UK RECALL #10 - Mercedes recalls the ML and GLE from 2015 for possible failure of the seat belt end fitment.

Vehicle Details
Reference :	R/2016/150
Manufacturer Ref :	SRPC1617
Make:	MERCEDES BENZ
Model :	ML & GLE
Launch Date :	18/07/2016
Numbers Involved :	54
Build Start Date :	01/04/2015
Build End Date :	31/08/2015

Recall Details
Concern :	THREADED CONNECTION OF THE RIGHT REAR SEAT BELT END FITTING MAY FAIL IN A COLLISION
Description :	Due to a deviation in the manufacturing process the retaining bolt for the right rear seal belt may not have been tightened to the correct specification. In the event of a collision the belt may fail.
Remedial Action :	Where necessary rework threaded connection tighten securing bolt to correct specification.
Vehicle Id :	WDC1660042A592866 to WDC1660242A602905 WDC2923642A002332 to WDC2923752A001589

Other Vehicles Affected (Click the vehicle to perform an extended search)

MERCEDES BENZ - ML CLASS MERCEDES BENZ - GLE

UK RECALL #9 - Toyota recalls the Yaris Hatchback for possible directional control could be compromised.

Vehicle Details
Reference :	R/2016/111
Manufacturer Ref :	CGG43
Make:	TOYOTA
Model :	2015 Model Year Yaris Hatch Back
Launch Date :	18/07/2016
Numbers Involved :	5526
Build Start Date :	13/01/2015
Build End Date :	27/02/2015

Recall Details
Concern :	DIRECTIONAL CONTROL COULD BE COMPROMISED
Description :	There is a possibility that a strut top mounting bearing could be damaged when a high load is applied to the strut, such as when the vehicle is driven over a large bump. If this occurs, there could be abnormal noise when driving on uneven roads or when turning the steering wheel. If the vehicle continues to be operated, the upper side of the strut rod could separate, causing a loss of vehicle stability, which could increase the risk of a crash.
Remedial Action :	Recall the vehicles that are likely to be affected and replace the strut mounting bearings with improved ones. If a strut mounting bearing is found to be damaged, the dealer will replace the strut and front suspension support sub-assembly with a new one.
Vehicle Id :	VNKJL0D3#0A149061 to VNKKJ3D3#0A282465

Other Vehicles Affected (Click the vehicle to perform an extended search)

TOYOTA - YARIS

UK RECALL #5 - Mercedes recalls the AMG GT for the connection of the carbon drive shaft flange not to specification.

Vehicle Details
Reference :	R/2016/141
Manufacturer Ref :	SRPC1615
Make:	MERCEDES BENZ
Model :	190 AMG GT
Launch Date :	07/07/2016
Numbers Involved :	73
Build Start Date :	01/06/2015
Build End Date :	24/07/2015

Recall Details
Concern :	ENGINE MAY STALL/STOP UNEXPECTEDLY
Description :	The connection of the carbon drive shaft to the engine/transmission flange may not be to specification. Warnings of the development of the concern are: there will be noise, malfunctions in the transmission and, in isolated cases, loss of drive.
Remedial Action :	Recall the vehicles that are likely to be affected and check the drive shaft. If necessary the drive shaft will be replaced.
Vehicle Id :	WMX1903772A004588 to WMX1903782A004546

Other Vehicles Affected (Click the vehicle to perform an extended search)

MERCEDES BENZ - AMG GT

USA RECALL - Toyota recalls the 2015 Yaris hatchback for possible damage to the front upper shock assembly bearing.

Toyota Motor Sales, USA, Inc. today announced that it is recalling approximately 3,100 Model Year 2015 Yaris Hatch Back vehicles.

In the involved vehicles there is a possibility that a front upper shock assembly bearing could be damaged.  If this occurs, the driver may experience an abnormal noises while driving on rough road surfaces or when turning the steering wheel.

  

If the vehicle continues to be operated in this condition, a front shock absorber piston rod could separate, causing a loss of vehicle stability and increasing the risk of a crash.

All known owners of the affected Toyota vehicles will be notified by first class mail.  Toyota dealers will replace the strut mounting bearings with improved ones.  If a strut mounting bearing is found to be damaged, the dealer will replace the strut and front suspension support sub-assembly with a new one.

Information about automotive recalls, including but not limited to the list of involved vehicles, is subject to change over time.  

For the most up-to-date Safety Recall information on Toyota, Lexus or Scion vehicles, customers should check their vehicle’s status by visiting toyota.com/recall and entering the Vehicle Identification Number (VIN).  

Safety Recall inquiry by individual VIN is also available at the NHTSA site: safercar.gov/vin.

  

For any additional questions, customer support is also available by calling Toyota Customer Service at 1-800-331-4331 and Lexus Customer Experience at 1-800-255-3987.

Lotus pulls out of the USA for 2015, but will return in 2016, we hope they do.

Lotus may be due for a pit stop in the U.S. The only Lotus model sold in the U.S., the Evora, is being dropped for the 2015 model year because it no longer meets federal crash standards.

In a statement to Automotive News Europe, Lotus said it remains committed to the North American market. “We will not be producing a 2015 model year Evora, therefore there will be limited availability of the 2014 model year car over the next few months,” the statement said.

The company promises it will return in 2016 with an Evora that is “fully U.S. compliant.”

The 2014 Evora has a base price of $69,965, including shipping.

The 62-year-old company announced late last week it is laying off 325 people from its global staff of 1,125. That follows layoffs in July at its U.S. headquarters near Atlanta that reduced staff from 11 to just seven employees. The Automotive News Data Center estimates Lotus has sold just 112 cars this year through its 42 U.S. dealers.

Lotus posted a 159 million pound loss in the financial year that ended March 31, 2013, following a loss of 115 million pounds the previous fiscal year. Lotus declined to provide more recent financial data.

Lotus spokesman Alastair Florance said parts, service and warranty payments to dealers are unaffected by the restructuring and will continue as normal.

A dealer in California who declined to be identified says the company has enough inventory on the ground until the new car arrives.

It is unclear if the restructuring will affect Lotus Engineering, a separate arm of Group Lotus that contracts engineering services to automakers and suppliers. Calls and emails to Lotus Engineering’s Ann Arbor office were not answered.

Nick Gibbs contributed to this report

Richard Truett 

REPORT HERE

USA - Hybrids and Twin turbos to star on 2015 Porsche Cayenne.

When the freshened 2015 Porsche Cayenne goes on sale Nov. 1 in the United States, look for a new twin-turbo engine, a plug-in hybrid model and prices that range from 3 to 11 percent higher.

Porsche also is dropping -- at least for now -- its base-model Cayenne, which had started at $50,595. That had put starting prices for Porsche’s large crossover right in line with the brand’s new mid-sized crossover, the 2015 Macan, which went on sale in May at a base price of $50,895.

With the update for the 2015 model year, the Cayenne lineup will be offered in four variants, starting with the Cayenne Diesel at $62,695 and going up to the Cayenne Turbo at $114,595. All prices include delivery charges.

Even with more price separation, Porsche executives expect some Cayenne buyers to switch to the Macan. But since Cayenne demand has outstripped supply in recent years, Cayenne sales shouldn’t suffer overall, Porsche’s U.S. sales chief told Automotive News last month.

Porsche expects the substitution rate between Cayenne and Macan to be no more than 10 to 15 percent, said Detlev von Platen, CEO of Porsche Cars North America.

“We are absolutely overwhelmed with what we have seen with the Cayenne the last four or five years,” von Platen said. “It seems like the Cayenne doesn’t have any life cycle at the moment. Demand is there.”

Porsche sold 18,507 Cayennes in 2013, up 19 percent. Through June, Cayenne sales were 8,713, down 9 percent.

Overall, Porsche’s U.S. deliveries have climbed 8 percent to 22,918 through June and the brand remains on track to set a sales record in 2014.

Porsche is dropping the naturally aspirated 4.8-liter V-8 in the Cayenne S in favor of the new twin-turbo V-6, which was developed entirely at Porsche.

Changes for the 2015 Cayenne model include exterior and interior design updates, plus improvements in fuel efficiency, performance and chassis tuning. Front-end design, including the hood and front fenders, is entirely new, Porsche says. Designers added so-called airblades, or air fins, on the right and left of the vehicle’s front end to aid in cooling and make a new visual statement. The rear exterior design was also updated.

Two highlights are the new plug-in hybrid, which replaces a conventional hybrid, and the new 3.6-liter twin-turbo V-6 engine for the Cayenne S.

In the plug-in, named the Cayenne S E-Hybrid, Porsche has more than doubled the electric motor’s output from 47 hp to 95 hp, resulting in an all-electric top speed of 78 mph. In combination with its 333-hp 3.0-liter supercharged V-6, the Cayenne S E-Hybrid produces total output of 416 hp at 5,500 rpm. It can go from 0 to 62 mph in 5.4 seconds and has a top speed of 151 mph. The Cayenne S E-Hybrid starts at $77,395, including delivery

Porsche is dropping the naturally aspirated 4.8-liter V-8 in the Cayenne S in favor of the new twin-turbo V-6, which was developed entirely at Porsche. It produces maximum power of 420 hp at 6,000 rpm, a gain of 20 hp over the outgoing V-8 engine. The Cayenne S accelerates from 0 to 62 mph in 5.2 seconds and has a top speed of 160 mph.

The Cayenne S starts at $75,095 and carries the lineup’s highest price increase, at 11 percent.

Amy Wilson

REPORT HERE

Chevrolet and GMC have confirmed a new eight-speed automatic transmissions.

Chevrolet and GMC have confirmed a new eight-speed automatic transmission will be standard on 2015 Chevrolet Silverado, GMC Sierra and GMC Yukon Denali/Yukon XL Denali models equipped with the 6.2L EcoTec3 V-8.

The GM-developed Hydra-Matic 8L90 eight-speed is approximately the same size and weight as the Hydra-Matic 6L80 six-speed automatic. Its 7.0 overall gear ratio spread is wider than GM’s six-speed automatic transmissions, providing a numerically higher first gear ratio to help drivers start off more confidently with a heavy load or when trailering. The 8L90 also enables numerically lower rear axle ratios, which reduce engine rpm on the highway.

With 420 horsepower and 460 lb.-ft. of torque, the 6.2L EcoTec3 V-8 is the most powerful engine offered in any light-duty pickup, and offers a maximum available trailer rating of 12,000 pounds, based on SAE J2807 Recommended Practices. As with other EcoTec3 engines, it seamlessly switches to four-cylinder operation under lighter loads to improve fuel economy.

Additional technical details and the EPA estimated fuel economy will be announced closer to the start of production in the fourth quarter of 2014.