Alleged Hyundai Sonata YF Sudden Acceleration Crash at 117km/h

No doubt, you have all heard about the sudden acceleration problems that plagued the Toyota Group, mainly in North America, for a couple of years. Now, a driver is putting the blame of a car crash that occurred this past Sunday, May 6, 2012, in the South Korean city of Daegu, on a sticky accelerator. The said car is the latest generation Hyundai Sonata YF sedan. What makes this incident of particular interest is that it was captured on film by a dashboard mounted camera in the Sonata, which is something we don't remember seeing before in crashes relating or alleged to be related to sticky accelerator pedals.
The 30-second long clip shows the Korean sedan stopped at a light with a previous generation Hyundai standing in front when the Sonata appears to accelerate. At this point, we hear a conversation from the driver and passengers as well as a sound that may or may not be from the handbrake being lifted.
From there on, the Korean sedan appears to accelerate uncontrollably with the driver passing several red lights, narrowly avoiding a couple of crashes only to end up rear-ending a stopped car at a speed of 117km/h (72mph) - at least according to the GPS data displayed on the video.
Korean news sites said that the Daegu Nambu Police is investigating the accident and has asked the National Institute of Scientific Investigation for help.
Any assistance from our Korean readers to translate what is being said in the video, would be appreciated.

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120,000 Chrysler 300 and Dodge Charger Sedans Recalled in the States

The Chrysler Group has posted a voluntary safety recall of 119,700 Chrysler 300 and Dodge Charger sedans from the 2011 and 2012 model years because of a potential problem with the power distribution center that could overheat causing the anti-locking braking system (ABS) and electronic stability control (ESC) to fail.

"A plastic insert surrounding a fuse may be subject to distortion caused by thermal expansion and contraction," the company said in a statement. "Such distortion could interrupt power to the ABS/ESC control system and temporarily suspend its function."
The Detroit automaker said the loss of these two safety systems affects the handling of the cars increasing the risk of a crash.
"Despite a small number of incidents, we concluded it was in the best interest of our customers to repair the vehicles and eliminate the potential for this condition to occur," said David Dillon, Head of Product Investigations and Campaigns, Chrysler Group LLC.
The Auburn Hills based automaker noted it is not aware of any accidents or injures related to this condition.
To fix the overheating issue with the power distribution center, Chrysler Group dealers will relocate the ABS/ESC system fuse. The work will be done free of charge with the voluntary safety recall expected to begin later this month.

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BMW Recalls Six X5 xDrive35i SUVs

In one of the smallest recalls we have ever heard, BMW will be calling in six owners of the 2012 X5 xDrive35i SUV to address a problem with the automatic transmission. In a letter to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), the Bavarian automaker says that due to a manufacturing error, the automatic transmission’s parking lock may not occur even if the “P” position has been selected and is displayed.
And being that there are one too many drivers of automatic models who don't make use of their parking brake, BMW is afraid that the vehicles could roll away after the driver exits the car.
The X5s involved in the recall were manufactured from December 19 to 21, 2011.
BMW told the NHTSA that its dealers will replace the automatic transmission free of charge on all six X5s.

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Honda Issues a Single Number Recall on 2012MY Odyssey Minivan

If you happen to follow the automaker recall notes, you may notice that quite often they involve a specific batch of models, be that for a parts defect or an error during the assembly of a car. In Honda's case, the safety recall involves only nine Odyssey minivans from the 2012 model year, built from October 31, 2011, through November 30, 2011.
The reason why the Japanese automaker issued this recall is that the retention nut for the front right lower suspension damper bolt may not have been tightened to the proper torque, which could allow the nut to loosen.
Honda says that if that were to occur, the front hub assembly would only be attached by one bolt, allowing the wheel assembly to shift to an extreme inward angle resulting in a loss of steering – and that's something you don't want to happen on the road…
The Japanese company says it contacted all nine owners by phone on December 19. Nevertheless, if you own one of the affected models and have more questions, you can contact the company directly at 1-800-999-1009.

Nissan Recalling About 34,000 Sentra Sedans over Engine Stalling Issue

Nissan has issued a new recall on certain 2010-2011 model year Sentra compact cars because of a battery cable problem that could potentially cause the engines to stall. In a letter to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), Nissan explained that the zinc coating applied to the terminal stud bolt may be too thick and as a result, it could lead to a voltage drop the can damage the engine control module (ECM).
The documents say the problem can cause the engine to stall while the vehicle is in motion and it may not be possible to restart the engine after it stopped.
The recall affects Sentra sedans equipped with MR20 engines, built from May 11-22, 2010, and July 8-October 25, 2010.
The Japanese company said it will notify Sentra owners and replace the positive battery terminal and cover, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin on or before January 23, 2012.

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2011 Nissan Rogue

More than 7,300 Nissan Rogue crossovers from the 2011 model year are being recalled after it was discovered that circuit board might not have been installed in the correct position on certain electric power steering (EPS) assist control units.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration [NHTSA] said that this may cause the circuit board to fail and as a result, the power steering assist feature will cease to function thus increasing the force needed to steer the vehicle.
The Japanese automaker said that the affected vehicles were manufactured from August 17, 2010, through October 30, 2010.
Nissan plans to notify owners for the safety recall before the end of December. If necessary, the firm's dealers will replace the EPS control on the affected Rogue models free of charge.

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