Kia, Toyota and Porsche Issue Recalls

Kia will recall nearly 80,000 Sedona minivans from the 2006-12 model years because of a problem that could cause steering failure, the automaker informed the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Toyota and Porsche will also conduct smaller recalls, according to reports the two companies filed with the agency.

In the report Kia posted on the agency’s website, the automaker said the front control arms could rust and possibly break, causing the driver to lose control of the vehicle.

Kia said it was not aware of any crashes or injuries related to the problem, but several owners who filed complaints with N.H.T.S.A. said they lost control of their vehicles when a control arm failed.

“Vehicle quickly became unsteerable,” one owner wrote in a complaint filed on Nov. 20. “If this sudden failure had occurred moments earlier with my kids on the way to school and on the highway this could have been a much worse result.”

The recall covers vehicles originally sold or currently registered in Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, West Virginia, Wisconsin and the District of Columbia.

The action, called a geographic recall, affects only certain states where the problem is thought most likely to occur. Consumer groups like the Center for Auto Safety have long criticized the practice, saying vehicles that need to be repaired may be missed as automakers save money by not having to issue a nationwide recall. The practice is approved by N.H.T.S.A., which – along with automakers – has defended it as practical and effective.

A Kia spokesman did not immediately respond when asked whether Kia would help owners in other states who were worried.

In other actions:

¦?N.H.T.S.A. is investigating a report of a bracket failure that allowed a compressed natural gas container to be dragged behind a 2012 Ford F-550 transit bus in which it had been mounted, according to the agency report.

The agency said the company that owns the bus said the tank was dragged behind it, attached only by two fuel hoses. “The driver reportedly observed sparks in both side mirrors as the fuel container was being dragged along the pavement,” the report said.

¦?Toyota will recall about 9,800 vehicles because an electric short can cause the windshield wiper motor to fail, according to the report filed by the automaker. The vehicles affected by the recall are the 2013-14 Camry and Camry Hybrid; the 2013-14 Avalon and Avalon Hybrid and the 2014 Corolla.

¦?Porsche will recall 207 Cayennes from the 2014 model year, including the diesel and hybrid models, because the fuel sensor may read high, according to a report filed by the automaker.

Porsche will also recall 81 of its 2014 Boxster, Cayman and 911 models because of a defective wiring harness in the passenger seat that can keep the air bag from deploying in a crash, according to the report filed by the automaker.

Kia, Toyota and Porsche Issue Recalls

Kia will recall nearly 80,000 Sedona minivans from the 2006-12 model years because of a problem that could cause steering failure, the automaker informed the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Toyota and Porsche will also conduct smaller recalls, according to reports the two companies filed with the agency.

In the report Kia posted on the agency’s website, the automaker said the front control arms could rust and possibly break, causing the driver to lose control of the vehicle.

Kia said it was not aware of any crashes or injuries related to the problem, but several owners who filed complaints with N.H.T.S.A. said they lost control of their vehicles when a control arm failed.

“Vehicle quickly became unsteerable,” one owner wrote in a complaint filed on Nov. 20. “If this sudden failure had occurred moments earlier with my kids on the way to school and on the highway this could have been a much worse result.”

The recall covers vehicles originally sold or currently registered in Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, West Virginia, Wisconsin and the District of Columbia.

The action, called a geographic recall, affects only certain states where the problem is thought most likely to occur. Consumer groups like the Center for Auto Safety have long criticized the practice, saying vehicles that need to be repaired may be missed as automakers save money by not having to issue a nationwide recall. The practice is approved by N.H.T.S.A., which – along with automakers – has defended it as practical and effective.

A Kia spokesman did not immediately respond when asked whether Kia would help owners in other states who were worried.

In other actions:

¦?N.H.T.S.A. is investigating a report of a bracket failure that allowed a compressed natural gas container to be dragged behind a 2012 Ford F-550 transit bus in which it had been mounted, according to the agency report.

The agency said the company that owns the bus said the tank was dragged behind it, attached only by two fuel hoses. “The driver reportedly observed sparks in both side mirrors as the fuel container was being dragged along the pavement,” the report said.

¦?Toyota will recall about 9,800 vehicles because an electric short can cause the windshield wiper motor to fail, according to the report filed by the automaker. The vehicles affected by the recall are the 2013-14 Camry and Camry Hybrid; the 2013-14 Avalon and Avalon Hybrid and the 2014 Corolla.

¦?Porsche will recall 207 Cayennes from the 2014 model year, including the diesel and hybrid models, because the fuel sensor may read high, according to a report filed by the automaker.

Porsche will also recall 81 of its 2014 Boxster, Cayman and 911 models because of a defective wiring harness in the passenger seat that can keep the air bag from deploying in a crash, according to the report filed by the automaker.

Wheels Blog: N.H.T.S.A. Investigates Dodge Viper, Ford Crown Victoria and Porsche 911

EPA/Harry Melchert Approximately 2,500 2005-2006 Dodge Vipers (2005 pictured) are being investigated by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration for a potentially serious problem with the rear suspension.

A pit of vipers sounds like trouble, which may be what the Chrysler Group is in concerning its 2005-6 Dodge Vipers. Citing a concern about rear suspension failures, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration opened an investigation covering about 2,500 of the sports cars, according to a report posted on the agency’s Web site.

N.H.T.S.A. said it decided to begin the investigation of the third-generation Vipers after receiving two complaints from owners who said they lost control, crashed and were later told by mechanics that the failure involved a rear suspension knuckle failure. There was one report of an injury, described by the driver as a back injury.

The investigation is called a preliminary evaluation. If investigators find reason for concern it would be upgraded to a more serious engineering analysis. Or, if the complaints are unfounded, the investigation would be closed without further action.

The agency also opened investigations into about 195,000 2005-8 Ford Crown Victoria Police Interceptor models for a potential steering issue and approximately 10,000 2001-7 Porsche 911s for a possible problem with the cooling system.

The Crown Vics, many of them serving in police fleets, may have a problem with a coupling on the steering column shaft that could cause the steering wheel to disconnect from the rack-and-pinion power steering unit. According to N.H.T.S.A.’s report, five complaints have been filed, but no crashes have been reported.

N.H.T.S.A.’s Office of Defects Investigation received 10 reports that said a coolant hose attached to the engine with a glued press fitting failed on some Porsche 911s equipped with the GT1 engine, leading to sudden coolant loss beneath the car. Neither crashes nor injuries were reported, but the agency said that the coolant’s slippery properties could affect traction as well as the safety of motorists following the affected cars in traffic.

Wheels Blog: Baltimore Grand Prix Adding Two Porsche 911 GT3 Cup Races

Robert Laberge/Getty Images The start of the Izod IndyCar Series Baltimore Grand Prix on Sept. 4, 2011.

The Baltimore Grand Prix is getting a makeover.

In what the promoter calls an effort to offer greater variety, this year’s Baltimore Grand Prix will add two Porsche 911 GT3 Cup races. To accommodate the GT3 class, the USF2000 and Star Mazda races of past years will not be run.

The change was made because the event’s versions of open-wheel cars lead to very similar races, said Tim Mayer, general manager of Grand Prix of Baltimore. “We wanted to diversify what we had on the racetrack and add value,” he said

In past years, Mr. Mayer said, if you were to line up the Indy cars, Indy Lights, USF2000 and Star Mazda cars, they would look like Russian nesting dolls. “You would look at them and say that was a slightly smaller version of that, which is a slightly smaller version of that, which is a slightly smaller version of that,” he said.

This year will see two classes of GT3s – Platinum and Gold – running simultaneously on Saturday, Aug. 31, and Sunday, Sept. 1.

It may be a smart business strategy, said Chuck Goldsborough of Baltimore, a former driver for Team Lexus. He said the Mid-Atlantic corridor was a leading market for Porsche, which could attract casual car fans to the race. The Porsche Club of America Museum nearby in Columbia, Md.

It might also draw international attention to the Baltimore Grand Prix. “Porsche Cup has a huge following,” he said. “It is in dozens of countries. It’s a huge single-make series and very well followed.”

The race has received a lot of attention for missteps that led to three promoters in two years and several lawsuits.

Andretti Sports Marketing, lead by Michael Andretti, came in last year to rescue the event roughly 100 days before it was to run and will act as promoter again this year.

Wheels Blog: Porsche Recalling 911 Models for Exhaust System Problem

Porsche Cars North America 2012 Porsche 911.

Porsche is recalling about 2,263 of its 2012-13 911 models because part of the exhaust system can fall off.

In a report posted on Friday on the Web site of the National Highway National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Porsche said the models were the 911 Carrera, 911 Carrera Cabriolet, 911 Carrera 4 and the 911 Carrera 4 Cabriolet equipped with the 3.4 liter, 6-cylinder engine and the standard rear muffler exhaust system. Models with the optional sport exhaust are not affected.

The automaker said its internal testing showed the exhaust systems “do not achieve the required service life” and might fracture, allowing the end to fall off.

Porsche said it first noticed the problem on a high-mileage test vehicle last May and began an investigation. It recently concluded a recall was needed, although company officials told the safety agency they were not aware of any failures on vehicles owned by consumers.

Porsche described the recall as voluntary, but under federal regulations once a manufacturer learns of a safety problem it has five working days to inform the agency of a recall or face a civil fine.

In December, Porsche had recalled 455 of its 911 GT3s from the 2010 model year saying the rear wheel hub might come off.