Autoblog http://www.autoblog.com Autoblog http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.autoblog.com/media/feedlogo.gif Autoblog http://www.autoblog.com en-us Copyright 2009 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/<![CDATA[Mazda recalls nearly 40,000 B-Series pickups over cruise control issues]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2009/11/03/mazda-recalls-nearly-40-000-b-series-pickups-over-cruise-control/http://www.autoblog.com/2009/11/03/mazda-recalls-nearly-40-000-b-series-pickups-over-cruise-control/http://www.autoblog.com/2009/11/03/mazda-recalls-nearly-40-000-b-series-pickups-over-cruise-control/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,



Last month, Ford widened its cruise control switch recall to 4.5 million vehicles. Included in the growing list of cars and trucks was the Ford Ranger pickup - the mechanical twin to the now-discontinued Mazda B-Series pickup. Not surprisingly, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has now widened its recall to encompass 39,600 of Mazda's 1995-1997 and 2001-2003 trucks for the exact same fault.

According to the recall, trucks equipped with a Texas Instruments speed control deactivation switch (SCDS) and/or anti-lock brake system (ABS) manufactured on or before December 5, 2002, may encounter a vehicle fire if the switch deteriorates and leaks. As in the Ford recall, Mazda dealers will install a universal fused jumper harness on the cruise control deactivation switch at no charge.

Owners of the recalled vehicles may contact Mazda at 800-222-5500 (option #6), contact the NHTSA's Safety Hotline at 888-327-4236, or go to www.safercar.gov. Recall information after the jump.

[Source: NHTSA]

Continue reading Mazda recalls nearly 40,000 B-Series pickups over cruise control issues

Mazda recalls nearly 40,000 B-Series pickups over cruise control issues originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 03 Nov 2009 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>B SeriesB-SeriesBSeriescruise controlcruise control recallcruise control switch firescruise recallCruiseControlCruiseControlRecallCruiseControlSwitchFiresCruiseRecallfaultfireMazdaMazda B-seriesMazda PickupMazdaB-seriesMazdaPickupPickupRecallspeed controlSpeedControlswitchTexas InstrumentsTexasInstrumentsTue, 03 Nov 2009 17:00:00 EST<![CDATA[REPORT: Ford widens cruise control recall by 4.5M vehicles - now biggest in company history]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2009/10/14/ford-recall-cruise-control-4.5/http://www.autoblog.com/2009/10/14/ford-recall-cruise-control-4.5/http://www.autoblog.com/2009/10/14/ford-recall-cruise-control-4.5/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,



For the past ten years, Ford has been doing a dance with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and consumers over the issue of leaking cruise control switches in certain company vehicles. As of 2008, it had recalled some 9.6 million vehicles to repair a faulty Texas Instruments cruise-control deactivation switch, and now after a NHTSA investigation, the Blue Oval has added 4.5 million more Ford and Mercury vehicles to the recall.

The latest action covers these vehicles:

1992-2003 Ford Econoline
2000-2003 Ford Excursion
1995-2002 Ford Explorer
1993-1997, 1999-2003 Ford F-Series Super Duty
1994 Ford F-53 chassis
1995-1997, 2001-2003 Ford Ranger
1995-2003 Ford Windstar
1995-2002 Mercury Mountaineer

According to NHTSA, the switch can leak and overheat, which can lead to smoking and, in some cases, fire. In fact, The Detroit News notes that the switches have been faulted in more than 550 fires - some of which led to fatalities - many of which have led to lawsuits. A Ford statement declared, "Aside from the Windstar, the additional vehicles addressed in this action have different system parameters and do not pose an unreasonable risk to safety. However, Ford is taking this action on all of these vehicles to address possible ongoing customer lack of confidence in vehicles with the affected switch."

The recall begins on October 26. Anyone with an affected vehicle can take it to a Ford dealer and have the switch repaired with a fused harness. Owners can get more information directly from NHTSA by calling the government agency's hotline at 1-888-327-4236. Thanks to everyone for the tips!

[Source: The Detroit News]

REPORT: Ford widens cruise control recall by 4.5M vehicles - now biggest in company history originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 14 Oct 2009 08:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>cruise controlcruise control switch firesCruise Control Windstar FordCruiseControlCruiseControlSwitchFiresCruiseControlWindstarForddefectminivanNational Highway Traffic Safety AdministrationNationalHighwayTrafficSafetyAdministrationnhtsarecallRecallssafetysuvtrucktsbwagonWed, 14 Oct 2009 08:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Freightliner debuts RunSmart Predictive Cruise Control]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2009/03/22/freightliner-debuts-runsmart-predictive-cruise-control/http://www.autoblog.com/2009/03/22/freightliner-debuts-runsmart-predictive-cruise-control/http://www.autoblog.com/2009/03/22/freightliner-debuts-runsmart-predictive-cruise-control/#commentsFiled under: , ,



The next step in cruise control comes courtesy of Freightliner semis and GPS data company NAVTEQ. Freightliner broadened communication between the cruise control and map data: the GPS transmits information on the road ahead up to a mile, and then the cruise control computes the best speed at which to cover the distance with the greatest fuel efficiency.

It's called RunSmart Predictive Cruise, and it employs slope data from the NAVTEQ system that has been collected on 200,000 miles of the most used truck routes. While RunSmart is looking for peak efficiency, it won't sacrifice speed; the system remains within 6% of the set speed. It's an available option on Freightliner's Detroit Diesel DD15-equipped Cascadia model with the 72-inch raised roof.

[Source: Daimler]

Freightliner debuts RunSmart Predictive Cruise Control originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 22 Mar 2009 13:34:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>commercial truckCommercialTruckcruise controlCruiseControldaimlerefficiencyfreightlinerfreightliner cascadiaFreightlinerCascadiafuel economyFuelEconomygas mileageGasMileagegpsnavteqrunsmartsemitechnologytruckSun, 22 Mar 2009 13:34:00 EST<![CDATA[Ford subject of another fire investigation]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2008/05/21/ford-subject-of-another-fire-investigation/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/05/21/ford-subject-of-another-fire-investigation/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/05/21/ford-subject-of-another-fire-investigation/#commentsFiled under: , ,



Even after recalling 10 million vehicles over the past few years, Ford just can't seem to shake the cruise control blues. There have been 130 reports of fires in 1998-2003 Ford Windstars, both during use and while parked, and the NHTSA is looking into the matter to determine if a recall is needed. The fires may be due to the Windstar's cruise control system, but Ford says this unit is different from the system that caused the 10 million-unit recall because it isn't powered at all times, and it doesn't pose a risk. If the Windstars are recalled, over 1.7 million minivans will be affected.

[Source: Autoweek]

Ford subject of another fire investigation originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 21 May 2008 08:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>cruise controlCruiseControlFordminivannhtsaRecallWindstarWed, 21 May 2008 08:31:00 EST<![CDATA[Recalled Ford owners urged to get cruise control fixed]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2008/02/29/recalled-ford-owners-urged-to-get-cruise-control-fixed/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/02/29/recalled-ford-owners-urged-to-get-cruise-control-fixed/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/02/29/recalled-ford-owners-urged-to-get-cruise-control-fixed/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

If you drive a Ford product built before 2005, do us all a favor and give your dealership a call. Ask them if your car or truck is one of the 10 million vehicles out there recalled for repair of a cruise control switch. Trust us, this is not something you want to ignore, as there have been fires, lawsuits, and deaths attributed to this issue.

Word from Washington is that federal safety officials are concerned as less than half of the recalled vehicles have been returned to dealerships for repair (come on people, we told you about this in August, 2006!). This has triggered a rare "consumer advisory" from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration who are urging motorists to take action. Ford is also re-notifying owners. The NHTSA is also quick to point out that there is no need to schedule an appointment for the repair as some dealers are even providing quick drive-through services for the fix.

The long list of recalled vehicles has been included after the jump.

[Source: Automotive News, subs. req'd]

Continue reading Recalled Ford owners urged to get cruise control fixed

Recalled Ford owners urged to get cruise control fixed originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 29 Feb 2008 20:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>Cruise ControlCruiseControlFireFordLincolnMercuryNHTSARecallFri, 29 Feb 2008 20:03:00 EST<![CDATA[Ford says parts for cruise control recall delayed]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2007/10/18/ford-says-parts-for-cruise-control-recall-delayed/http://www.autoblog.com/2007/10/18/ford-says-parts-for-cruise-control-recall-delayed/http://www.autoblog.com/2007/10/18/ford-says-parts-for-cruise-control-recall-delayed/#commentsFiled under: , ,



Hang on just a little longer if you've got a Ford with the self-immolating cruise control option. Since the recall was announced in August, there's been a run on service departments, leading to a shortage of fused wiring harnesses for the passenger cars involved in the effort. The SUVs and pickups haven't had any supply problems, so it's just people with the honor of still owning such gems as mid 1990s Panther platform vehicles, Lincoln Mark VIIIs, Neff's favorite '93-'95 SHO, and everyone's halo car, the '94 Mercury Capri. The only word on parts availability, which was supposed to be October, is that they'll arrive sometime later this year. Plenty of time for your DN5 SHO to burn completely to the ground.

[Source: Detroit News]

Ford says parts for cruise control recall delayed originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 18 Oct 2007 08:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>cruise controlCruiseControlengine fireEngineFireFordford recallFordRecallparts availabilityPartsAvailabilityThu, 18 Oct 2007 08:32:00 EST<![CDATA[Ford recalls 1.2 million trucks]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2006/08/03/ford-recalls-1-2-million-trucks/http://www.autoblog.com/2006/08/03/ford-recalls-1-2-million-trucks/http://www.autoblog.com/2006/08/03/ford-recalls-1-2-million-trucks/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

From the Bad Timing Department: As the battle for market share in the shrinking U.S. light truck market heated up with the introduction of General Motors' new models, Ford announced Thursday that it is recalling 1.2 million trucks, SUVs and vans in the U.S. to fix faulty wiring in the cruise control system.

The problem lies in the interaction between the cruise control deactivation switch and the brake system, that in rare instances can cause the switch to overheat and catch fire. The fix involves installing an inline fuse in the cruise control system.

The recall includes 1994-2002 F-250, F-350, F-450 and F-550 trucks; 1994-1996 Econoline vans; 1996-2002 E-450 trucks; 1998 Explorer and Mercury Mountaineer SUVs; and 2000-2002 Excursion SUVs.

Ford recalled about 5 million trucks last year for the same problem.

[Source: Reuters]

Ford recalls 1.2 million trucks originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 03 Aug 2006 13:47:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>cruise controlCruiseControlspeed controlThu, 03 Aug 2006 13:47:00 EST