Ford is recalling more than 5,500 Ranger pickups in Canada over taillights that may not work properly.The recall covers trucks from the 2019 model year, and applies to some 78,264 Rangers globally specifically, 5,564 are affected in Canada.On those affected trucks, the rear lights may function intermittently or simply not work due to badly installed or misaligned terminals.This means the position lights, brake lights and turn signals may not illuminate fully, reducing the visibility of the truck to other road users.Dealers will repair the issue by adjusting the terminals. This marks the fifth recall for the Ranger this year, its first model year on sale in Canada, which suggests Ford is still working out the bugs on the new
Origin: Ford recalling more than 5,500 Rangers in Canada over faulty taillights
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Ford sold transmissions it knew were faulty, claims report
2016 Ford Fiesta SE Ford allegedly pressed on with the development and manufacture of its six-speed PowerShift automatic despite internal complaints and a cavalcade of repair issues, according to a new investigative report from the Detroit Free Press.The newspaper mid-July published a lengthy feature on its exploration of transmission problems experienced by owners of Ford Fiesta and Focus small cars.According to the report, problems with the transmission also called the DPS6 reared their ugly heads in testing, well before finding their way into the hands of unsuspecting customers.The PowerShift is a dual-clutch transmission that utilizes parts resembling a manual gearbox but is operated by the driver like a traditional automatic. Lighter than their conventional slushbox counterparts, they were intended to reduce weight and provide fuel economy advantages.They certainly achieved those goals, but it was apparently at the expense of smooth and reliable operation. Using a dry-clutch system, unlike modern dual-clutch units which use a wet-clutch system that bath the clutches in oil, the transmission quickly became notable for jerky shifts and the propensity to slip out of gear, even at highway speeds. Internally, this was apparently called an Unintended Neutral.The Freep reports:“As years wore on, Ford would make the case in emails, internal documents and an affidavit that if the steering, turn signals and other power worked in the car, then the situation couldn’t be considered dangerous. In theory, people could turn on a blinker and steer to the side of the highway if the car slipped into neutral at 70 mph.”Yikes. As costs and complaints piled up, Ford kept trying to find a fix while creating talking points for the poor souls unlucky enough to be in customer-facing positions and bearing the brunt of their complaints.Ford told the Detroit Free Press in a statement that conversations during development about challenges common to innovative new technology were normal exchanges.After the new transmission was on the road, other problems developed. We acted quickly and determinedly to investigate the problems, said the statement.While we eventually resolved the quality issues, the solutions were more complex and took longer than we expected. We regret the inconvenience and frustration that caused some consumers. Heres the kicker apparently, none of this was a total surprise to those on the dev teams. Six months before the 2012 Focus began shipping to dealers, a product development engineer expressed We also cannot achieve a driveable calibration that will get us to production, he wrote in an email to colleagues. The clutch torque delivery MUST BE IMPROVED.When a veteran engineer uses all caps in an email, you know theyre serious.Yet the company pressed on, producing cars equipped with a transmission that has been the catalyst for class-action lawsuits and countless hours of repair work. For many owners, there is still no resolution. Head over to The Freep for its entire
Origin: Ford sold transmissions it knew were faulty, claims report
Corvette faces lawsuit over allegedly faulty wheels
The 650-hp, 2016 Chevrolet Corvette Z06Handout A class-action lawsuit against General Motors claims some Chevrolet Corvettes have wheels prone to bending and cracking at “extremely low mileage,” and that the company knew about it and has been blaming drivers. According to automotive watchdog site Car Complaints, the class-action suit is on behalf of anyone who purchased or leased a 2015-or-newer Corvette Z06 model, or a 2017-or-newer Grand Sport model within the U.S. It claims GM was aware of the issues with the alloy rims that causes them to bend and crack, and has been “systematically denying coverage” under the usually all-inclusive 36,000-mile bumper-to-bumper warranties. The lawsuit cites GM as blaming “potholes or other driver error” for bent or cracked wheels, instead of admitting inherent fault. The issue came to light when a customer took delivery of a leased 2018 Corvette from a California dealership last summer and discovered the wheels were bent. Actually, it was a Cali wheel-finishing company, CalChrome, that was tasked with coating the wheels that noticed the damage. When the issue was brought up with the dealer, however, the customer was told the warranty wouldn’t cover the busted alloys, and that the issue was likely caused by the way the car had been driven. Following some persistent complaining, GM agreed to pay US$1,200, a fraction of the US$7,500 the customer ended up personally paying to replace the wheels (looks like they may have been ripped off there, too). GM is being accused of knowing about the issue and covering it up prior to the 2018 sale that sparked the lawsuit. Multiple other complaints regarding the specific ‘Vette models’ wheels had been registered with the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Car and Driver also covered the issue as it pertained to a 2017 Corvette Grand Sport it was testing last fall.
Origin: Corvette faces lawsuit over allegedly faulty wheels
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