My Road Safety

Nissan Motor Co’s passenger car venture in China will recall 153,065 Teana sedans in China from June 12 to fix faulty engine pipes.

A sedan car is a passenger car with two rows of seats and adequate passenger space in the rear compartment for adult passengers. The vehicle usually has a separate rear trunk (boot in British English) for luggage, although some manufacturers such as Chevrolet, Tatra, and Volkswagen have made rear-engined models. It is one of the most common body styles for modern automobiles.

The sedans sold in China were made by Nissan’s joint venture with Dongfeng Motor Group Co between July 1, 2004, and April 18, 2008, the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine said on its website.

The agency said the defect could cause the engine to die, affecting vehicle safety.

Guangzhou Toyota Motor Company says it has submitted a file to the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine of China, applying for a recall of Camry cars to replace a vacuum booster.

Guangzhou Toyota says it has filed an application of voluntary recall, aiming to call back the cars affected and replace the faulty vacuum pumps for the car owners, free of charge. Toyota plans a six-month period to fix the problem for all the cars involved.

On March 21, China’s CCTV television network reported that many car owners had complained to Toyota about brake failures in Camry cars, saying that the problem may endanger their lives. It is learned that about 260,000 Camry cars, which were mainly manufactured between May 2006 and March 2008 suffer from the problem.

Guangzhou Toyota says that they adopted a new and more durable vacuum pump for Camry cars manufactured after March 3, 2008. The company states that it choose to replace the said part for consumers instead of recalling the cars saying that it is a minor problem.

The Toyota Camry is a mid-size car, formerly a compact car manufactured by Toyota since 1980. The name “Camry” comes from a phonetic transcription of the Japanese word kanmuri, which means “crown”, a tradition started with the Toyota Crown in the 1950s, and continued with the Corolla and Corona, which are also Latin words for “crown”. It is an anagram for “my car”.

For the East and Southeast Asian markets, high specification Camry models are seen as executive cars. Since the sixth generation XV30 model, the Camrys sold in these markets have sported revised front- and rear-end treatment. For the seventh generation XV40 series, the same was done, although the Australian-designed Toyota Aurion which is based on the seventh generation Camry was the donor model. The Aurion features revised front- and rear-end treatment and changes to the interior, but is fitted with the same powertrains. An up-branded luxury version of the Camry was sold in Japan as the Toyota Windom until 2006; the related Lexus ES shares major chassis and drivetrain components with the Camry.

In the United States, the Camry has been the best selling car for nine of the last ten years starting in 1997, with the only exception being 2001. The Camry also sells very well in Australia, Canada, and a number of Asian markets—in particular Cambodia where the vast majority of cars are Camrys. Despite its success, it has been criticized for less sporty handling, due to comfort-tuned suspensions in most models. It has not sold as well in Europe, where sales ended in 2004, and the Avensis became the flagship model in 2002.

FAW-Volkswagen Automotive Co., Ltd. on April 3 began a nationwide recall of 17,059 New Bora sedans due to their engine cover’s flaws, Guangzhou Daily reported, citing China’s quality supervisor.

The recalled New Bora cars, including the 1.6L and 2.0L models, were manufactured between August 12, 2008 and January 6, 2009, with the car bodies numbered from LFV3A215383000013 to LFV2A215693000200, according to the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine (GAQSIQ).

The quality supervisor GAQSIQ said the reason for recalling these New Bora cars is that the sedan’s engine cap is difficult to open or shut and in some extreme case the engine cover couldn’t be completely locked or closed, which may give rise to safety hazards. The flaw is believed to be caused by the cap’s mis-adjustment during the manufacture of these sedans.

The Volkswagen Jetta is an automobile produced by German automaker Volkswagen since 1979. Positioned to fill an upscale saloon/sedan niche above the firm’s compact/small family car Golf offering, it has been known over its five generations variously as the Atlantic, Bora, City Jetta, Fox, GLI, Sagitar, or Vento. The name Jetta was derived from the Jet stream, continuing Volkswagen’s tradition of naming cars for various winds.

The model’s sedan body style was developed in partial response to Volkswagen’s observation that the North American market preferred that traditional configuration over the Golf’s then unconventional hatchback layout. The new saloon was marketed as a somewhat more luxurious car than its tailgated brethren, with nicer interior trim and a higher price. This proved to be wise on Volkswagen’s part, as the Jetta became the best-selling European car in the United States, Canada, and Mexico.

Over the years, the car has been offered in two and four-door sedan and five-door station wagon variants. As of 2005, over 6.6 million cars have been sold worldwide, over one-third in the United States alone. Since the original version in 1980, the car has grown in size and power with each successive generation.

Dodge is recalling about 72,000 2008 and 2009 model year Dodge Ram trucks due to a malfunctioning windshield wiper.

A defect notice filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration explains, “The windshield wiper module motor assembly may be susceptible to water intrusion that could result in partial or complete loss of windshield wiping capability.”

Dodge dealers will inspect the vehicles, and if necessary, replace the windshield wiper assembly free of charge. Those who wish to make their own repair arrangements may contact Dodge at 800-853-1403.

The Dodge Ram is a full-size pickup truck from Chrysler LLC’s Dodge brand. The name was first used in 1981 on the redesigned Ram and Power Ram, though it came from the hood ornament used on 1930s and ’40s Dodge vehicles.

Dodge Ram trucks have been named Motor Trend magazine’s Truck of the Year twice: the second-generation Ram won the award in 1994, and the third-generation Ram Heavy Duty won the award in 2003. The truck is in its fourth generation as of the 2009 model year.

The Ram is built at Saltillo Truck Assembly in Saltillo, Coahuila, Mexico; Saint Louis Assembly North in Fenton, Missouri, United States; and Warren Truck Assembly in Warren, Michigan, United States.

Mitsubishi has filed a report to the Chinese General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine of China in which it says that it will recall 9,390 imported Outlander EX and Lancer EX cars for testing and maintenance.

The problematic cars include 9,108 2.4L imported Outlander EX produced between November 7, 2007, and December 5, 2008, and 282 imported Lancer EZ produced between October 3, 2008, and November 20, 2008.

It is understood that the brake vacuum servo of the cars could fail to function because of defects in an internal valve.

Outlander, very favorably received in the Japanese and North American markets, is going to go on sale in China in January 2007 with the name Outlander EX.

Outlander EX is the same as the North American market Outlander and will be powered by a new high performance, low emission, low fuel consumption 3-liter V6 MIVEC*2 engine, coupled to a 6-speed automatic transmission to deliver outstanding acceleration and high-speed cruising performance. Fully embracing Mitsubishi Motors’ All Wheel Control (AWC) concept, Outlander EX uses Mitsubishi’s electronically controlled 4WD system that continuously distributes front/rear wheel drive torque in an optimal way according to conditions.

Outlander sits on a next-generation platform that features enhanced stiffness and crashworthiness, together with an aluminum roof panel that lowers the center of gravity; this reduces roll inertia, improves steering response and handling, and reduces body roll and stagger without impacting ride quality. Outlander EX boasts a high level of specification, including a split tailgate that enhances convenience and loading ease. A spare tire is fitted as standard for the Chinese market.

The Mitsubishi Lancer is a small family car built by Mitsubishi Motors. It has been known as the Colt Lancer, Dodge/Plymouth Colt, Chrysler Valiant Lancer, Chrysler Lancer, Eagle Summit, Hindustan Lancer, Soueast Lioncel, Mitsubishi Carisma, and Mitsubishi Mirage in various countries at different times, and will be sold as the Galant Fortis in its home market from 2007. It has also been sold as Lancer Fortis in Taiwan with a different facelift compared to Galant Fortis from September 15, 2007.

Since its introduction in 1973 over six million Lancers have been sold.