GM recalls 5,000 vans for potential engine fires
Sales halted; owners advised to stop driving until fix is found
Chrissie Thompson
Automotive News
March 27, 2010 - 10:51 am EST
DETROIT -- General Motors Co. is recalling about 5,000 heavy-duty vans and stopping production and sales because of alternators that could cause engine fires.
The recall, announced just before midnight Friday, affects some 2010 Chevrolet Express and GMC Savana 2500, 3500 and 4500 Series built in February or March. Light-duty versions use a different alternator.
GM says that until it has a fix for the alternators, customers should stop driving the vans; park them outside, away from buildings or other vehicles; and disconnect both battery cables if possible.
Few of the vans are owned by retail customers.
“It's in the teens,” GM spokesman Alan Adler said. “We're calling the customers we know who have them.”
About 1,300 of the vans are in fleets, and GM's stop-sale order prevents people from renting them. Many vans are still on dealer lots or are awaiting export.
GM builds the vans in Wentzville, Mo., where 60 percent of the production is typically devoted to heavy-duty models.
Monday, March 29, 2010
Thursday, March 25, 2010
Honda Gets Aggressive With Pricing
Honda enters price war with Toyota
The automaker moves to preserve its market share amid aggressive sales incentives offered by its rival.
By Jerry Hirsch - LA Times
March 25, 2010
The auto price war is escalating with American Honda Motor Co. offering its biggest lease deal ever, a move analysts said was designed to offset aggressive sales incentives by rival Toyota Motor Corp.
What's unusual about this price war is that it is being fought the hardest by Japanese automakers, which historically have resisted using large incentives to sell vehicles.
Toyota fired the first volley when it announced a variety of discount financing and special lease deals this month in a move to regain market share in the U.S. after a series of embarrassing recalls.
"There is an irony in the fact that you have a price war launched by Toyota, which has never been reactionary before," said James Bell, an analyst with auto information company Kelley Blue Book. "They are playing the game other brands previously had to play to keep up with Toyota."
American automakers, by comparison, are showing restraint, if for no other reason that they don't have a lot of cash to burn on incentives, said Aaron Bragman, auto industry analyst at IHS Global Insight.
The discounting comes in the wake of a turbulent period of plunging sales for the automakers and bankruptcy restructurings for General Motors Co. and Chrysler Group last year. The industry has been working to wean itself from stimulating sales with large profit-trimming incentives.
"Any type of price competition hurts everybody's profits," said Shelly Lombard of Gimme Credit, a corporate credit research firm.
But moves by manufacturers to close factories and reduce expenses last year should make the companies less vulnerable to the current round of incentives because they have learned to make money on a lower sales volume, she said.
Honda has to act because it has the most shoppers who also consider buying Toyota vehicles and faces the "most competitive pressure," Lombard said. GM also is vulnerable because it has been supplanted by Ford Motor Co. as the biggest auto seller nationally and is still working to gain sales momentum after its bankruptcy reorganization. Ford, which "is on a roll," would be less vulnerable because it has fewer cross shoppers with Toyota, Lombard said.
Honda is offering lease promotions across all of its models -- the first time the automaker has had such a large incentive program. These include no down payment or security deposit, no money due for a month and waiving of any fees when the agreement is signed, spokesman Kurt Antonius said. The program runs until May 3, about a month longer than the current Toyota promotion.
"It just shows how slow the car business is," Antonius said.
Analysts said Honda had lost the most sales to Toyota.
"Honda needed to match [Toyota] to maintain its market share," Bell of Kelley Blue Book said.
Through mid-March, the Toyota incentives had allowed the company to build back market share lost to a continued recall and controversies over unintended acceleration in its vehicles, according to TrueCar.com, an auto pricing information company. Sales were running at about 15.5% of the market, the slice it held at this time last year.
Prior to offering its own incentives, Honda saw its share drop this month almost a full percentage point to 9.4%, TrueCar.com said.
Toyota's incentives may haunt it in future months, Bell said. The company has seen sales soar as bargain hunters and loyal customers stream into showrooms to take advantage of the deals, he said. But once that traffic runs out, Toyota faces the daunting task of selling to "people who are not loyal or who are skeptical of the brand," Bell said.
The automaker moves to preserve its market share amid aggressive sales incentives offered by its rival.
By Jerry Hirsch - LA Times
March 25, 2010
The auto price war is escalating with American Honda Motor Co. offering its biggest lease deal ever, a move analysts said was designed to offset aggressive sales incentives by rival Toyota Motor Corp.
What's unusual about this price war is that it is being fought the hardest by Japanese automakers, which historically have resisted using large incentives to sell vehicles.
Toyota fired the first volley when it announced a variety of discount financing and special lease deals this month in a move to regain market share in the U.S. after a series of embarrassing recalls.
"There is an irony in the fact that you have a price war launched by Toyota, which has never been reactionary before," said James Bell, an analyst with auto information company Kelley Blue Book. "They are playing the game other brands previously had to play to keep up with Toyota."
American automakers, by comparison, are showing restraint, if for no other reason that they don't have a lot of cash to burn on incentives, said Aaron Bragman, auto industry analyst at IHS Global Insight.
The discounting comes in the wake of a turbulent period of plunging sales for the automakers and bankruptcy restructurings for General Motors Co. and Chrysler Group last year. The industry has been working to wean itself from stimulating sales with large profit-trimming incentives.
"Any type of price competition hurts everybody's profits," said Shelly Lombard of Gimme Credit, a corporate credit research firm.
But moves by manufacturers to close factories and reduce expenses last year should make the companies less vulnerable to the current round of incentives because they have learned to make money on a lower sales volume, she said.
Honda has to act because it has the most shoppers who also consider buying Toyota vehicles and faces the "most competitive pressure," Lombard said. GM also is vulnerable because it has been supplanted by Ford Motor Co. as the biggest auto seller nationally and is still working to gain sales momentum after its bankruptcy reorganization. Ford, which "is on a roll," would be less vulnerable because it has fewer cross shoppers with Toyota, Lombard said.
Honda is offering lease promotions across all of its models -- the first time the automaker has had such a large incentive program. These include no down payment or security deposit, no money due for a month and waiving of any fees when the agreement is signed, spokesman Kurt Antonius said. The program runs until May 3, about a month longer than the current Toyota promotion.
"It just shows how slow the car business is," Antonius said.
Analysts said Honda had lost the most sales to Toyota.
"Honda needed to match [Toyota] to maintain its market share," Bell of Kelley Blue Book said.
Through mid-March, the Toyota incentives had allowed the company to build back market share lost to a continued recall and controversies over unintended acceleration in its vehicles, according to TrueCar.com, an auto pricing information company. Sales were running at about 15.5% of the market, the slice it held at this time last year.
Prior to offering its own incentives, Honda saw its share drop this month almost a full percentage point to 9.4%, TrueCar.com said.
Toyota's incentives may haunt it in future months, Bell said. The company has seen sales soar as bargain hunters and loyal customers stream into showrooms to take advantage of the deals, he said. But once that traffic runs out, Toyota faces the daunting task of selling to "people who are not loyal or who are skeptical of the brand," Bell said.
Thursday, March 18, 2010
Parts Availability for recalled Honda Models
Earlier this week Honda issued a recall for 2007-2008 Honda Odyssey minivans and Element SUVs. The recall has to do with extended travel of the brake pedal. In essence the pedal can feel mushy. Parts should become available for the fix by mid-April 2010. For specific information on certain models or to determine if a vehicle is affected, contact Walker Honda at 318-445-6677. Honda is mailing all customers later this week.
TOYOTA CONSIDERS ADDITIONAL RECALLS
Toyota Motor Corp. has told U.S. safety regulators it is considering how to fix nearly 1.2 million Corolla and Matrix models that risk stalling because of flaws in an electronic system.
In a letter to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Toyota said it wanted to meet U.S. officials to discuss an early-stage investigation of the stalling problem.
"Toyota does not believe that the alleged defect creates an unreasonable risk to motor vehicle safety," Toyota's regulatory affairs manager Chris Santucci said in the letter, which was dated March 2 and available on the NHTSA Web site on Wednesday.
The discussion of the engine stalling problem comes at a time when Toyota's safety record is under intense scrutiny. The automaker has recalled some 8.5 million vehicles globally this year, mostly for accelerator-related problems.
U.S. safety regulators and members of three congressional panels have criticized the Japanese automaker for moving too slowly to address consumer complaints of unintended acceleration and other safety concerns.
NHTSA opened a preliminary evaluation of Corolla stalling complaints in November.
Engine control module issues
The agency said then that it had received 26 complaints of engines stalling in Toyota Corolla and Matrix models because of failures in the engine control modules.
U.S. safety regulators said drivers reported the stalls happened "randomly" and some had occurred in highway driving or when drivers were passing through intersections.
Toyota said it did not believe drivers would have any "prior warning" that the engine was about to stall because of a glitch with the engine's electronic control unit, or ECU.
But Santucci said Toyota had concluded it would be better for the engine to stall than "become damaged or dangerous," putting it at risk of "catastrophic failures" or "fire."
"Toyota would like to meet with the agency to discuss this issue," Santucci said in the letter.
Toyota said it believed the ECU could malfunction because of a crack in soldered joints in the unit or because of an electrical short. Both conditions could cause the engine to shut down without warning or fail to start, it said.
The stalling problem affects 1.19 million Corolla and Matrix models from the 2005, 2006 and 2007 model years, Toyota said.
GM checking Vibes
The Matrix is sister vehicles with General Motors Co.'s Pontiac Vibe. The automakers built the Vibe at their former joint-venture NUMMI plant in Fremont, Calif. The Vibe also was part of Toyota's floor mat and accelerator pedal recalls that included the Matrix, which is built at Toyota's plant in Cambridge, Ontario.
GM spokesman Alan Adler said GM is assessing the engine-stalling situation.
In a letter to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Toyota said it wanted to meet U.S. officials to discuss an early-stage investigation of the stalling problem.
"Toyota does not believe that the alleged defect creates an unreasonable risk to motor vehicle safety," Toyota's regulatory affairs manager Chris Santucci said in the letter, which was dated March 2 and available on the NHTSA Web site on Wednesday.
The discussion of the engine stalling problem comes at a time when Toyota's safety record is under intense scrutiny. The automaker has recalled some 8.5 million vehicles globally this year, mostly for accelerator-related problems.
U.S. safety regulators and members of three congressional panels have criticized the Japanese automaker for moving too slowly to address consumer complaints of unintended acceleration and other safety concerns.
NHTSA opened a preliminary evaluation of Corolla stalling complaints in November.
Engine control module issues
The agency said then that it had received 26 complaints of engines stalling in Toyota Corolla and Matrix models because of failures in the engine control modules.
U.S. safety regulators said drivers reported the stalls happened "randomly" and some had occurred in highway driving or when drivers were passing through intersections.
Toyota said it did not believe drivers would have any "prior warning" that the engine was about to stall because of a glitch with the engine's electronic control unit, or ECU.
But Santucci said Toyota had concluded it would be better for the engine to stall than "become damaged or dangerous," putting it at risk of "catastrophic failures" or "fire."
"Toyota would like to meet with the agency to discuss this issue," Santucci said in the letter.
Toyota said it believed the ECU could malfunction because of a crack in soldered joints in the unit or because of an electrical short. Both conditions could cause the engine to shut down without warning or fail to start, it said.
The stalling problem affects 1.19 million Corolla and Matrix models from the 2005, 2006 and 2007 model years, Toyota said.
GM checking Vibes
The Matrix is sister vehicles with General Motors Co.'s Pontiac Vibe. The automakers built the Vibe at their former joint-venture NUMMI plant in Fremont, Calif. The Vibe also was part of Toyota's floor mat and accelerator pedal recalls that included the Matrix, which is built at Toyota's plant in Cambridge, Ontario.
GM spokesman Alan Adler said GM is assessing the engine-stalling situation.
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
Honda Recalls Odyssey Vans and Element SUV
From Automotive News Online MArch 16, 2010
Honda Motor Co will recall about 412,000 vehicles in the United States to address the risk that brake pedals may feel soft and slip closer to the floor over time.
The recall covers about 344,000 Odyssey minivans and 68,000 Element SUVs for the 2007 and 2008 model years and follows customer complaints over the issue, Honda said in a statement.
On some of the vehicles, air could enter the unit that controls braking and stability system, which may result in the "soft brake pedal" or "low brake pedal" after months or years, the company said.
Honda spokesman Chris Martin said several crashes and three minor injuries have been reported to the U.S. Transportation Highway Safety Administration regarding the problem.
"Although not all vehicles being recalled are affected by this issue, we are recalling all possible units to assure all customers that their vehicles will perform correctly," Honda said.
The recall comes at a time of public and regulatory scrutiny over vehicle safety issues in the wake of damaging safety problems involving Toyota Motor Corp vehicles.
For more information or to set up an appointment to get your vehicle repaired, Contact Walker Honda at 318-445-6677
Honda Motor Co will recall about 412,000 vehicles in the United States to address the risk that brake pedals may feel soft and slip closer to the floor over time.
The recall covers about 344,000 Odyssey minivans and 68,000 Element SUVs for the 2007 and 2008 model years and follows customer complaints over the issue, Honda said in a statement.
On some of the vehicles, air could enter the unit that controls braking and stability system, which may result in the "soft brake pedal" or "low brake pedal" after months or years, the company said.
Honda spokesman Chris Martin said several crashes and three minor injuries have been reported to the U.S. Transportation Highway Safety Administration regarding the problem.
"Although not all vehicles being recalled are affected by this issue, we are recalling all possible units to assure all customers that their vehicles will perform correctly," Honda said.
The recall comes at a time of public and regulatory scrutiny over vehicle safety issues in the wake of damaging safety problems involving Toyota Motor Corp vehicles.
For more information or to set up an appointment to get your vehicle repaired, Contact Walker Honda at 318-445-6677
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
Nissan Recalling 598,000 Trucks
Nissan is recalling about 598,000 trucks, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. The Nissans are being recalled for two problems, which in a few cases means two repairs on the same vehicle. The first recall involves about 179,000 vehicles because the brake pedal could become “partially disengaged” from its bracket. The recalled vehicles are the 2008–10 Titan, Armada and Infiniti QX56 and the 2008–9 Quest minivan. The second recall covers almost 419,000 vehicles on which the fuel gauge could show there is a quarter tank of fuel when the tank is, in fact, empty, the automaker told the safety agency. The vehicles affected in this second recall are the 2005–8 Titan, Armada and QX56, as well as some 2006 and 2008 Frontiers, Pathfinders and Xterras. For more information contact your local dealer or check the NHTSA web page.
Friday, March 5, 2010
Continued Complaints of Sudden Acceleration By Toyota Owners
Reproduction of Articel From Automotive News.
Neil Roland
Automotive News
March 4, 2010 - 12:01 am EST
WASHINGTON -- U.S. regulators are investigating 10 recent cases in which owners of recalled Toyota vehicles say they brought their cars in for repair and yet still experienced unintended acceleration.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has started contacting consumers about these complaints “to make sure Toyota is doing everything possible to make its vehicles safe,” agency chief David Strickland said in an e-mailed statement on Wednesday.
A recurrence of unintended acceleration, even after sticky gas pedals and obtrusive floor mats have been addressed by dealers, would suggest there may be other causes of the loss of speed control in Toyota vehicles.
“We are confident that Toyota vehicles are safe, and we're doing everything we can to ensure that our customers are satisfied with the repairs we are making,” Toyota spokesman Brian Lyons said in an e-mail.
Lyons said Toyota has asked NHTSA for the information needed to contact customers with post-repair complaints.
Toyota's top executives have repeatedly denied that electronic throttle-control systems may interfere with acceleration, most recently at a Senate Commerce Committee hearing Tuesday. The company has hired the Exponent consulting firm to look into the matter further.
Since October, Toyota has recalled more than six million U.S. vehicles for unintended acceleration. The causes were attributed either to sticky gas pedals or to floor mats that entrap pedals.
The Safety Research & Strategies consulting firm reported this week that four Toyota customers complained to NHTSA last month of recurring unintended acceleration, even after their vehicles were recalled and repaired.
In one case, the owner of a 2008 Toyota Avalon reported Feb. 25 that a few days after a recall, the driver had the car in reverse and was slowly backing out of a residential carport when it accelerated on its own, the Safety Research report said.
“The car did about three loops around the garage area of the home, causing damage to the car, benches, tree, bushes, lamp post, etc.” the report said.
The owner of a 2010 Camry reported that within a week of its Feb. 12 acceleration fix, the car sped up as the driver was entering a parking space.
“I was pressing the brake,” the complainant said, according to Safety Research. “I jammed both feet into the brake. After three seconds, as my car was climbing up a snow bank, it stopped.”
The complainant added: “The fix done by Toyota is not the fix for the acceleration problem.”
Said Toyota's Lyons: “We have rigorously tested the solutions that Toyota engineers have developed, and are aggressively investigating any complaints.”
Neil Roland
Automotive News
March 4, 2010 - 12:01 am EST
WASHINGTON -- U.S. regulators are investigating 10 recent cases in which owners of recalled Toyota vehicles say they brought their cars in for repair and yet still experienced unintended acceleration.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has started contacting consumers about these complaints “to make sure Toyota is doing everything possible to make its vehicles safe,” agency chief David Strickland said in an e-mailed statement on Wednesday.
A recurrence of unintended acceleration, even after sticky gas pedals and obtrusive floor mats have been addressed by dealers, would suggest there may be other causes of the loss of speed control in Toyota vehicles.
“We are confident that Toyota vehicles are safe, and we're doing everything we can to ensure that our customers are satisfied with the repairs we are making,” Toyota spokesman Brian Lyons said in an e-mail.
Lyons said Toyota has asked NHTSA for the information needed to contact customers with post-repair complaints.
Toyota's top executives have repeatedly denied that electronic throttle-control systems may interfere with acceleration, most recently at a Senate Commerce Committee hearing Tuesday. The company has hired the Exponent consulting firm to look into the matter further.
Since October, Toyota has recalled more than six million U.S. vehicles for unintended acceleration. The causes were attributed either to sticky gas pedals or to floor mats that entrap pedals.
The Safety Research & Strategies consulting firm reported this week that four Toyota customers complained to NHTSA last month of recurring unintended acceleration, even after their vehicles were recalled and repaired.
In one case, the owner of a 2008 Toyota Avalon reported Feb. 25 that a few days after a recall, the driver had the car in reverse and was slowly backing out of a residential carport when it accelerated on its own, the Safety Research report said.
“The car did about three loops around the garage area of the home, causing damage to the car, benches, tree, bushes, lamp post, etc.” the report said.
The owner of a 2010 Camry reported that within a week of its Feb. 12 acceleration fix, the car sped up as the driver was entering a parking space.
“I was pressing the brake,” the complainant said, according to Safety Research. “I jammed both feet into the brake. After three seconds, as my car was climbing up a snow bank, it stopped.”
The complainant added: “The fix done by Toyota is not the fix for the acceleration problem.”
Said Toyota's Lyons: “We have rigorously tested the solutions that Toyota engineers have developed, and are aggressively investigating any complaints.”
Wednesday, March 3, 2010
Nissan Recalls 539,000 Vehicles
Nissan Motor Co., Japan’s third- largest automaker, will recall 539,864 vehicles to check and fix potentially faulty parts in models sold mainly in the U.S. Nissan will inspect and fix brake-pedal pins in 2008-2010 model year Titan pickup trucks, Quest minivans and Armada and Infiniti QX56 sport-utility vehicles, the company said in an e- mailed statement. The Yokohama-based carmaker will also check and fix fuel gauges in 2005-2008 model year Titans, Armadas and QX56s, as well as Frontier pickups and Pathfinder and Xterra SUVs produced from January to March 2006 and October 2007 to January 2008. From Bloomberg News
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
0% on GMC Vehicles
GMC is offering a 0 percent/60-month financing program on most of its 2010 model vehicles, its head of sales said today.
GM reported a 12 percent U.S. sales gain for February in a market that rose 13 percent.
The program will cover GMc Trucks and the Acadia. about This is an opportunity to launch GMC Truck Month which has traditionally been in March each year. The incentives also give APR's as low as 1.9 and 2.9% on some Buick models.
The plan also includes 0 percent/72-month financing for remaining 2009 model inventory which covers about 97 percent of GM's 2009 models. Contact Walker Automotive at http://www.walkerautomotive.com/ or 318-445-6421 for more information on low financing rates and other programs that may apply.
GM reported a 12 percent U.S. sales gain for February in a market that rose 13 percent.
The program will cover GMc Trucks and the Acadia. about This is an opportunity to launch GMC Truck Month which has traditionally been in March each year. The incentives also give APR's as low as 1.9 and 2.9% on some Buick models.
The plan also includes 0 percent/72-month financing for remaining 2009 model inventory which covers about 97 percent of GM's 2009 models. Contact Walker Automotive at http://www.walkerautomotive.com/ or 318-445-6421 for more information on low financing rates and other programs that may apply.
GM Recalling Chevy Cobalt and Pontiac G-5
From: Automotive News
March 2, 2010 - 1:46 am EST
DETROIT (Reuters) – General Motors Co. is recalling 1.3 million compact cars in North America to address a power steering problem that has been linked to 14 crashes and one injury, the company said on Tuesday.
U.S. safety regulators opened an investigation on Jan. 27 into approximately 905,000 Cobalt models in the United States after receiving more than 1,100 complaints of power steering failures. The complaints included 14 crashes and one injury.
The recall covers the 2005-2010 model year Chevrolet Cobalt and 2007-2010 Pontiac G5 in the United States; 2005-2006 Pontiac Pursuit sold in Canada, and the 2005-2006 Pontiac G4 sold in Mexico, GM said in a statement.
GM said it told the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration about the voluntary recall on Monday after concluding its own investigation that began in 2009.
GM said the affected vehicles can be still be "safely controlled" but it may require greater steering effort under 15 mph (24 kph). Drivers will see a warning light and hear a chime if the power steering fails.
"After our in-depth investigation, we found that this is a condition that takes time to develop. It tends to occur in older models out of warranty," GM Vice President of Quality Jamie Hresko said in the statement.
"Recalling these vehicles is the right thing to do for our customers' peace of mind," he said.
GM said it is currently developing a remedy to fix the problem and will notify customers when the plan is finalized.
March 2, 2010 - 1:46 am EST
DETROIT (Reuters) – General Motors Co. is recalling 1.3 million compact cars in North America to address a power steering problem that has been linked to 14 crashes and one injury, the company said on Tuesday.
U.S. safety regulators opened an investigation on Jan. 27 into approximately 905,000 Cobalt models in the United States after receiving more than 1,100 complaints of power steering failures. The complaints included 14 crashes and one injury.
The recall covers the 2005-2010 model year Chevrolet Cobalt and 2007-2010 Pontiac G5 in the United States; 2005-2006 Pontiac Pursuit sold in Canada, and the 2005-2006 Pontiac G4 sold in Mexico, GM said in a statement.
GM said it told the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration about the voluntary recall on Monday after concluding its own investigation that began in 2009.
GM said the affected vehicles can be still be "safely controlled" but it may require greater steering effort under 15 mph (24 kph). Drivers will see a warning light and hear a chime if the power steering fails.
"After our in-depth investigation, we found that this is a condition that takes time to develop. It tends to occur in older models out of warranty," GM Vice President of Quality Jamie Hresko said in the statement.
"Recalling these vehicles is the right thing to do for our customers' peace of mind," he said.
GM said it is currently developing a remedy to fix the problem and will notify customers when the plan is finalized.
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