Monday, October 29, 2012

BMW Recalls 45,000 7 Series Sedans

Today BMW (Bayerische Motoren Werke AG) announced the recall of 45,500 7 Series sedans built between 2005 and 2008 because the vehicles can roll away while parked. BMW reports that the automatic transmission does not remain in the "park" position because of a software issue on cars with keyless ignition and the "Comfort Access" package.

BMW has received complaints that the system will put the car into neutral if the button is pressed multiple times in succession. This can lead to increased risk of roll-away.

BMW will begin notifying owners in November but reports that an update to the software will not be available until March. This is the send recall for these cars in the last two weeks. Last week, BMW announced a recall that the doors may not latch due to a software issue on cars with "Comfort Access" and "Soft-Close Automatic Door options.

Thursday, October 4, 2012

Honda Recalls over 1.39 Million Accords, Civics and Pilots

Let me start by saying, I do not have a hatred for Honda. I actually admire the company even though I've done a few posts on them. I often get a lot of flack for pushing articles about Honda recalls or criticizing their cars. The truth of the matter is that, while I hate a fair amount of car manufacturers, Honda is not one of them.

Now that I have my rant out of the way, lets get to the latest in auto news with two Honda recalls. Over the last two-three years, Honda has recalled more cars than I can keep track of. This does concern me a bit when it comes to reliability but that is just me.

The first was on Monday when Honda added 572,000 '03-'07 Accord models to an active Acura campaign for leaking power steering pumps that can cause fluid to be sprayed in the engine compartment increasing the risk of a fire. Now for you owners involved, this recall will not go into effect until the beginning of next year because Honda cannot obtain enough parts to fix this recall. Honda will be sending out notices to owners about the issue and describing the symptoms. They advise that you bring the vehicle in for "interim repairs" if there is an issue. Basically, look for a smell from the seeping fluids. Also, if your car is really leaking fluid, you might hear a grinding type noise when the wheel is turning in either direction.

There is another recall out for 820,000 Civics and Pilots. If you have a 2002-2003 Civic or a 2004-2005 Pilot, there is a chance that the wiring of the headlight switch in cars may cause the low-beams to stop working. While Honda has said there were no reported accidents with this issue, this is not something to take lightly, especially if you drive at night.

If this recall sounds familiar to you, that's because it is. In March of 2012, Honda recalled 550,000 CR-V (2002-2004) and Pilot (2003 only) models for the same issue. This brings that recall alone up to 1.37 million cars.