2001-2002 Ford Escape Recalled For Potential Fire Hazard
Hot on the heels of recalling the Ford Freestar and Mercury Monterey minivans, Ford Motor Company has issued another recall -- this time for the Ford Escape SUV.
A bulletin from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration explains that the Escape recall is due to a faulty brake master cylinder reservoir cap. In certain cases, that cap can leak brake fluid, which may drip down onto the wiring that controls the anti-lock braking system. Over time, the leak may cause corrosion of the electrical connectors, which could result in melting of the wires, or in some cases, a fire.
The recall affects Ford Escapes from the 2001 and 2002 model years that were manufactured between October 22, 1999 and July 19, 2002. The NHTSA says that some 244,530 SUVs are included in the recall, which is related to a larger investigation of Ford Escapes and Mazda Tributes from the 2001 - 2004 model years.
This recall will roll out much faster than the one for the Freestar and Monterey. Owners of affected vehicles should expect to receive notification on or shortly after January 23. However, Ford says that the parts necessary to repair the Escape may not be available quite so quickly. If that's the case, Ford will ask Escape owners to park their vehicles outside until parts arrive -- presumably to ensure that potential fires don't spread to garages and other structures.
If you believe that you own one of the affected vehicles, we encourage you to contact your local dealer, or call Ford's Customer Relationship Center at 866-436-7332 and ask about recall 11S24. Alternately, you can ring the NHTSA at 888-327-4236 and inquire about recall campaign #12V005000.
This story originally appeared at The Car Connection
Toyota Camry, Audi S8: Top Targets For Car Theft
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has released new data on U.S. car theft, and the statistics aren't especially surprising. According to the report, more Toyota Camrys were stolen than any other vehicle in America, but performance models like the Audi S8 actually had the highest rate of theft.
The data comes from 2009 (the NHTSA is still crunching numbers from 2010), and if you're the sort of person who enjoys poring over spreadsheets, this is a fascinating way to spend your Friday afternoon. The NHTSA ranked vehicles according to their rates of theft, and at the very top of the list, we find the 2009 Audi S8.
If you own a 2009 S8, however, you likely weren't a victim: just two of the 227 units manufactured that year were stolen. However, because the NHTSA ranks vehicles by their rate of theft per 1,000 vehicles produced, the S8's theft rate is magnified to 8.81. A similar effect put the 2009 Ford Shelby GT and 2009 BMW M5 in the #2 and #3 spots, with five and two thefts, respectively.
In terms of sheer volume, though, more 2009 models of the Toyota Camry/Solara were stolen than any other car produced that year. That's probably to be expected, though, because more 2009 Toyota Camrys and Solaras were manufactured than any other car: in all, thieves drove off with 781 of the 447,882 units Toyota made. Because of the high production rate, though, the theft rate for the Camry/Solara was just 1.74 per 1,000.
Clocking in at #2 was another Toyota -- the 2009 Corolla -- with 632 of 363,515 units stolen. The 2008 Chevrolet Impala came in at #3, with 499 units stolen out of 183,769 produced.
That said, there were plenty of 2009 models that thieves missed altogether. Some are no-brainers, like the 2009 Bentley Azure (just 66 units produced), the 2009 Lotus Exige (27 produced), and the 2009 Spyker C8 (18 produced). Others are a little more curious: for example, despite being fairly popular rides, no baddies thought to nab a 2009 Mazda Miata (4,293 produced) or a 2009 Volvo XC90 (6,806 produced)?
CONCLUSIONS
As with any compilation of data, this one raises as many questions as it answers. For example, since calendar years and model years don't neatly align, we have to wonder how many 2009 models were stolen in 2008? Or in 2010, for that matter? Is the 2009 Camry more desirable than other model years? And what about trucks and SUVs, which were mostly left off the NHTSA's list?
One thing we know for sure is that car theft rates are slipping. In 2009, the average was 1.33 vehicles stolen per 1,000. That's down 21.3% from the rate of 1.69 thefts per 1,000 that the NHTSA recorded in 2008.
Why the drop? The NHTSA attributes it to "increased use of standard antitheft devices (i.e., immobilizers), vehicle parts marking, increased and improved prosecution efforts by law enforcement organizations and increased public awareness measures".
But what about you: have bad guys (or gals) tried to run off with your car? Were they successful? And if not, why not? Drop us a line with the details, or leave a note in the comments section below.
This story originally appeared at The Car Connection
Gas Prices Fueling Price Spike On High-Mileage Hybrids, Small Cars
Gasoline prices are on the rise. And as surely as we can say that more Americans will start putting half-tanks into their cars and complaining loudly about the extra $20 or so a month they'll need to shell out—and schemes like drilling into fuel tanks emerge—let the rush on small cars resume.
According to GasBuddy.com, the U.S. average retail price is about $3.53—that's up nearly 40 cents from a month ago—and they've already climbed nearly 35 cents in March due to the political turmoil.
And in this almost farcical, yet predictable turn—yes, it does seem that U.S. motorists have a very short-sighted take on the energy market—small cars and hybrids are suddenly looking like the stars of the showroom again. Even though hundreds or thousands might be lost in the trade.
It's a trend that's already being noted by the National Automobile Dealers Association (NADA) and its NADA Used Car Guide. According to them, auction prices for used vehicles are up one to 3.7 percent during February, with compact cars up the most overall—about 3.1 percent on average—and SUVs among those with the smallest gains. For compacts, that's a huge jump in a single month, and an indicator that used-car shoppers are scrambling for more fuel-efficient cars. And in price-pinching cases such as this, it's likely some major changes in the new-car market aren't too far behind.
Civic, Prius prices spike
According to NADA, citing AuctionNet used-car sales data, some small cars (like the Honda Civic and Chevrolet Cobalt, they cite) are poised for increases of up to six percent in March as truck prices have stabilized at a time of year when they would normally rise somewhat.
They're also seeing prices rise for used hybrids such as the Toyota Prius. Prices on the Prius have settled a couple of years, yet so far this year they've risen again, with cars at auction earning about $1,700 more through February, compared to November 2010. NADA points to a price spike just over the past week.
"Because of the recent spike in fuel prices, values for used compact and mid-size cars are increasing dramatically compared to the rest of the market," said Jonathan Banks, executive automotive analyst for the NADA Used Car Guide. And with production disruptions in Japan, from the recent earthquake-and-tsunami disaster, Banks expects that prices for compact and mid-size cars will keep rising.
Not an about-face, like 2008
But even with those factors, Banks doesn't think that prices will swing quite as dramatically as they did in 2008. "Barring an extreme increase in gas prices driven by a potential domino effect in other Middle East and North African countries, it's unlikely that used-vehicle prices will experience the extreme volatility seen in 2008," he said.
We've seen with past price upswings that it's volatility, not the prices themselves, that scare shoppers into other types of vehicles. Last year prices continued a gradual rise, but there was never a rapid price spike like this and consumers remained largely attached to larger vehicles. While prices remain far below the $4.13 national average they reached in June 2008, the price swing of recent weeks might have been enough to scare drivers back to the showroom.
What would it take to get you to seriously think about downsizing or moving to a more fuel-efficient vehicle?
[NADA]
This story originally appeared at The Car Connection
2011 Honda Accord, GM Crossovers Given Five-Star Safety Ratings
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), which oversees the federal government's vehicle crash-test program, has added a few more results to its set of completely revamped (and retested) 2011 model-year ratings.
And for all the models added this time—the 2011 Buick Enclave, 2011 Chevrolet Traverse, 2011 GMC Acadia, and 2011 Honda Accord—it's good news. Five-star good news.
The Traverse, Acadia, and Enclave, which are closely related structurally, were awarded four-star ratings for frontal protection and rollover, and five-star ratings for side protection, but they still earned an Overall Rating of five stars. Frontal ratings included top five-star protection for a male driver but four-star protection for a (smaller) female passenger.
The 2011 Honda Accord fared even better, with five stars in all test categories—including the new side pole test as well as front and rear side barrier force measurements.
But the top rating isn't quite the icing on the cake for Honda. The Accord doesn't have a perfect record in tests from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), however; it's earned top 'good' ratings from the IIHS in frontal offset and side tests but only an 'acceptable' score in the new roof strength test.
The IIHS have applied top 'good' frontal and side-impact test results to the 2011 Enclave, Acadia, and Traverse, but it hasn't yet tested those models for roof strength.
[SaferCar.gov, via Kicking Tires]
This story originally appeared at The Car Connection
Feds: Millions Of Fords Recalled For Fire Risk Haven’t Been Fixed
Millions of Ford Motor Co. [NYSE:F] vehicles covered by a recall for faulty cruise-control switches haven't yet been fixed, warns the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).
The federal agency this week issued a repeat caution concerning millions of vehicles—some of them up to 18 or 19 years old—potentially affected by the defect, which could cause vehicles to catch fire even when turned off and unattended.
Ford has recalled about 17.5 million vehicles in all, over many years and several separate recall expansions, to replace the switches, but NHTSA is concerned that not enough of them have been fixed.
The agency estimates that "there may be several million vehicles still on the road with the dangerous defect."
The newest vehicles covered by the recalls include the 2004 Ford F-150 Lightning, and Ford F-150 and Excursion models through 2003. A number of other models running through the 2002 model year are covered (see below).
NHTSA made clear that Ford was not to blame for the fact that so many of the vehicles remain unfixed: "Ford Motor Company has been diligent in contacting owners of the affected vehicles, including sending re-notification letters
to owners in many cases," they said in a release.
The federal agency is concerned that as more of these vehicles enter the used market, shoppers won't be aware as to whether or not the repair was ever done. To check if the vehicle you've purchased or are thinking of getting is affected by the recall—and if it's been fixed yet—go to http://www.ford.com/owner-services/customer-support/recall-information.
"Possible warning symptoms include a cruise control system that can't be activated or stops working; brake lights that stop working; low brake fluid; ABS and brake warning lights that are illuminated on the dashboard; or the inability to get a vehicle out of park."
Here's the full list of vehicles affected by the recall:
1992-2003 Ford E Series (all including Econolines)
1992-1998 Ford Crown Victoria / Mercury Grand Marquis / Lincoln Town Car
1993-2003 Ford F-Series (150-550)
2003-2004 Ford F-150 Lightning
2002-2003 Lincoln Blackwood
1993-1997 Ford F-Series (>8500GVW Diesel)
1999-2003 Ford F-Series (>8500GVW Diesel)
1993-1995 Ford Taurus SHO
1993-1998 Lincoln Mark VIII
1993-1996 Ford Bronco
1994-2002 F53 Motorhome
1994 Mercury Capri
1995-2003 Ford Ranger
1995-2002 Ford Explorer
2001-2002 Ford Explorer Sport & Sport Trac
1995-2002 Mercury Mountaineer
1995-2003 Ford Windstar
1997-2002 Ford Expedition
1998-2002 Lincoln Navigator
1998-2002 Mazda-B-Series
2000-2003 Ford Excursion
[NHTSA]
This story originally appeared at The Car Connection
Drivers At Fault In So-Called Sudden Acceleration Toyotas, NHTSA Says
Despite ominous news reports of cars careening out of control, there's no substitute for data. And now it looks like many reported cases of so-called "sudden acceleration" in Toyotas are actually due to driver error.
That's the preliminary conclusion coming from investigators at the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) who analyzed dozens of event-data recorders, or "black boxes," from Toyota models that had crashed.
Black box: Accleration, not braking
The recorders showed that despite drivers' claims that they were pressing the brakes as hard as they could, in fact the accelerators were floored and the brakes were never applied.
That is exactly what happened in the March crash of a 2005 Toyota Prius in the New York City suburb of Harrison, N.Y. There, a 56-year-old housekeeper swore she was braking as hard as she could when the car raced across a busy road, slamming into a stone wall.
In that case, the NHTSA statement all but used the words driver error, saying that the car's onboard computer systems "indicated there was no application of the brakes, and the throttle was fully open."
We've seen this before
The latest conclusions, reported by the Wall Street Journal but not officially confirmed by the agency, involved data recorders selected at random by the agency, not Toyota [NYSE:TM].
The NHTSA has not yet issued a formal statement, saying it will wait to complete a longer study before commenting. But the conclusions are not unexpected among auto-safety experts. Few believe that "sudden acceleration" in the Prius or any other car is possible.
Back in 1989, the agency concluded that drivers were also at fault in so-called "sudden acceleration" cases involving Audi 5000 sedans. That was three years after a notorious documentary.
Misfiring neurons
But how can a driver believe she is braking when in fact she has the accelerator floored? The University of California-Los Angeles professor Richard Schmidt, who teaches psychology, writes, "The trouble, unbelievable as it may seem, is that [it] is very often caused by drivers who press the gas pedal when they intend to press the brake."
The culprit is "noisy neuromuscular processes," in which a limb does something slightly different from what the brain has asked it to do. In this case, the driver's foot may extend at a different angle than the body expects.
Compounding the problem
Panic then exacerbates the situation, with drivers pressing even harder on their "brake" pedals. Which of course keeps the accelerator floored and often leads to a crash.
That said, a handful of cases may have been due to oversize or improperly fitted floor mats in Toyota and Lexus vehicles. The company is now working through millions of vehicles to shorten and modify their accelerator pedals to alleviate the potential for such a problem.
That was the conclusion of the investigation into a notorious crash last August, in which a California Highway Patrol officer and three other passengers were killed when their Lexus accelerated out of control, crashed, flipped over, and burned.
That case is the only one out of more than 3,000 complaints in which the NHTSA has concluded the vehicle was at fault.
This story originally appeared at The Car Connection
Toyota Recalls Another SUV For Stability Control Issue
Toyota Motor Sales has announced a recall of about 50,000 Sequoia sport-utility vehicles from the 2003 model year for an issue with the electronic stability control system.
An issue with the control unit's program logic could cause the stability control to activate at low speed (about 9 mph, Toyota says) when not needed, after accelerating from a stop, resulting in acceleration that's slower than intended.
Only about 50,000 Sequoias from the early part of the 2003 model year are affected by the recall, and in fall 2003 Toyota had issued the first of several Technical Service Bulletins. Since then, the automaker says it has been responding to owners by replacing the skid control engine control unit (ECU) on a case-by-case basis.
Meanwhile, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) opened its own investigation on the Sequoia about 18 months ago, according to the New York Times, and the government agency has gathered 153 complaints regarding the issue.
"There have been no reported injuries or accidents as a result of this condition," Toyota says.
This is Toyota's second stability-control-related issue in the past month. Just a couple of weeks ago Consumer Reports noted an unexpected handling behavior in a test Lexus GX 460 that led Toyota to suspend the model's sales and then recall it for a stability control issue.
Electronic stability control (ESC, or VSC in Toyotas) is now widely offered and standard on most new cars and trucks, but in 2003 is was relatively uncommon. However several automakers, including Toyota moved to install the device through most of their sport-utility models well before required by the federal government. The measured phase-in by the federal government, requiring stability control on 100 percent of vehicles by 2012, requires all automakers to have the device on 75 percent of their 2010 models, 95 percent of 2011 models, and 100 percent of 2012 models.
ESC is especially useful in averting accidents, injuries, and deaths due to rollover in taller vehicles that could potentially be tripped by the combination of a loss in control plus a dropoff, a change in surface, or a barrier such as a curb.
For the most recent recall effort, beginning in late May Toyota will mail letters to all owners with 2003 Toyota Sequoia models affected by the issue. Or owners can call 800-331-4331.
The automaker says that if a customer has previously paid to have the ECU replaced, Toyota will consider reimbursement.
This story originally appeared at The Car Connection
U.S. Transportation Chief: Don’t Drive Recalled Toyotas
In a House Appropriations panel hearing this morning Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood stated that his own advice to owners of the 2.3 million Toyota vehicles recalled due to potentially sticky accelerator pedals would be to not drive them at all.
Up until now, Toyota—and the official recall advisory—has only recommended that owners of affected vehicles should pay attention to the way in which the accelerator pedal operates.
"While we are aware of no deaths or injuries due to this condition, consumers should take the following steps prior to receiving the recall remedy," the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) states in a consumer advisory released Monday. "Owners of these vehicles should pay attention to the operation of their accelerator pedals. If their accelerator pedal is harder to depress than normal or slower to return, it may be a precursor to a stuck pedal."
If the accelerator becomes sluggish to return or feels different, owners should park the vehicle and call the dealer immediately (shifting to neutral and coming to a safe stop prior to shutting off the engine).
Now, based on LaHood's statement, it might seem that the best thing to do is park the vehicle altogether.
But Toyota still maintains otherwise. Just before we posted this piece, Toyota released a counterstatement saying that "the situation is rare and generally does not occur suddenly." The company asserted, "In the rare instances where it does it occur, the vehicle can be controlled with firm and steady application of the brakes."
"If you are not experiencing any issues with your pedal, we are confident that your vehicle is safe to drive," declared Toyota.
UPDATE: Later in the day, LaHood has retracted his earlier comment, releasing the following official statement: "I want to encourage owners of any recalled Toyota models to contact their local dealer and get their vehicles fixed as soon as possible. NHTSA will continue to hold Toyota's feet to the fire to make sure that they are doing everything they have promised to make their vehicles safe. We will continue to investigate all possible causes of these safety issues."
Several sources have reported over the past several days that the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is reinvestigating the possibility that electromagnetic interference might cause such an issue. Toyota phased in electronic throttle systems (called ETCS-i in most cases), on most of its U.S. vehicles between 2002 and 2005
More details are also emerging about the days leading up to the recall. U.S. Department of Transportation officials reportedly flew to Japan to encourage the company to speed up its effort to recall and fix the issue. LaHood said that the administration is considering civil penalties against Toyota, and he is planning to call Toyota president Akio Toyota to assure that the company in Japan is doing everything it can to solve the issues in the U.S. A House Oversight and Government Reform Committee hearing will be held on the recalls February 10.
According to the Wall Street Journal, Toyota told its U.S. dealers that it will be sending payments of $7,500 to $75,000 to each dealership to help cover extended service hours as well as other customer services surrounding the recall.
NADA Brokering Deal To Reinstate Some Chrysler, GM Dealers
Not so long ago, congress considered forcing Chrysler and General Motors to reinstate dealers eliminated from their networks during their respective restructurings. Today, those legislative efforts may have stalled, but the National Automobile Dealers Association is pushing hard to address the elimination situation in another way.
Specifically, NADA wants Chrysler and GM to disclose their criteria for cutting 2000+ dealers from their rolls. If the automakers do so -- and if they agree to an arbitration arrangement -- NADA and a committee of terminated dealers will evaluate eliminations one by one and reinstate any that exceeded Chrysler/GM's termination thresholds. Dealers that aren't reinstated after the review can appeal to an arbitration panel, which will consist of one rep from the auto company in question, one rep from the terminated dealer, and a third-party agreed upon by the first two. The arbitration panel will consider not only the elimination criteria set out by the automaker, but also additional factors like the dealership's financial viability. The panel's decision will be binding.
So far, the only groups that have signed onto the proposal are NADA and the Committee to Restore Dealer Rights, which consists entirely of terminated dealers. Neither Chrysler nor GM are officially onboard, but given the choice between arbitrated reinstatement on a case-by-case basis or a federal law forcing reinstatement across-the-board, we think we know which they'll prefer.
Side note: arbitration should also please taxpayers, who won't have to endure all the posturing and brimstone that typically accompanies this sort of contentious legislation. Nor will we shoulder the cost of any resulting lawsuits under federal law. Which is great, since it seems like we're going to be losing a lot of money on the bailout and restructuring anyway.
[AutoNews, sub req'd]
This story originally appeared at The Car Connection
For The Love Of…Cuteness, Buy A Car! NADA Gets Down to Begging
The National Automobile Dealers Association (NADA) has rolled out a national ad campaign relying, quite simply, on the cuteness of kids.
The print ads depict adorable tykes (or rugrats) discussing how their lives have improved since mommy and daddy bought a new car and rely on sweet-as-sugar but oh-so-transparent tag lines including:
"My mommy says we're gettin' a new car for free!"
"We get to buy more video games 'cuz my dad got this car."
"We got a new car and Mommy says now we don't gotta pay taxes!"
"My dad says he just stoled this truck!"
As those phrases hint, the new print, TV, radio, and Internet effort highlights the tax break that new-car buyers can get this year, and the great financing deals and low prices that can now be found at dealerships. On the TV ads, an announcer says that buying a new car right now "just makes sense."
This is part two of a NADA 'Buy Now' campaign, targeting financially stable consumers who need new cars "but are scared to make a move because of all the economic indicators," according to Cheril Hendry, CEO of the ad agency Brandtailers. The NADA has so far convinced hundreds of local media outlets to run the ads for free, as a sort of Public Service Announcement.
So forget about those cold feet, and buy a car. Please?!
This story originally appeared at The Car Connection
