle in this condition could cause the loss of motive power (steering and braking systems are not affected) and increase the risk of a crash. The vehicles in the recall were built between Oct. 15, 2009 and March 5, 2010. You can check your vehicle’s build date on a sticker located on the driver-side doorjamb. Owners will be notified next month. Dealers will replace the right-side output gear and intermediate shaft for free. For more info, call Hyundai at 800-633-5151 or NHTSA’s vehicle safety hotline at 888-327-4236. Recall Alert: 2011 Kia Sorento Kia is recalling 12,690 Sorento crossovers from the 2011 model year because the drivetrain could become damaged, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. The affected vehicles are front-wheel-drive models equipped with a 2.4-liter engine and an automatic transmission. In these vehicles, the intermediate shaft may be misaligned with the right-side output gear. This could lead to a whirring or whining noise and excessive wear. Continuing to drive the vehicle in this condition could cause the loss of motive power (steering and braking systems are not affected) and increase the risk of a crash. The vehicles in the recall were built from the start of production through May 22, 2010. You can check your vehicle’s build date on a sticker located on the driver-side doorjamb. Owners will be notified this week. Dealers will replace the right-side output gear and intermediate shaft for free. For more info, call Kia at 800-333-4542 or NHTSA’s vehicle safety hotline at 888-327-4236. Recall Alert: 2004-07 Kia Spectra Kia is recalling 58,322 Kia Spectra sedans from the 2004-07 model years because the straps that hold the fuel tank may corrode, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.  The recall affects Spectra LD vehicles originally sold or currently registered in Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, West Virginia, Wisconsin and the District of Columbia.  In the affected vehicles, road salt may cause the fuel-tank straps to corrode. If one or both straps separate, the fuel tank may fall from the vehicle and hit the ground, causing a fuel leak.  The recall is expected to begin in June. Dealers will replace the fuel-tank straps and attaching hardware with new zinc-coated parts at no charge. For more info, owners can call Kia at 800-333-4542 or NHTSA’s vehicle safety hotline at 888-327-4236. 

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Do you have a heated windshield wiper system on your 2006-2009 GM vehicle? If so, it’s likely part of a wide-ranging recall of 1.36 million vehicles, including 18 models of Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, GMC, Hummer and Saturn cars, trucks and SUVs. The defect is a new one, and it follows a previous recall of the same system in the same vehicles. So if you’ve already had one recall performed on the heated windshield wiper system, this is another you’ll need to address because this system may still have significant heat and melting issues that could lead to a fire. GM will be removing these systems completely from the vehicles and reimbursing owners $100. New heated windshield wiper systems will not be reinstalled; GM no longer offers this option on new vehicles. The recall will begin on or before Monday. In the meantime, do not use the system. The recalled vehicles include: • 2008-2009 Buick Enclave • 2006-2009 Buick Lucerne • 2008-2009 Cadillac CTS • 2006-2009 Cadillac DTS • 2007-2009 Cadillac Escalade • 2007-2009 Cadillac Escalade ESV • 2007-2009 Cadillac Escalade EXT     • 2007-2009 Chevrolet Avalanche • 2007-2009 Chevrolet Silverado 3500 • 2007-2009 Chevrolet Suburban • 2007-2009 Chevrolet Tahoe • 2009 Chevrolet Traverse • 2007-2009 GMC Acadia • 2007-2009 GMC Sierra • 2007-2009 GMC Yukon • 2007-2009 GMC Yukon XL • 2006-2009 Hummer H2 • 2007-2009 Saturn Outlook For more information, affected owners can call Buick at 866-608-8080, Cadillac at 866-982-2339, Chevrolet at 800-630-2438, Saturn at 800-972-8876, GMC at 866-996-9463 and Hummer at 800-732-5493. You can also visit GMownercenter.com. Owners also can call NHTSA’s hot line at 888-327-4236.

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After the big week of Congressional testimony, Toyota has announced it will create two new executive positions in the U.S. — both focusing on quality. The idea is to make the giant automaker more responsive when potential safety issues…

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