Third-party batteries may be a cheaper alternative than going the official route, but they’re not always the best route to take when it comes to powering your expensive hardware. Such is the case with a batch of ATG replacement batteries for the Macbook Pro, which Best Buy is recalling due to a risk of catching
On June 4, Chrysler caught public attention by refusing to recall 2.7 million Jeep Grand Cherokees and Jeep Libertys after the NHTSA requested the auto maker issue a recall over potential fires in rear-end collisions. Chrysler refused, stating that the NHTSA’s conclusions were “based on an incomplete analysis” of the information. The manufacturer was given
Reports of a potential recall for Nintendo’s 8GB Wii U Basic starting cropping up yesterday morning, with sources indicating GameStop would no longer be selling the unit come mid-month. Now, CNET has just confirmed with the retailer that this is indeed taking place. On June 18th, all GameStop locations are expected to begin returns of any unsold Wii U Basic inventory. We’ve reached out to Nintendo for comment on the matter, but have yet to hear back. We’ll update this should more official details come to light.
Update: Nintendo offered Kotaku the following statement, attributable to Nintendo of America director of corporate communications Charlie Scibetta:
“There is a current misperception about Wii U hardware. To clarify: Nintendo is working with its retail partners to simply rebalance the stock of the White 8GB and the Black 32GB Wii U models in the market. Consumers looking for either model will continue to find them available.”
There’s been quite a few recalls throughout the past year, and Toyota isn’t new to them at all, as today’s recall is the company’s third major one in under a year. Toyota is recalling 242,000 Prius hybrids, as well as hybrids from the car maker’s Lexus division, specifically the HS hybrid. The problem seems to
Pull up a chair, folks, because it’s about to get good. After receiving a letter from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration recommending that Chrysler recall some 2.7 million Jeep models, the car maker has come forward to say that they do “not agree with NHTSA’s conclusions,” noting that “the subject vehicles are safe and
Ford is recalling 465,000 vehicles due to numerous complaints over a leak near the fuel tank. The recall affects a handful of 2013 models, including the Fusion, Flex, Explorer, Taurus, Interceptor Sedan, Interceptor Utility, and the Lincoln MKZ, MKS and MKT. So far, 600 complaints have been filed as of the end of March.
Furthermore, it’s said that the leak could start a fire, as Ford points out that the leak is near the “ignition source.” However, the company says that they have not received any reports of fires or accidents caused by the fuel leak. Details on exactly the cause of the defect haven’t been disclosed, not exactly how big the leak is.
420,000 of the recalled Ford vehicles are located in the United States, Canada and Mexico, while the rest are located overseas. The Ford Fusion was redesigned last fall and it’s actually one of Ford’s best-selling vehicles. However, it’s seen a handful of recalls since the car’s redesign that many owners probably aren’t too happy about.
The Fusion was recalled back in December over the possibility of spontaneous engine combustion from leaks that could’ve lead to a fire. Nearly 80,000 Ford Fusions were involved in that recall, with about 19,000 more Fusions recalled the previous month over a lighting issue. Along with today’s recall, Ford is also recalling 23 2013 Ford Fusions for a steering gear problem that could result in loss of steering control.
Here comes the unfortunate part, however. Ford says it has a limited supply of new fuel delivery modules that would fix the fuel leak, so some Ford owners will get replacements soon, while other owners will have to wait until September in order to line up for the fix. No word yet on whether or not Ford will offer loaner cars to individuals affected by the delay.
VIA: Reuters
Ford recalls 465,000 2013 vehicles over fuel tank leak is written by Craig Lloyd & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has announced that it’ll be opening up an investigation on Ford‘s F-150 pickup truck. They say that there have been 95 reports of F-150 trucks losing engine power after accelerating, especially when driving in humid or wet conditions. The truck’s motto, “built Ford tough,” might be put on hold while the NHTSA investigates the problem.
As for how many trucks are involved in the investigation probe, the administration says that 400,000 F-150 pickup trucks are at risk, consisting of model years from 2011 to 2013. Specifically, the issue mostly occurs when accelerating while already traveling at highway speeds, so if you’re were to speed up a bit in order to pass someone, that’s when the engine would suddenly cut off.
It’s said that Ford’s EcoBoost technology is to blame, and multiple Ford owners in several states have already filed lawsuits with Ford in federal court, claiming the EcoBoost engine technology is defective because the engine loses power during acceleration periods. That ongoing status of those lawsuits are unknown, but now that the NHTSA is investigating, the court cases may not last as long as initially thought.
EcoBoost is Ford’s new nomenclature for their line of engines that offer turbocharged performance when needed, and Ford claims EcoBoost can save 20% in fuel usage. Essentially, the engine lays low when light power is applied, but it detects heavy acceleration or if the driver needs the extra boost, that’s when the turbo kicks in. Most likely, the transition between these two elements is causing the sudden loss of power to the motor, although there’s no official word on what exactly is causing the issue.
Luckily, no accidents or injuries have been reported due to the problem, and Ford is said to be cooperating with the investigation. The initial investigation will last anywhere from six months to a year, so it’ll be a while before we hear anything from the NHTSA on the status of the analysis. Ford alone has received over 1,400 complaints about the issue, so it’s definitely not just an isolated problem.
VIA: Torque News
US government investigating Ford F-150 engine problems is written by Craig Lloyd & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.
General Motors has recalled more than 38,000 of their new hybrid vehicles over the possibility that a faulty circuit board in the trunk could potentially overheat and start a fire. The recall affects new Buick LaCrosse and Regal models, and Chevrolet Malibu Eco vehicles, all from the 2012 and 2013 model years.
Once the circuit board overheats, it can cause the cars’ 12-volt battery to drain and one of several indicator lights to turn on on the instrument panel, which means that owners will be aware of the issue when it happens. However, if drivers ignore the warning lights (which we all do sometimes, right?), the engine could eventually stall and start a fire in the trunk.
Thankfully, though, the issue doesn’t affect the rechargable lithium-ion battery that’s a part of the cars’ electric hybrid system. If you’re curious to know whether your specific car is or will be affected, General Motors says that most of the incidents reported have happened within the first 1,000 miles of driving with the cars. No accidents or injuries were reported.
We actually took a look at Buick’s latest LaCrosse and Regal hybrid models during the New York Auto Show back in March. These new models aren’t a part of the recall, as they’re the 2014 models. The new cars come with the company’s next-generation IntelliLink infotainment system, which we got our hands on as well.
[via LA Times]
GM recalls over 38,000 hybrids over fire hazard is written by Craig Lloyd & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.
BMW will be recalling some 220,000 vehicles over an airbag issue that causes the front passenger seat airbag from not inflating correctly due to a manufacturing defect in the airbag inflator. No reports of injuries or accidents have been reported, but officials say that the malfunction could cause a fire or passengers being injured by metal fragments shooting out of the airbag.
The recall affects BMW’s 3-series and M3 vehicles from 2002 to 2003, and according to data from the NHTSA, there are about 1.3 million of these vehicles in the US, with just over 42,000 of them being recalled, which means that only a small percentage of these cars are affected by the malfunctioning airbag.
The faulty airbags, made by Takata, were produced from April 2000 to September 2002 at one of the company’s plants in Washington state, according to the NHTSA. The propellant components in the airbag’s inflator may have been produced with an insufficient “compaction force,” leading to malfunctioning when the airbag is activated,
However, the recall most likely won’t affect all the cars involved. BMW spokesman Dave Buchko said that all five car manufacturers involved in the massive Takata recall, there was only about a small handful of improper deployments (around a dozen total) of airbags that have been reported among over 3.4 million vehicles affected.
[via Reuters]
BMW recalls 220,000 vehicles over airbag issue is written by Craig Lloyd & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.
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