Recall Alert: 2013 Subaru Outback and Legacy

Subaru is recalling 5,379 model-year 2013 versions of the Outback and Legacy due to a problem with the steering column, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

The affected vehicles were manufactured from Feb. 15 through June 15, 2012; check your vehicle's build date on a sticker on the driver-side doorjamb. In these cars, the inner and outer shafts of the steering column assembly could become disengaged, leading to a possible loss of vehicle control. Subaru received customer complaints about a loss of steering ability, which led to the recall investigation, the automaker said in a statement.

Subaru will start notifying affected owners today, and dealers will replace the affected parts for free. Owners can call Subaru at 800-782-2783 or NHTSA's vehicle safety hotline at 888-327-4236 for more info.

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Legislation Would Ground Recalled Rental Cars

A bipartisan group of U.S. senators last week introduced a bill that would prohibit rental-car companies from renting or selling vehicles with an open manufacturer's recall. The legislation, the Raechel and Jacqueline Houck Safe Rental Car Act of 2013, is named for a pair of California girls killed when an unrepaired rental car under recall caught fire due to the defect and caused a head-on collision with a semitrailer.

Existing law prohibits car dealerships from selling recalled vehicles to consumers, but no law bans rental companies from renting them. The bill, first announced in September 2012, is co-sponsored by Sens. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.), Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.) and Claire McCaskill (D-Mo.). McCaskill, chairwoman of the Senate Commerce Committee's Consumer Protection subcommittee, said she will hold a hearing on the bill later this month.

Recall Alert: More Than 300,000 Jeep and Ram Vehicles

Chrysler has issued three separate recalls for 301,283 Jeep and Ram brand vehicles to address electrical, airbag and coolant issues, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

The first affects 295,345 model-year 2005-10 Jeep Grand Cherokee (models manufactured from Feb. 11, 2004, through March 9, 2010) and 2006-10 Jeep Commander vehicles (models manufactured Jan. 31, 2005, through March 10, 2010). A transfer case electrical failure could make it possible to unintentionally shift the vehicle into Neutral, and the car could roll away. The automaker initiated an investigation after a customer reported that a 2007 Grand Cherokee rolled away after it was remotely started, Chrysler said in a statement. The automaker will notify affected owners starting in June and dealers will install a software update for free.

Recall Alert: 2002-2003 BMW 3 Series

An airbag recall that impacted millions of Toyota, Honda, Nissan and Mazda vehicles worldwide in April has expanded to German carmaker BMW. Today, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration released the recall of 42,080 BMW 3 Series models from the 2002 and 2003 model years for defective air bags.

The recall includes 2002-03 325i, 325xi, 330xi sedans; 325Ci and 330Ci coupes and convertibles; 325iT and 325xiT Sports Wagons and M3 coupes and convertibles.

In these models, the passenger-side front air bag can deploy with excessive pressure leading to a possible rupture. This could lead to metal fragments striking occupants.

BMW will notify owners this month of the recall, but replacement parts aren't estimated to reach dealers until July. BMW will again notify owners when parts are available.

Owners can call BMW at 800-525-7417 or NHTSA at 888-327-4236.

Recall Alert: 38,197 Chevrolet, Buick Hybrids

GM is recalling 38,197 model-year 2012-13 Chevrolet and Buick eAssist light hybrid cars due to a problem with circuit boards in the trunk that could cause a fire, according to the Los Angeles Times.

Affected vehicles include Chevrolet Malibu Eco, Buick LaCrosse and Buick Regal sedans. Circuit boards in the trunk could overheat, causing the cars' 12-volt battery to drain and one of several indicator lights to turn on. If owners ignore the warning lights, the engine could stall and a fire could occur in the trunk, the newspaper reported. The issue is not related to the lithium-ion battery that is part of the eAssist hybrid system.

Owners will be notified "soon," according to the newspaper, though no specific time frame was given. Owners of Malibu Ecos, Buick LaCrosses and Buick Regals who notice any kind of warning light are encouraged to take their car to a dealer immediately. For more info, owners can call the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's vehicle safety hotline at 888-327-4236 or go to www.safercar.gov.

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Recall Alert: 2013 Mercedes-Benz GL-Class

Mercedes-Benz is recalling 272 model-year 2013 GL-Class SUVs due to a problem with the second-row seat belt anchors, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

Affected vehicles include GL350 Bluetec, GL450 4Matic, GL550 4Matic and GL63 AMG models manufactured between May 15, 2012, and Oct. 4, 2012. The second-row seat belt anchor fitting bolts may not be properly torqued, which could cause seat belt anchor bolts to continually loosen. In a crash, the belted passenger may not be properly restrained, increasing the risk of injury.

Mercedes-Benz will begin notifying owners this month, and dealers will check and tighten the bolts of the seat belt anchor fittings for free. Owners can call Mercedes-Benz at 800-367-6372 or NHTSA's vehicle safety hotline at 888-327-4236; for more info owners can go to www.safercar.gov.

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Recall Alert: 2007-13 Toyota FJ Cruiser

Toyota is recalling 11,489 model-year 2007-13 FJ Cruiser SUVs due to auxiliary headlights that do not comply with federal safety standards for brightness, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

The affected vehicles were manufactured between Jan. 25, 2006, and Feb. 23, 2013, and are equipped with a Toyota Auxiliary Driving Lamp Kit mounted to the front bumper. These lamp assemblies include 55-watt bulbs that, in combination with the upper beam headlights, are too bright and exceed the maximum light output allowed by federal safety standards. Excessively bright lamps could temporarily blind oncoming drivers, increasing the risk of a crash.

Toyota said it will begin notifying owners later this month, and dealers will replace the 55-watt bulbs with 35-watt bulbs for free. Owners can call Toyota at 800-331-4331 or NHTSA's vehicle safety hotline at 888-327-4236, or for more info, go to www.safercar.gov.

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Recall Alert: 2013 Nissan Altima

Nissan is recalling 123,308 model-year 2013 Altima sedans due to a problem with the inflation of spare tires, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

Affected vehicles were manufactured between March 21, 2012, and March 26, 2013. The vehicles' spare tires may have been significantly over- or underinflated; this could cause failure without warning, increasing the risk of a crash, NHTSA stated.

Nissan will begin notifying owners May 3, and dealers will inspect and adjust the spare-tire pressure for free. Owners can call Nissan at 800-647-7261 or the NHTSA vehicle safety hotline at 888-327-4236, or go to www.safercar.gov for more info.

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Recall Alert: 2012-2013 Honda Fit

Honda is issuing a voluntary recall of 43,782 model-year 2012 and 2013 versions of the Fit hatchback due to a problem with the electronic stability system; only Sport trim models are being recalled.

According to Honda, the electronic stability system in the affected vehicles doesn't comply with Federal Motor Vehicle Standards regarding yaw rates (how far a car tilts during a turn). "Honda is not aware of any related crashes or injuries," it said in a statement.

Honda will notify affected owners starting in mid-May and dealers will reprogram the system's software for free. Owners can call Honda at 800 999-1009 (option 4) for more info.

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Recall Alert: 2014 Subaru Forester

Well that didn't take very long. The redesigned-for-2014 Forester has been on sale for only a few weeks, but it's already being recalled. Subaru is recalling 10,137 units of the compact crossover due to problems with the floormats, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

The affected vehicles were manufactured from January through March 2013 (check your vehicle's build date on a sticker on the driver-side doorjamb) and use floormats that weren't properly manufactured. According to NHTSA, they could curl if exposed to heat and could interfere with brake and accelerator pedal operation, increasing the risk of a crash.

Subaru will notify affected owners before the month's end, and dealers will replace all four floormats for free. Owners can call Subaru at 800-782-2783 or NHTSA's vehicle safety hotline at 888-327-4236 for more info.

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