Auto Trends

originally uploaded by iQoncept

After Toyota’s big recall announcement earlier this month, a couple more have popped up from both Ford and Nissan.

Nissan Tire Monitoring System
The Nissan recall could become as many as 143,000, and the problem appears to be the tire-pressure monitoring system. It seems that over a season or two of heavy road salt and water, the sensor nut can become corroded, causing the inflation sensor to fail, which means that the driver will have no idea that they have a flat. Well, I imagine that loud thumping sound outside the window might be a pretty good indicator.

The recall notices won’t be sent out until the beginning of November, but the primary vehicles involved will be the 2008 Nissan Rogues, 2009 Nissan Muranos, 2009 Nissan Cubes, and 2008-10 Infiniti M35s/M45s. So far, there are about 20 heavy snow states looking to be the primary concern for the recall, but if you live in a snowy area and feel that you have a few suspect (corroded) PSI monitor/sensor nuts, Nissan will replace them as part of their service campaign if they are found to be faulty.

The only real danger here, is if you fail to keep an eye on your own tires. Computer gadgetry is great, but you should still keep an eye on your tire pressure and check it regularly with a good tire gauge. Ford on the other hand has a bit of a larger recall, affecting a total of 16 million vehicles over this past decade, although this round will only be 4.5 million.

Ford Cruise Control
It’s the same problem that Ford has been having for awhile now; Leaky cruise control switches that could have a tendency to catch fire under certain circumstances. The vehicles under question this month are the 1995-2003 Windstar minivans. The Excursions (diesel), F-Super Dutys (diesel), Econolines, Explorer/Mountaineers, Rangers, and F53 Motorhome vehicles appear to be unaffected by the switch so far.

Ford says that the switches should not be considered an extreme danger by any means, but has chosen to err on the side of caution. What happens, is the switch can leak brake fluid, causing the unit to overheat. In the worst case scenario, the leak can run into the anti-lock brake system, causing a fire in that area as well.

Luckily the first signs of problems with the switch, shouldn’t go unnoticed. The symptoms begin with a malfunctioning cruise control or brake light system, that can also lead to the brake and/or ABS warning lights on the dashboard illuminating. Expect notifications from Ford to go out later this month (October 26) through December.

2010 Lexus IS 350C - interior, originally uploaded by Zane Merva - AutoInsane.com

A few weeks ago we reported on the largest Toyota recall in history, covering 3.8 million of their vehicles, including the 2007-2010 Camry, 2005-2010 Avalon, 2004-2009 Prius, 2005-2010 Tacoma, 2007-2010 Tundra, 2007-2010 Lexus ES350, 2006-2010 Lexus IS250, and IS350. The problem behind these recalls is a floor mat which is a bit to large for the floor board area, which can cause it to snag on the accelerator, forcing unwanted acceleration.

The idea behind an accelerator becoming stuck is nothing new. There was even a made-for-TV movie based on such a phenomenon, many years ago. These threats have changed a bit over the years. Back in the days of old, not only was the petal capable of becoming jammed underneath a carpet, but there were also cases of the carburetor itself jamming under full acceleration.

Today’s vehicles, with their fuel injection and computer technology have less chance of becoming jammed, but a pedal becoming snagged on the carpet, or jammed by a maladjusted floor mat is always a danger. Toyota has found this out the hard way, and while they have told consumers to remove their mats for the time being and not to replace them, they still have to come up with a permanent solution.

Toyota has already declined the possibility of replacing each of the suspected defective floor mats with a redesigned mat. Instead they are considering installing new software. How it would work, is the accelerator and brake pedal would both be monitored by the vehicles inboard computer while driving. If at anytime during active acceleration, the computer senses the brake is also being applied, it will shut down the accelerator in favor of the brakes.

Quite simply, the brake system takes precedence over the accelerator. There are a couple manufacturers who have been using this drive-by-wire technology for several years now, such as BMW, Volkswagen, and Audi. BMW in fact, has a slightly more complex system which allows the driver to hold the brake while accelerating, as long as the vehicle is not in motion (power braking, spinning out, hard launching, showing off, etc.). Once the vehicle is moving however, the accelerator and brake will not work simultaneously.

Toyota would become one of the few manufacturers in the world who incorporate this type of software as part of their standard safety equipment. This could put a bit of a positive spin, on what has been a very negative few weeks for Toyota’s consumer morale.

Source: New York Times

Tacoma Sale 018, originally uploaded by roverboy

Toyota has announced today that it will be recalling a total of 3.8 million of its vehicles, including the 2007-2010 Camry, 2005-2010 Avalon, 2004-2009 Prius, 2005-2010 Tacoma, 2007-2010 Tundra, 2007-2010 Lexus ES350, 2006-2010 Lexus IS250, and IS350.

Their greatest number of recalls prior to this was nearly 900,000 vehicles in 2005, due to front suspension defects on their Tacoma, Tundra, Sequoia, Landcruiser, and 4-Runner (May 2001- December 2003).

The 2005 issue was a serious issue involving the ball joints which tended to wear quicker than expected, causes steering issues, that could lead to a loss of control of the vehicle. Today’s recall, is a serious one, yet involves such a simple fix, that just about any consumer should be able to handle this one on their own.

The process of recall repair is as simple as these three steps:

1. Walk out to Toyota vehicle and open drivers side door.

2. Reach down and grab the drivers-side floor mat, and yank it out.

3. Do not put mat back in vehicle!

This simple recall is due to an issue reported by Toyota that involves the drivers-side mat binding itself underneath the accelerator pedal, causing it to snag and interfere with normal vehicle operation (mainly, unwanted acceleration). These accessory mats are reportedly too large for the floor area, and have already caused four occupant deaths in at least one Lexus ES.

This will be Toyota’s largest recall in its history as an automotive manufacturer, and could very well also be one of the simplest recall fixes in history! Of course, this do-it-yourself fix is only temporary, as Toyota will replace the mats once the recall notices are official. How much this will cost Toyota is unknown, but the real fear is how much it could damage their brand recognition for the future.

Source: The Car Connection