Recalls

The voluntary recall has been issued for the Santa Fe diesels over the risk of a fuel leak and possible fire. Hyundai Australia issued the voluntary recall on 9000 Santa Fe 2.2-litre R diesels built between September 1, 2009 and December 13, 2011.The defect involves a lack of clearance between the engine cover assembly and fuel return hose which could cause wear in the hose, leading to a fuel leak and the risk of fire. However, company spokesman Ben Hershman says not every vehicle will be affected. "There have been no incidences of any problems caused by this issue in Australia to date," he says. "Owners should present the car to their dealer who will inspect all hoses and replace any if there are signs of wear," he says."They may also install a small clip to the return fuel hose to act as an additional protection barrier removing the possibility of interference." Owners of affected vehicles will be contacted by letter. Meanwhile, Toyota has issued a voluntary safety recall of 22 RAV4 vehicles over a possible steering problem. The recall involves a defect in a prototype instrument panel reinforcement or steering column support bracket which may have been installed in some RAV4 vehicles.A welded section in the bracket could separate, causing noise. In the worst case, steering operation may be affected. There have been no reported incidents in Australia. Owners of the affected vehicles will be notified by telephone and mail. Any authorised Toyota dealer will replace the unit with a new one at no charge to the owner.

While 299,000 vehicles have been recalled around the world, it affects only 7181 Volkswagens and 85 Skodas in Australia.The diesel vehicles affected are VW Golf, Jetta, Passat, Tiguan and Transporter, and Skoda Octavia and Superb built between 2009 and 2011.VW Group Australia spokesman Karl Gehling says there have been no incidents of diesel leaks reported here."We are proactively contacting owners of vehicles covered by this recall and directing them to take their vehicle to the nearest dealer for the affected parts to be replaced," he says.The fault occurs at certain engine revs where there is excessive vibration causing a crash in the injector line. This can lead to a fuel leak and although diesel fuel is less flammable than petrol, there is still an increased risk of fire in the engine bay.The company has not issued a safety recall in Australia since 2007.

High performance versions of the Mini Cooper are being recalled worldwide to fix an engine problem that could potentially start a fire.More than 235,000 of the turbocharged Cooper S models built between 2006 and last year are being recalled worldwide to remedy a secondary water pump fitted to cool down the turbocharger.The company has global reports of just over 80 water pump failures and four fires as a result, but BMW Australia and local authorities have deemed the program here to be a technical service campaign,Mini Australia spokesman Piers Scott says just over 3700 Cooper S (of which one may have experienced the smoldering engine bay issue) and John Cooper Works vehicles built between 2006 and 2011 are effected in Australia."This was deemed to be a technical campaign, in-line with similar campaigns conducted in the past," he said.Mr Scott said the use of the term `recall' overseas to describe the issue."It is the Department of Infrastructure and Transport that we liaise with locally and they would advise us if it were to be a safety Recall.""There is no less urgency under a technical campaign - replacement parts are now in the country and Mini Australia has already begun contacting affected customers," he said.The worldwide recall of 235,000 cars includes 29,868 in the UK and 89,000 in the US and involves replacing the water pump free of charge.The company head office said that the turbocharged engines are fitted with an additional water pump to remove residual heat from the turbocharger after the engine was switched off."Under high operating temperatures an electro-migration can occur at the circuit board installed in the additional water pump," it said."This can lead to a failure of the additional water pump or smoldering and even a fire cannot be excluded."More than 200,000 Minis are built each year at the company's Oxford plant, where production started in 2001and recently passed two million vehicles built - the car is exported to more than 90 countries.The turbocharged engine is shared with Citroen and Peugeot, but both French companies said there engines employed different electrical systems.

More than 24,000 cars sold in Australia are potentially at risk of a power steering failure, with two cases already reported. Cars covered by the recall, all built in 2004 and 2005, will have the crankshaft pulley on the front of their engine replaced. "The Avalon and Camry V6 were built at our Altona factory but it is  not a manufacturing fault," Toyota spokeswoman Laura Hill said."The crankshaft pulley was supplied by a Japanese component provider and we  will be replacing that part on the affected cars. It takes about 90 minutes for the service staff to complete the job."She said Toyota has identified the problem as insufficient glue being applied to the outer ring of the crankshaft pulley, which could allow movement that would dislodge the drive belt for the power steering.The fault can cause noises from the engine bay and the charging system warning light to illuminate and, in the worst-case scenario, the driver would need much more force than normal to turn the steering. Hill said there have been no reports of steering failure in Australia."We've had one case of a Kluger owner noticing the charge light came on and a Lexus owner has reported the same issue," she said. Toyota Australia said the safety recall was a preventative action and customers can continue to drive their vehicles.The announcement continues a horror year for the world's biggest carmaker, which will lose its place at the top of the global sales charts to Volkswagen and could even slip to third behind General Motors. It has also recently withdrawn its earning forecast.Toyota's production was savaged by the March earthquake and subsequent tsunami in Japan and that was compounded by recent floods in Thailand that are still affecting vehicle production.Toyota's renowned reputation for reliability has been hammered in the past two years by a succession of recalls related to "unintended   acceleration". More than three million vehicles were returned to Toyota dealerships in the US to fix accelerator pedals that stuck or could potentially be caught in floor mats.In Australia, more than 4800 Lexus IS250s were recalled in February to remedy a potential fuel leak due to a fuel pressure sensor that could work loose and there was an earlier recall for computer tweaks to overcome a braking problem in the Prius hybrid.Recall vehicle numbers: 24,222Toyota Camry V6: 11,235Toyota Avalon: 3591Toyota Kluger: 6966Lexus ES300: 365Lexus RX330: 2065

An airbag defect has led to the recall in the US of 38,444 vehicles. But the defect with the Australian-made Pontiacs, built from November 2, 2007 and January 22, 2009 - is unique to the left-hand drive car. Holden spokesperson Emily Perry says the recall of the left-hand drive cars was attributed to their specific airbag and seatbelt calibrations.The problem does not affect the Commodore or the Australian-made Caprice model being made for police duties in the US. Holden says it started an investigation into the airbag problem on January 19 this year and subsequent tests found an anomaly.Specifically, it says the airbag might not adequately protect a "fifth-percentile female anthropomorphic test device in a 30mph (48km/h) frontal barrier test (where it) exceeded the head injury criteria requirements of the standard".The US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has put out a statement - based on Holden's test results - saying the Pontiac G8 may have a passenger-side airbag flaw that may prevent proper deployment in certain circumstances."With the front passenger seat positioned full forward, the seat position sensor will cause a 30 milliseconds deployment delay between the first and second stages of the dual-stage frontal passenger air bag," it says. A fifth-percentile female is listed as a woman who is about 1.5m tall and weighs about 49kg.The test results do not apply to men or children. Pontiac has subsequently been closed down but US owners of the G8 will be able to have the airbag repaired at any GM dealer.

The trucks, including the top-selling F-150, are being recalled because straps that secure fuel tanks can corrode and allow the tanks to fall.The defect has led to three fires and one injury in the US. The recall covers 1.1 million pickup trucks, including F-150s from model years 1997 to 2004; F-250s from model years 1997 to 1999; and Lincoln Blackwoods from model years 2002 to 2003.No Australian vehicles are included in the notice.Ford earlier this year recalled more than 1 million F-150s for defects that could prevent the airbags from deploying properly.

The Japanese car maker - already experiencing supply and manufacturing issues following the eartquake and tsunami in Japan - has recalled 45,524 of it popular Accord Euro sedans after a fault was identified in the engine bay.The recall notice said "prolonged high under-bonnet temperatures may cause the power steering hose to deteriorate prematurely" which could cause cracks and a leak from the hose. "Power steering fluid could leak onto a hot exhaust and could produce smoke and a burning smell, with the potential for an under-bonnet fire," the notice said.  Honda Australia national public relations manager Mark Higgins said the recall was effecting Australian-retailed vehicles, of which the company has sold more than 54,000 in the recall timeframe."There have been a couple of customers who have reported at a service that there's been a little bit of smoke in the engine bay that they have smelt and noticed, there have certainly been no fires - it's a simple replacement of a power steering hose to fix the problem," Mr Higgins said.The recall covers the model line-up from 2003 until 2008.  The Accord Euro recall is the company's fourth for 2011 - earlier this month the Civic Hybrid was recalled over a fuse short.The City Sedan and Jazz Hatch were recalled in February over an engine stalling problem and the Jazzz hatchback was recalled in January for a headlight problem.  Honda has closed all its production facilities but Mr Higgins said the Australian branch of the company had sufficient Japanese-sourced vehicle stock on the ground here and there were no parts shortages."There are no issues with replacement parts coming from Japan, the latest update on our situation is that production is closed until April 3 and there will be a decision made after that," he said.Honda Australia said it was contacting effected owners by mail and was advising them to contact an authorised Honda Dealership to have the power steering feed hose replaced.

My Ford Ranger was one of those affected by the recall of the cruise control, and while I received notification of the recall by registered mail I believe that an e-mail message, mobile phone call, or an SMS should be the norm when safety is compromised like this. In a twist I took my vehicle to my dealer to have the cruise control disconnected, but received a call to advise that Ford had advised them that the cruise control was to be completely removed and not disconnected as previously advised, and that I would receive a refund of the cost of the cruise control. I directed them not to attend to my vehicle as I purchased the vehicle with a cruise control and will not have it completely removed for obvious reasons of non replacement, onus on myself etc. I called Ford?s customer service regards my actions and was advised the dealer was ill-advised and that Ford were obliged to have it repaired or replaced. Only Rangers sold from Feb 4, 2011 and unsold vehicles are to have the cruise control removed. I had the customer service person call the dealer while I held the line to ensure the communication was immediately conveyed. I then called the dealer to ensure the communication from Ford Aust was understood. The cruise control will only be disconnected. How come the customer had a sense of urgency and rectified the situation within 15 minutes when ?skilled? professionals are paid to do the job.

... as Toyota sweeps up the dregs from its 'unintended acceleration' crisis.The action comes after a Federal investigation revealed the major source of trouble was incorrect and faulty floor mats, which had the potential to trap the vehicle's accelerator pedal.Toyota USA has now negotiated a voluntary recall on a range of vehicles built since 2006, including the Lexus GS, RX and LX, as well as the Toyota RAV4 and 4Runner.The total number of vehicles involved is just over 2.1 million, with most to get modified or replacement mats and retention clips.But there will be no impact in Australia, which has a different right- hand drive pedal layout and different floor mats."There is no impact here. No cars in Australia are affected," a Toyota spokesman said yesterday.

The US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration - which is as close to God as bureaucratically possible - has teamed up with NASA - also known to fly close to God - and dumped on accusers who have tried to sue Toyota for sticky accelerator pedals.After a 10-month investigation requested by Congress, the two authorities has found no evidence of electronic problems in runaway Toyotas.Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood yesterday released a statement saying: "The jury is back. The verdict is in. There is no electronic-based cause for unintended high-speed acceleration in Toyotas. Period".NASA examined more than 280,000 separate lines of code embedded in the electronics of potentially affected Toyotas. None contained any flaws capable of causing runaway acceleration, says the report.Toyota in 2010 was the only major carmaker to report falling sales and some blame on the result has been put on the recall crisis. Its 2010 sales fell 0.4 per cent as the total US market grew 11.1 per cent. In January this year, Toyota sales lifted to equal growth of other carmakers but this was achieved by heavy discounting.US officials have been investigating 89 deaths that may be associated with sudden acceleration in Toyota and Lexus vehicles. Authorities have definitively linked only a few of the fatalities to the problem, including four deaths in a Lexus in California in August 2009 that was blamed on a jammed floor mat.Though this week's reprieve is a relief for Toyota, the company isn't completely of the hook."Our conclusion - that Toyota's problems were mechanical, not electrical - come after one of the most exhaustive, thorough and intensive research efforts ever undertaken," says LaHood.The "mechanical problems" - that is, sticky accelerator pedals and pedals that got trapped under faulty floor mats - "remain the only known causes for these kind of unsafe unintended acceleration incidents", says the NHTSA.Now it's up to how the courts and the public view the findings.Toyota says it "welcomed" the findings and "appreciate the thoroughness of their review"."We believe this rigorous scientific analysis by some of America's foremost engineers should further reinforce confidence in the safety of Toyota and Lexus vehicles," Toyota says. "We hope this important study will help put to rest unsupported speculation about Toyota's ETCS-i (electronic throttle system), which is well-designed and well-tested to ensure that a real world, un-commanded acceleration of the vehicle cannot occur."The findings also support Toyota's position that it had identified and fixed the only known safety problems related to two massive recalls in 2009 and 2010. The NHTSA now says driver error may be behind many complaints.