2/11/13

NHTSA Recalls 2-11-13

Please click on the following NHTSA Campaign ID links to view the recall information.
NHTSA Campaign ID Number : 13V034
Manufacturer : WILSON TRAILER COMPANY
Make / Model Years : WILSON / 2010-2013
Subject : Plastic Lift Deck Guides may Fail
NHTSA Campaign ID Number : 13V032
Manufacturer : Triumph Motorcycles America, LTD
Make / Model Years : TRIUMPH / 2011-2012
Subject : Wheel Bearings may Fail Prematurely
NHTSA Campaign ID Number : 13V031
Manufacturer : Mitsubishi Motors North America, Inc.
Make / Model Years : MITSUBISHI / 2012
Subject : Vacuum Pump may Fail/Increased Stopping Distances
NHTSA Campaign ID Number : 13V028
Manufacturer : Entegra Coach
Make / Model Years : ENTEGRA / 2011-2013
Subject : Windshield Wipers may not Function Properly
NHTSA Campaign ID Number : 13V027
Manufacturer : PACCAR Incorporated
Make / Model Years : KENWORTH / 2013
PETERBILT / 2013
Subject : Rear Suspension may Re-inflate with Key-off
NHTSA Campaign ID Number : 13V026
Manufacturer : Dutchmen Manufacturing, Inc.
Make / Model Years : DUTCHMEN / 2007-2011
Subject : Iota Transfer Switch Overheating
NHTSA Campaign ID Number : 13V025
Manufacturer : Stoughton Trailers, LLC
Make / Model Years : STOUGHTON / 2009-2011
Subject : Structure Fatigue Cracks

2/04/13

NHTSA Recall Notice 2-4-13

Please click on the following NHTSA Campaign ID links to view the recall information.
NHTSA Campaign ID Number : 13V030
Manufacturer : Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing
Make / Model Years : LEXUS / 2006-2012
Subject : Wiper Arm May Loosen
NHTSA Campaign ID Number : 13V029
Manufacturer : Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing
Make / Model Years : PONTIAC / 2003-2004
TOYOTA / 2003-2004
Subject : Airbag Inadvertent Deployment
NHTSA Campaign ID Number : 13V024
Manufacturer : General Motors LLC
Make / Model Years : CHEVROLET / 2013
Subject : Rear Suspension Bolt Torque
NHTSA Campaign ID Number : 13V023
Manufacturer : General Motors LLC
Make / Model Years : BUICK / 2012
CHEVROLET / 2012
Subject : Driver Side Frontal Airbag may not Deploy
NHTSA Campaign ID Number : 13V022
Manufacturer : Daimler Trucks North America
Make / Model Years : THOMAS BUILT / 2013-2014
Subject : Headlights & Tailights may go out
NHTSA Campaign ID Number : 13V021
Manufacturer : Prevost Cars, Inc.
Make / Model Years : PREVOST / 2013
Subject : Missing Side Reflectors/FMVSS 108
NHTSA Campaign ID Number : 13V020
Manufacturer : Navistar, Inc.
Make / Model Years : HOLIDAY RAMBLER / 2013
IC BUS / 2012-2013
INTERNATIONAL / 2011-2013
MONACO / 2013
Subject : Engine Shut Down
NHTSA Campaign ID Number : 13V019
Manufacturer : Navistar, Inc.
Make / Model Years : IC BUS / 2012-2013
Subject : School Bus Engine Shut Down
NHTSA Campaign ID Number : 13V018
Manufacturer : Great Dane Trailers
Make / Model Years : GREAT DANE / 2013
Subject : Axle Retaining Clips may Disengage
NHTSA Campaign ID Number : 13V017
Manufacturer : BMW of North America, LLC
Make / Model Years : BMW / 2011
Subject : Insufficient Gear Shaft Lubrication/Loss of Drive
NHTSA Campaign ID Number : 13V015
Manufacturer : Prevost Cars, Inc.
Make / Model Years : PREVOST / 2010-2013
Subject : Automatic Fire Detection and Suppression System
NHTSA Campaign ID Number : 13V013
Manufacturer : Entegra Coach
Make / Model Years : ENTEGRA / 2013
Subject : Incorrect Tire Certification Label/ FMVSS 120

1/28/13

NHTSA Recalls 1-28--13

Please click on the following NHTSA Campaign ID links to view the recall information.



NHTSA Campaign ID Number : 13V016
Manufacturer : Honda (American Honda Motor Co.)
Make / Model Years : HONDA / 2009-2013
Subject : Driver's Airbag Module may be Missing Rivets


NHTSA Campaign ID Number : 13V014
Manufacturer : Southeast Toyota Distributors, LLC
Make / Model Years : TOYOTA / 2009-2013
Subject : Occupant Sensing System Calibration


NHTSA Campaign ID Number : 13V011
Manufacturer : North American Bus Industries, Inc.
Make / Model Years : BLUE BIRD / 2007-2009
Subject : Cracks may cause Steering Gear to Separate


1/27/13

Ford F-Series - 65th Anniversary



On January 16, 1948, the Ford Motor Company publicly revealed the iconic F-1 pickup, beginning the F-Series legacy of tough trucks. This mini-site includes original launch press releases and photography, presented here as issued 65 years ago. Since 1948, more than 32 million trucks have proudly worn the F-Series badge. These legendary trucks have been the best-selling pickups for 36 consecutive years, and America's overall best-selling vehicle for 31 years. As Ford looks forward to the future of Built Ford Tough, it is appropriate to celebrate the 1948 Ford F-1 pickup that started it all. Happy 65th anniversary and long may you run.

Follow these links to the copies of Original Documents from the Greenfield Village Research Center and the Henry Ford Museum: 


Original Press Release

 Series F1 Fact Sheet 

Body Builders Dimensional Drawing

 Photos

1/21/13

Latest NHYSA Recalls 1.21.13

Please click on the following NHTSA Campaign ID links to view the recall information.
NHTSA Campaign ID Number : 13V012
Manufacturer : Braun Corporation
Make / Model Years : BRAUN / 2011-2013
Subject : Toe Pan Panel/Accelerator Pedal Interference
NHTSA Campaign ID Number : 13V010
Manufacturer : General Motors LLC
Make / Model Years : CHEVROLET / 2013
GMC / 2013
Subject : Ignition Key Removal when not in Park
NHTSA Campaign ID Number : 13V009
Manufacturer : Eldorado National- Kansas
Make / Model Years : ELDORADO / 2012
Subject : Wheelchair Lift Armored Cable Short Circuit
NHTSA Campaign ID Number : 13V008
Manufacturer : Goshen Coach
Make / Model Years : GOSHEN / 2006-2013
Subject : Wheelchair Lift Armored Cable Short Circuit
NHTSA Campaign ID Number : 13V007
Manufacturer : Fleetwood RV, Inc.
Make / Model Years : FLEETWOOD / 2012-2013
Subject : Wrong Tire Specifications on Certification Label

1/20/13

NHTSA Recall Notice 1.14.13

Please click on the following NHTSA Campaign ID links to view the recall information.
NHTSA Campaign ID Number : 13V006
Manufacturer : Autocar Industries, LLC
Make / Model Years : AUTOCAR / 2012
Subject : Seat Belt Strength/FMVSS 210
NHTSA Campaign ID Number : 13V005
Manufacturer : Forest River, Inc.
Make / Model Years : FOREST RIVER / 2010-2012
Subject : Brake Lights & Cruise Control Issues
NHTSA Campaign ID Number : 13V004
Manufacturer : ARBOC Specialty Vehicles, LLC
Make / Model Years : ARBOC / 2012
Subject : Seat Reinforcement Plates may be Missing
NHTSA Campaign ID Number : 13V003
Manufacturer : Polaris Industries, Inc.
Make / Model Years : GEM / 2010-2013
Subject : Parking Brake May Not Engage

1/18/13

High Strength Steels Help Create Tough New 2014 Silverado




Adds structural strength without increasing weight on built-to-last full-size pickups
DETROIT – Full-size pickups are unique. Their owners routinely use them in ways that would horrify most car owners.  They pull heavy trailers thought the mountains, haul tools and supplies down washboard gravel roads, and slog through mud and muck on farms and construction sites. And trucks are expected to perform these tasks for years on end, with a minimum of repairs.

To help the new 2014 Silverado  measure up to these tasks, engineers chose high-strength steels for the backbone of the new trucks – the fully boxed frames and the structure of the cabs that carry and protect the occupants.

“Chevy owners use their trucks for earning a living and taking care of their families,” said Jeff Luke, executive chief engineer.  “To meet the needs of these hard-working men and women, we chose high-strength steels for the key structural elements of the 2014 Silverado. That reduces the weight of these components without sacrificing the toughness and durability customers count on.”

To ensure that the new Silverado is up to the challenge, key elements of the updated frame, including the main rails and major cross members, are made from high-strength steel.  Hydroforming is used to improve strength and reduce mass of the front of the frame.

The cab structures are all new, and incorporate high strength steel in the A-pillars, B-pillars, roof rails and rocker panels. Ultra-high-strength steel is used in areas of the rocker panels and underbody in anticipation of new shallow-offset crash tests. In all, about two-thirds of the cab structure is made from high-strength steels.

Even the pickup bed benefits from tougher steels. The 2014 Silverado 1500 features a roll-formed steel pickup box, which is lighter, stronger and more durable than traditional stamped steel boxes used by major competitors.

Aluminum is used in a number of areas to reduce mass without compromising dependability.  The blocks and cylinder heads of all three EcoTec3 engines are cast aluminum, while 4WD crew cab models use forged aluminum upper front control arms and cast aluminum lower control arms and steering knuckles for a mass reduction of 42 pounds. The hoods are also aluminum, saving 17 pounds over a comparable steel panel.

The strategic use of high strength steels, aluminum and other premium materials enabled engineers to create a new Silverado that is stronger, more capable and more efficient than current models, while still being lighter than comparable models from a key competitor. 

The materials and technologies used for Chevrolet pickups will continue to evolve, as truck customers face fluctuating fuel prices and truck makers engineer for strict new federal fuel economy standards, said Luke.

“But whether we are engineering full-size pickups like Silverado, or our efficient new midsize trucks, we can’t forget that trucks are workhorses. The materials we select and the powertrains we engineer must be able to get the job done, and save our customers money by holding down overall cost of ownership year in and year out.”

To help validate its design and materials for the 2014 Silverado, GM’s new full-size trucks will undergo more than 6 million miles of durability testing on proving grounds and tough test roads, equivalent to 240 trips around the earth. In addition, the trucks will accumulate real-world mileage in excess of 7 million miles during final testing, bringing total test miles to more than 13 million.
Founded in 1911 in Detroit, Chevrolet is now one of the world's largest car brands, doing business in more than 140 countries and selling more than 4 million cars and trucks a year.  Chevrolet provides customers with fuel-efficient vehicles that feature spirited performance, expressive design, and high quality. More information on Chevrolet models can be found at www.chevrolet.com