UK RECALL #3 - URGENT - Various Vauxhall/Opel models MUST NOT BE DRIVEN - Please read.

Vauxhall is advising customers of any ADAM and Corsa/Corsavan models registered since May 2014 that around 3000 of these vehicles have been manufactured with a steering system part that does not meet Vauxhall’s specification. As a precaution, these vehicles should not be driven prior to inspection.  

Vauxhall puts the safety and convenience of its customers first and as this condition concerns their safety, the company is taking immediate action. From Saturday September 27th, owners will be able to find out if their vehicle is affected by going to the Vauxhall website homepage (www.vauxhall.co.uk) and clicking on the ‘Safety Check for ADAM and Corsa’ button for further information. Alternatively customers can call the Vauxhall Customer Assistance Centre for advice on 0800 026 0034 between 09.00 and 17.30hrs. 

The company became aware of the condition during routine quality control at the vehicle manufacturing plant. The company is not aware of any accident or injury related to this condition.

TMW - Ginetta Juniors, how to ruin a years hard work in 30 seconds.

I was unable to report on the last round of the Ginetta Juniors race series, due to being elsewhere, and how put out I was to miss a great first race, with James Kellett taking a well-deserved win, from being second on the grid, pole position holder and team mate Lando Norris holding onto the pole by the slimmest of margins, a clever overtaking move by James into Jim Clark S's, meant that James whizzed by, and remained in the lead despite a few digs by Mitchel, this victory is proof that James is definitely a driver to watch for the rest of the season. 

The live races on the Sunday, all shown on ITV4, provide the viewer and race goer with all the races, uninterrupted, and in all their glory, it was this race for the Ginetta Juniors that has caused a lot of controversy. As is the case with all the BTCC main, and, support races, there is never enough room, in the paddock, with the BTCC taking the garages, as they should, and the other teams fitting in around.

It was this "fitting around" that has become an issue, and damaged, possibly beyond repair, James Kellett' entire season, let me explain, the cars were on the track, when James realised that there was something very amiss with the car, the team had earlier in the day replaced a steering rack, and this was not secured fully, this in turn, meant that James was left with a car he had little confidence in, and a lack of precise steering.

NOW, these things happen, and it was an accident, and ordinarily it would have been fixed and he could have re-joined the race without much of a loss in time, yet as he came back into the pits, the BTCC cars were still all in the way, this was not acceptable, and the Ginetta Juniors race should NOT have been started whilst the pits were still in this position, safety, and common sense, would have shown that.

The delay in being able to get the car fixed, meant that James was, once released, so far down the board that any chance of getting back up would be an near impossible feat, but he fought hard and even though the steering rack was not fully secured, he finished the race, in last position, and gained three points, but is now third in the Championship.

NOW, someone should be held accountable for this, well, balls up, the pit lane should have been cleared ready for the start of the next race, the support race should not have been started until all the teams were able to safely get access to the cars in the pits, and something should be put in place to ensure that if this happens again, the driver and team should not be penalised for someone else’s errors, I know, that will never happen.

The team were at fault, and they have single handily destroyed James' chances of a title this year, and no amount of apologetic letters from TOCA and the team will help the fact that James, will have one hell of a battle, to get to the top, he will need to win every race, get pole, and fastest lap, to claw his way back into contention again, it is a very tough ask, and one that James, will do his best to achieve, but at his young age, it will be hard to get his head back in the zone, and not harp back to the crazy situation at Croft.

And, what of the sponsors, they surely can’t be happy either, but they can be assured that in James they have a great racer, that’s prepared to push his way to the top, and take them, with him, they need to support James, in times like these, and reap the rewards of more wins in the rest of the 2014 season, which is why James deserves, to have more sponsors, to enable him, and his team, to actively take on the rest of the field, and lead from the top.

if you are a company, or business that would like to provide James, and his team with some support, than please feel free to contact James, HERE, and he will get back to you, James Kellett, is a name that will become a worldwide name in motorsport, so now is the time to get in on the ground floor, and support one of racing’s brightest hopes.

TMW
Jon Mower

USA - Chrysler recalls 18,092 Fiat 500L cars to fix potential shifter hazard.

Chrysler Group is recalling 18,092 Fiat 500L cars in the United States because drivers may not be able to shift out of park, according to documents filed with U.S. safety regulators.

Chrysler, a unit of Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, is recalling some 2014 models because in certain temperatures the transmission shift lever may have a delayed effect or no effect on selecting a gear, according to documents filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

If there is no effect, the car will not shift out of park, and if there is a delayed effect the vehicle may move in an unintended or unexpected direction, increasing the risk of a crash, according to the NHTSA documents.

As of Feb. 20, Chrysler was unaware of any accidents or injuries related to the problem, according to the NHTSA documents.

Dealers will replace the shifter module or update the shifter software as needed free of charge. The recall is expected to begin in April.

IMPORTANT INFO - do you own an older Toyota, honda, Nissan or Mazda, then read this

Our friends over at AUTOEXPRESS have posted this report and is important information should you own or know someone who owns any of the cars these manufactures made.

Toyota, Honda, Nissan and Mazda will recall 150,000 cars in the UK, after discovering a fault with passenger seat airbags

Four Japanese manufacturers - Toyota, Honda, Nissan and Mazda - are to recall more than 3.4 million cars after a potential fault with the cars' airbags was identified.

Toyota is recalling 1.7 million cars worldwide after its vehicles had a defective part that "could cause the airbag inflator to rupture and deploy the airbag abnormally in a crash". However, the manufacturer confirmed that the airbag would still deploy in the event of an accident.

Honda is recalling 1.1 million cars, while Nissan and Mazda are recalling 480,000 and 45,000 cars respectively.

In terms of UK numbers, the recall affects around 76,000 Toyota models, while Nissan is calling back 59,000 cars. Around 15,400 Hondas are affected by the fault and 1,900 Mazda cars. The fault affects cars sold between 2000 and 2004.

UK models affected include the Toyota Corolla and Yaris, the Honda Civic, CR-V and Jazz models, and the Nissan X-Trail, Patrol, Almera and Navara.

The problem came to light after Toyota received five separate reports of the fault, three in the US and two from Japan. There have been no complaints from owners in the UK and a spokesman for Toyota confirmed that there had been no injuries as a result of the incident. Honda, Nissan and Mazda claim there have been no incidents involving their cars.

The Japanese car makers said the defective part was supplied by parts maker Takata Corp.

All four manufacturers have said that the part will be replaced free of charge, and will notify customers over the next 30 days. Toyota owners can also go to the recall information section of www.toyota.co.uk and put in their registration number to find out if their car is affected. Meanwhile worried Nissan owners can call 01923 899334.