Car Maintenance and Ownership Issues

Car washes are frequently the scene of unintended acceleration cases, like one in Mansfield, Ohio, last week. Police said an employee of the Park Avenue Car Wash was behind the wheel when a 2008 Mercury Grand Marquis crashed through the car wash door, careened across the street, and crashed into a church.

A similar incident at the car wash occurred in 2007, when a car smashed through the building and hit a house across the street. In both cases, car wash employees said the accelerator pedal stuck.

Car washes seem to attract unintended acceleration cases. Jeep Grand Cherokees, in particular, have been involved in several similar incidents at car washes and elsewhere. But while the problem is not unique to car washes, it does seem to occur more regularly in certain models, including the Mercury Grand Marquis. 

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) database contains numerous incidents for Grand Marquis models from the 2006 through 2010 model years.

In August 2013, a consumer in Stow, Mass., filed a NHTSA complaint saying that while reversing out of the driveway, "car accelerated on its own, pressed brakes but car still moved backhards ... threw car into neutral and turned off engine."

"Took car to dealer .. and was told that it may have been that I pushed the brake and gas pedal at the same time. This, however, is I believe not the case," the consumer said.

Human error

Other reports tell of similar incidents and of assurances by the dealer that it was probably just human error.

A motorist in Hawaii reported wrecking a 2008 Grand Marquis during a test drive.

"I was preparing to test drive a 2008 Mercury Marquis at Honolulu Ford. I was stopped at the exit ... when the engine accelerated. I looked down and my foot was not on the gas, it was on the brake," the consumer said. "The car started to move out into the street, crossing the road, hitting another vehicle and a light pole."

Unintended acceleration cases have been around since the first time humans tried to ride horses but, at least in cases involving cars, answers have been hard to come by. Toyota famously recalled millions of cars to adjust floor mats that were blamed for sudden acceleration incidents, but there have been few other cases in which there was any agreement on the cause.

Federal safety officials have never identified a cause for the vast majority of the incidents and have therefore pinned the blame on drivers, although juries have often disagreed and sided with accident victims in cases like a 2012 accident involving a Ford Ranger pickup. Ford blamed the driver, saying he was old and confused but the jury concluded that the truck's accelerator assembly was faulty and awarded the plaintiff $3 million. 

Some critics are convinced that most of the problems originate in the electronic control modules that are the brains of modern cars. Others blame driver education that teaches drivers to use the same foot to operate the accelerator and brake pedal.

Purists say we'd all be better off if everyone drove a stick shift. Besides eliminating unintended acceleration, it would make it nearly impossible to fiddle with handheld electronic devices while driving.

Cars have gotten really complicated, what with all the new safety features, energy-saving processes and entertainment geegaws. But amidst all this complexity, some of the simpler things we take for granted -- like headlights -- seem to be losing their glow.

General Motors last month announced a recall of some 273,000 cars and SUVs because of a defect that could cause the low-beam headlights to fail. Other recent headlight-related recalls have included Volkswagens, Dodges and Chryslers.

But it's not just the recalled buggies -- we've been hearing from owners of models not included in the recall who say they're having similar problems.

"My car presented me with this issue a few weeks ago, however, is not a model listed. I drive a 2006 Chevrolet  Cobalt. This is the same model that had the recent ignition switch recall. What should be my next step in addressing this issue?" a reader named Logan asked.

We'd say Logan's next step should be a prompt visit to his dealer. Even though the car hasn't been recalled, it obviously needs to be fixed.

"I have a Buick Lacrosse 2005 and my headlights recently stopped working," a reader named Florence said. "Is my car included in this recall and will I receive a letter or notice about this?"

What to do

Florence -- and everyone else for that matter -- can find out about any outstanding recalls on their cars by going to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's "Recalls Look-up by VIN" page. You'll need to have your VIN -- the vehicle identification number -- which is located on a metal plate behind the driver's side of the windshield. It's also listed on your title, registration and other documents.

Or you can go directly to the recall page maintained by your car's manufacturer -- all listed on the look-up page.

If your car is not included but you think a recall is called for, you can enter a complaint on the NHTSA site.

Some consumers, like Carissa, seem to look for help everywhere but the most obvious spot: "I did not see my car [on the recall list] but we are having the same problem. We've even taken it to Pep Boys and they it needed a system reboot," Carissa said.

No doubt Pep Boys can change your oil and rotate your tires but for a problem like Carissa's, a dealer's service department is the best place to start. The dealer has access to service bulletins and other info that independents may not have.

Beetle bulb

It's not just GM owners who are troubled. Robin drives a 2010 VW Beetle and says she has replaced the headlights three times so far. 

"It is low beam and on both sides. After some hitting and wiggling the passenger side now works and the driver side will work intermittently," Robin said.

Volkswagens share an awful lot of parts from one model to the next, so a suspicious person might take note of the April 2014 recall of 150,000 VW Passats. Reason? A bulb holder that can allow the bulb to come loose and lose electrical contact.

Although her car is not among the recalled models, a VW dealer -- or perhaps an independent garage that specializes in VWs -- should be able to determine if her socket is similar to that found in the recalled Passats. 

Can you tell me of any new developments or who this could be reported to?

Dim bulb

Then there's Danny. He thinks the headlights on his 2009 Dodge Ram truck are too dim. 

"My wife owns a 2011 Dodge Durango. Her lights are five times better, brighter, more coverage on hi-beam than my truck period," Danny told us. "My wife will not drive this truck at night because of the poor lighting."

All of these consumers -- and you too, if your car has a glitch you think is a safety issue -- should report the problem to the feds. As for Danny, he might want to hunt down an after-market auto parts store and see if there are upgraded bulbs available for his truck. Sometimes that will brighten things up.

Federal safety regulators are looking into reports of problems with the power-assisted braking system in 2010 through 2011 Mazda CX-9 crossover vehicles. 

Consumers complaining to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) have reported incidents of the brake pedal suddenly feeling hard and requiring increased effort to stop the vehicle.

The agency previously investigated master brake cylinder leakage in 2008 CX-9s, finding that a manufacturing defect could cause leakage from the master cylinder. That investigation was closed without a recall because the rate of leakage was low and was detected by the brake warning light system. 

But in the case of the 2010-2011 CX-9s, reports indicate the problem is more sudden and is sometimes accompanied by a hissing sound during application of the brakes.

"The pedal was 'hard' as if it was on the floor," said one consumer in a complaint filed with NHTSA. "Whenever I pressed on the pedal, I heard a hissing sound as if air was letting out of the tires. The response for slowing to a stop [was] much longer." After examining it, a dealer said the power booster had failed and told the consumer he was lucky he hadn't been in an accident.

Another consumer reported her husband encountered similar problems: "He freaked out because he said he felt as if the car wasn't going to stop after pushing on the brakes. He had to pull off the highway and take the back roads home at low speed."

"Also, when applying all the pressure you could to the brakes, a loud hissing sound could be heard," she said.

As in other cases, the dealer diagnosed brake booster failure and, like other dealers quoted by Mazda owners, told the consumer he was lucky he wasn't in a serious accident.

The NHTSA probe is technically a "preliminary evaluation," the first step in the process of determining whether or not a recall is necessary.

The engine timing chain used in the Saturn L-Series equipped with a 2.2 liter engine is under investigation again at the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), and consumers tell ConsumerAffairs.com the problem may also affect some Saturn Vue models.

The safety agency previously recalled 20,500 Saturn vehicles because of a faulty timing chain. The Saturns involved in the first recall were manufactured November 2000 and February 2001.

At the time, NHTSA stated that "timing chain failure could result in engine stall while driving with no chance for a restart."

Now the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) at the federal agency reports that "the timing chain assembly used in the recalled vehicles was also used in approximately 391,00 other model year 1999 through 2003 Saturn L-Series vehicles with 2.2 liter engines." The recalled vehicles, according to NHTSA have "experienced and elevated spike in timing chain failures."

General Motors and NHTSA have received 890 consumer complaints about timing chain failure in the Saturn L-Series. The automaker has repaired 2,932 vehicles under warranty because of timing chain failure.

Vue too?

Some consumers have told ConsumerAffairs.com of similar problems with their Saturn Vue SUVs.

Heather of Stratford, NY, said her Vue lost power while driving at highway speed in January 2007, leaving her, her three children under six and her mother shivering at the side of the road..

"I was told my timing chain went and completely destroyed my motor, since it was a zero tolerance engine," she said.

Erin of Garden Grove, Calif., said she had to purchase a new engine after her Vue's timing chain broke at 38,000 miles.

North Carolinians complain

The renewed NHTSA investigation was prompted in part by a complaint May 22 from the North Carolina Consumers Council (NCCC).

The group submitted a defect petition to safety regulators urging an expanded Saturn L-Series recall "to include all model year 1999 through 2003 Saturn L-Series vehicles with 2.2 liter engines." NCCC reported a continuing stream of consumer complaints about timing chain failures "in vehicles built outside the production range covered by the recall" previously ordered by NHTSA.

NCCC told the agency that the initial recall should should be modified to "include all vehicles built with the original timing chain part."

NHTSA has also received 51 new complaints from consumers experiencing a timing chain failure in the 1999 to 2003 Saturn L-Series.

As many as 412,000 Saturns manufactured between 1999 and 2002 could be affected by the investigation. They are the Saturn L-Series manufactured from 1999 to 2002, including the sedan, wagon, L200, L300, LS, LS300, LW300, LS1 and LS2.

A lot of Chevrolet Silverado pickup owners have become very cautious drivers. The brakes take so long to stop the truck that consumers complain of nearly hitting the car in front or rolling into the intersection.

Nearly 1.3 million trucks could be recalled to fix the brake problem, pending a government defect investigation. General Motors has recalled thousands of trucks in Canada for a similar problem, saying road salt could corrode bearings, lead to false readings in a sensor and prematurely activate antilock brakes.

But so far the company says it has received too few complaints to take action in the U.S. Well, General Motors ought to start reading ConsumerAffairs.com.

"I have had my 2000 Silverado pickup in the shop three times for the brakes. The brake pedal goes right to the floor whenever it wants and I can't stop," said Chuck of Conestoga, NY.

"They keep telling me there is nothing wrong. Tonight when I came home, I almost hit my house. I have been lucky so far because I crawl up to stop signs and red lights waiting for the brakes to fail. You never know when they won't stop you."

"The truck is under warranty so I don't understand what the problem is. I would just like to have my brakes fixed so I don't kill myself or someone else," Chuck said.

Lawrence of Mountain Home, Arkansas, has the same problem.

"With 12,885 miles on my 2003 Silverado the brakes have had a soft pedal from day one. It goes to floor at times when making a hard stop. I rolled out into an intersection on a downhill road with the pedal on the floor more than once. I will not tow a boat with the truck," Lawrence said in his complaint to ConsumerAffairs.com.

"Two dealers say it's normal and can't find anything wrong. That is until the warranty runs out I bet. It's very unnerving. My wife will not drive it. There is too much pedal travel."

NHTSA says it is still in the "early stages" of its investigation, although the problem has existed for several years. While the federal government investigates whether a defect exists in antilock brakes on 1.3 million 1999-2002 Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra pickups, the complaints continue rolling in.

NHTSA has received 120 complaints that included 22 crashes and four injuries. The ConsumerAffairs.com Silverado file is up to 146, although not all of those complaints deal exclusively with brakes.

NHTSA is operating on the assumption that the problem is linked to road salt and so its investigation is focusing on trucks in 20 states in the Northeast and the Midwest, stretching from Maine to Virginia in the East and to Minnesota in the Midwest, including Michigan.

But George in New Port Richey, Florida, might not agree with NHTSA's decision to limit its probe to cold-weather states.

"I bought A Chevy Silverado 2004 truck in January 2004. I have complained to the dealer about the poor brakes on the truck because they are very weak. This is the eighth Chevy truck I have owned and it has the worst brakes of all," George said. I am afraid to tow anything with this truck. I have trouble stopping with it empty in normal driving. I am afraid I will rear-end someone!"

More complaints are in our Automotive Section.