Nissan Altima and Maxima steering lock problems will be fixed for free after the automaker announced a "service campaign" for 243,000 model year 2009-2010 Nissan Altima, Altima Coupe, Altima Hybrid and Maxima cars.

Although not a recall, the service campaign will fix steering locks that have plagued Altima and Maxima owners for years and caused owners to send their bank accounts into shock.

The cars are equipped with electronic steering column locks (ESCLs) that lock the steering wheels when the Altima and Maxima cars are parked and turned off. However, those steering locks have serious problems and can leave owners and their cars sitting in parking lots or driveways.

"My car wouldn't start and of course it was cold as crap and I wasn't home. Any who turns out it's because the steering lock control unit needs to be replaced. I didn't know this last month, I just found out this morning when the dealer called me. I had the same issue this week and turns out that unit needs to be replaced. In Dec I had my car towed but it started right up the next morning so it didn't cost me anything but it's going to cost me almost $1000 this time." - 2009 Nissan Altima owner / Baltimore, Maryland

The automaker says manufacturing problems cause the steering locks to malfunction after the cars have been shut off, preventing the engines from starting. The problem won't occur while driving, but the problems that do occur have caused owners a ton of grief and expense.

"On Sunday, 5 February 2017, I left my house to visit my brother at 10am and when I came back outside (20mins later) to my car, it would not start. The piece in question that was the problem... quoted by Nissan is the "steering lock."  Monday, 6 February 2017, I received a call from the dealership to confirm my car issue (lock steering) and the cost was going to be $1104 to repair, with my military discount the cost was $985.46." - 2010 Nissan Maxima owner / Woodbridge, Virginia

Nissan has agreed to replace the steering lock with an electronic steering column box at no charge for parts and labor, a job that should take an authorized Nissan dealer about an hour to complete.

The electronic steering column box will replace the ESCL assembly but will no longer lock the steering wheel when the car is parked and turned off. The automaker says the steering wheel locking function is not necessary because the Altima and Maxima are equipped with anti-theft immobilizers to help prevent theft.

If you already paid for repairs to the steering column lock, Nissan will reimburse what you spent as long as you can show proof of repairs. If those repairs were above $1,000, you'll need to show proof of ownership of the car.

If you own a 2009-2010 Nissan Altima or Maxima, it's important to schedule an appointment with an authorized Nissan dealer before taking the car in for steering lock service. Genuine Nissan replacement parts used for repairs are covered by a 12-month/12,000-mile warranty.

The automaker says a customer can decline the repairs if they choose, but Nissan may decide to completely stop the service campaign anytime it chooses, and without notice.

Nissan says letters are going out to owners throughout March and April 2017, but Altima and Maxima owners who have questions should call Nissan at 800-647-7261, or visit NissanAssist.com.

CarComplaints.com has complaints about steering lock problems in the Nissan Altima and Maxima:

• Nissan Altima Steering Column Lock Complaints - 2009 / 2010
• Nissan Maxima Steering Column Lock Complaints - 2009 / 2010

A Mazda MAZDA3 clutch noise and replacement lawsuit will continue after a California federal judge granted in part Mazda's motion to dismiss, but allowed some claims to carry on, giving 2010-2015 MAZDA3 owners hope of relief.

In addition to noise from the clutch systems, MAZDA3 owners describe defective clutch forks, pins and bearings that cause catastrophic clutch failure.

The class-action lawsuit alleges the clutch assemblies have design defects that Mazda knows about but continues to ignore, leaving owners with huge repair bills to keep the vehicles moving.

The vehicles, equipped with either 5-speed or 6-speed transmissions, allegedly make enough noise to wake the dead while causing some owners to replace the clutch systems multiple times.

"THIS IS RIDICULOUS. Second clutch replacement in this car, between 40 and 70k miles. Driving a clutch my entire driving life, and never had a problem until now." - 2010 Mazda MAZDA3 owner / Austin, Texas

"I think it is too early to have to replace the clutch. I expected Mazda to be a better quality car than a major repair at 52K miles @ $1300, 3 days car-less. Mazda knows it, corrected the clutch, but will not pay for it or recall it.  Maybe I can get reimbursed later, but for now I need my car and will have to pay to replace the clutch." - 2010 Mazda MAZDA3 owner / Ford Lauderdale, Florida

The plaintiffs claim premature wear damages the clutch pressure plates and flywheels, with the standard response from Mazda being the owners are mistreating the vehicles.

Mazda told the judge that clutch failures can happen from numerous different causes and not just what the lawsuit alleges is the cause. The judge agreed and ruled in favor of Mazda but left the door open for the plaintiffs to amend their claims.

The judge also ruled in favor of Mazda concerning claims the automaker violated certain consumer protection and warranty laws. However, the judge again left open the door by allowing the plaintiffs to provide more facts about their claims. Other warranty claims were thrown out without leaving the plaintiffs the option to amend their complaint.

Mazda asked the judge to dismiss the claims of non-California plaintiffs based on the grounds such claims “should be governed by the consumer protection laws of the jurisdiction[s] in which the transaction[s] took place.” The court agreed and ruled non-California Mazda owners can't file claims based on California law.

Although Mazda succeeded in getting many claims dismissed, other parts of the lawsuit will continue, including claims made by two plaintiffs concerning California’s Consumer Legal Remedies Act. Claims of violating the California Song-Beverly Consumer Warranty Act will also proceed.

The Mazda MAZDA3 clutch replacement lawsuit was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California - Megan Humphrey, Iris Gonzalez, Charles Bunch, Anne Stom, David Woodward, Greg Thomason, Lisa Massa and Dan Carney, et al vs. Mazda Motor Corp.

The plaintiffs are represented by Cafferty Clobes Meriwether & Sprengel, and McCuneWright.

CarComplaints.com has complaints about MAZDA3 vehicles:

Mazda MAZDA3 - 2010 / 2011 / 2012 / 2013 / 2014 / 2015 / All model years

BMW is recalling nearly 300 vehicles to replace airbag modules in 2017 BMW 430i, 430i xDrive, 440i, 440i xDrive, M4 and Rolls-Royce Dawn vehicles.

The problematic airbags are the seat-mounted side airbags with inflator initiators that may fail to ignite. BMW says the generant mix ratio in some igniters, manufactured by Autoliv, does not meet specifications, causing the igniters to malfunction and the airbags to fail in a crash.

The recall is expected to begin April 17, 2017, when dealers will start replacing the airbag modules.

Owners with questions should call BMW customer service at 800-525-7417.

Jaguar is recalling nine model year 2017 Jaguar XF sedans to fix problems that could cause the cars to catch on fire in a crash.

Jaguar says the XF cars may have cracked left-hand inner sill panels that can allow the underfloor fuel lines to rupture and leak gas. A crash on the left-hand side of the car can be too much for the inner sill panels to handle if they are cracked.

Any fuel leak in the presence of an ignition source could send the XF up in flames.

Dealers will need to inspect the nine cars to determine if the sill panels are cracked. Jaguar will repurchase the car and give the owner a new car if cracks are discovered.

Affected owners should call Jaguar at 800-452-4827 and ask about recall number K458. 

Porsche is recalling more than 19,000 vehicles in three recalls, two that involve airbag problems and the other to fix windshields that can detach in a crash.

Porsche Macan

About 17,871 model year 2015-2016 Macan S, Macan Turbo and 2017 Macan GTS SUVs with front passenger airbags that can fail in a crash.

In October 2016, Porsche noticed incidents related to activated airbag warning lights. Porsche investigated and engineers found defective sensor mats for seat occupancy detection could be causing the problem.

Porsche continued to study parts from the field through February 2017 and finally determined the sensor mats failed due to cracks of the conductive fabric in the mats.

Drivers may notice an airbag warning lamp or “Passenger Airbag OFF” light activated. Although the automaker doesn't know of any injuries caused by the defect, a passenger won't be properly protected in a crash.

Porsche dealers will replace the sensor mats and seat cushions, but the automaker doesn't know when the recall will begin.

Owners of the 2015-2016 Macan S, Macan Turbo and 2017 Macan GTS may contact Porsche at 800-767-7243. Porsche's number for this recall is AH02.

Another 120 Porsche vehicles are recalled because the front passenger airbags may fail to deploy in a crash.

• 2016 Porsche 911 GT3 RS
• 2017 Porsche 911 Carrera
• 2017 Porsche 911 Carrera Cabriolet
• 2017 Porsche 911 Carrera 4
• 2017 Porsche 911 Carrera 4S
• 2017 Porsche 911 Carrera 4S Cabriolet
• 2017 Porsche 911 Carrera S
• 2017 Porsche 911 Carrera S Cabriolet
• 2017 Porsche 911 Targa 4
• 2017 Porsche 911 Targa 4S
• 2017 Porsche 911 Turbo S
• 2017 Porsche 911 Turbo S Cabriolet
• 2017 Porsche 718 Boxster
• 2017 Porsche 718 Boxster S
• 2017 Porsche 718 Cayman
• 2017 Porsche 718 Cayman S

Porsche learned about airbag problems from the supplier Autoliv describing generant mix problems in the airbag initiators that aren't up to specifications. The same problems at Autoliv have caused recalls from other manufacturers due to problems on two production lines.

The automaker doesn't know when the recall will begin. Porsche dealers will replace the bad airbags, but owners with questions should call the automaker at 800-767-7243 and refer to recall number AH03.

Porsche 911, 718 Boxter

Porsche is recalling just 21 vehicles because the windshields could pop loose during a crash, leaving occupants without much needed protection right when they need it.

• 2017 Porsche 911 Carrera Cabriolet
• 2017 Porsche 911 Carrera 4 Cabriolet
• 2017 Porsche 911 Carrera 4S Cabriolet
• 2017 Porsche 911 Carrera S Cabriolet
• 2017 Porsche 911 Targa S
• 2017 Porsche 911 Targa 4S
• 2017 Porsche 911 Turbo Cabriolet
• 2017 Porsche 718 Boxter
• 2017 Porsche 718 Boxter S

The automaker says the windshield may not have been properly bonded to the vehicle, leaving the bond too weak to hold in a crash.

Porsche doesn't know when the recall will begin, but dealers will need to use a different bond to hold the windshields.

Owners with questions should call 800-767-7243 and ask about recall number AH04.

BMW is recalling nearly 122,000 vehicles to replace the front driveshafts, an expansion of a 2016 recall for the same problems. Affected are the following 2011-2014 models:

• 2011-2013 X5 xDrive35i
• 2011-2013 X5 xDrive50i
• 2011-2013 X5 M
• 2011-2013 X5 xDrive35d
• 2011-2014 X6 xDrive35i
• 2011-2014 X6 xDrive50i
• 2011-2014 X6 M
• 2011 x6 ActiveHybrid

Since the first recall in 2016, BMW monitored the problem and noticed an increase in warranty claims concerning damaged components near the front driveshafts and rendering the vehicles unable to drive. Engineers investigated the driveshaft, sealing system, bearings and damage to broken parts.

Through February 2017, BMW looked at numerous factors, including the age and mileage of a vehicle, environmental conditions and driving behavior. By the end, engineers determined the front driveshaft sealing system starting with the 2010 model year were affected similar to the vehicles included in the 2016 recall.

BMW says the contact surface between the spider and the seal of the front driveshaft’s universal joint may be out of specification, sometimes allowing water or dirt to enter the universal joint and cause excessive wear and corrosion resulting in noise or vibration.

The U-joint can break after enough wear and tear and stop torque to the front wheels, but the rear drivetrain will continue to work, supplying torque to the rear axle. However, driving the vehicle in this condition will result in damage to surrounding components and make the vehicle useless for driving.

A sure-shot sign of things going wrong is noise from the area of the front drivetrain, a signal to get the vehicle to a dealer.

The BMW front driveshaft recall will begin April 24, 2017, when dealers will replace the driveshafts.

Affected owners may contact BMW at 800-525-7417.

Subaru is recalling more than 25,500 model year 2017 Impreza cars to fix rear-view camera display screens that can go blank or freeze, leaving owners without the ability to know what is happening behind them when backing up.

Subaru opened an investigation in December 2016 after receiving a report about a blank screen on the infotainment unit while the vehicle was in reverse.

The automaker spent the next few months collecting parts from the field, and engineers finally determined the screens were freezing and going blank due to memory issues. Subaru says a bug in the software causes problems with the memory during initial boot-up of the system.

The Subaru Impreza recall should begin March 20, 2017. Subaru dealers will update the software that controls the infotainment systems.

If you own an affected 2017 Subaru Impreza and have questions, please call the automaker at 800-782-2783 and use recall number WTN-74.

Rear-view cameras have caused other automakers problems, namely a December 2016 recall of Maserati cars to fix rear-view camera systems and a recent lawsuit filed against Volvo after owners reported backup camera systems that failed.

CarComplaints.com has owner-reported complaints about Subaru Impreza cars.

Nearly 55,000 model year 2012 Nissan Versa cars are recalled following a federal investigation into side airbags that deploy when the car doors are slammed.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) opened an investigation in October 2016 after Versa owners complained about driver and passenger curtain and seat-mounted side airbags that deployed when shutting the front doors.

Owners of 2012 Nissan Versa cars have told NHTSA the same stories about the airbag deployments.

"While the vehicle was stationary in the driveway and upon entering and closing the vehicle doors, the air bags deployed without warning. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the air bag deployment was a result of the driver forcibly closing the vehicle."

"Pulled into my friends driveway...the car was running I believe it was in neutral, and passenger exited vehicle, and slammed the passenger door shut, the air bags deployed."

"I closed the passenger side door and the air bag from the door exploded. Just that easily."

Nissan determined the wrong combination of metals was used in the side airbag sensor connector harness, causing oxidation on the pins of the airbag control unit harness connection. The oxidation on the connector pins can cause a short loss of communication from the satellite sensor to the airbag control unit.

The Nissan Versa curtain and seat-mounted side airbag system will enter a backup mode when signal loss occurs and this backup mode allows the curtain and seat-mountain side airbags to deploy as intended in a crash.

However, the backup mode that kicks in from signal loss changes the requirements that must be met for the airbags to deploy, so simply slamming the doors can activate the airbags.

Typically the force needed to activate the airbags can only come from someone slamming a door from the outside, but real hazards exist if an occupant is inside the car when the airbags deploys.

Nissan dealers will install new jumper harness kits that contain tin-plated connection terminals on the harnesses, in addition to replacing the satellite sensors with new sensors. However, the automaker doesn't know when the recall will begin.

Concerned owners of 2012 Nissan Versa cars should call Nissan at 800-647-7261.

CarComplaints.com has complaints about the 2012 Nissan Versa and other model years of Nissan Versa cars.

Volkswagen has ordered two recalls that involve incorrect tire labels that could cause drivers to overload their vehicles.

One recall has 4,875 model year 2017 Jettas being called back to install tire information labels and another 800 model year 2017 Beetle and Jetta GLI vehicles are recalled to do the same.

VW didn't go into details, but both recalls involve tire pressure labels with maximum vehicle load ratings printed on the labels that are too high. This can cause a driver to overload the vehicle without knowing it, placing too much pressure on the tires.

The automaker says it discovered the problem during a routine audit of the vehicles.

Both recalls are scheduled to begin in March 2017, when Volkswagen dealers will install the correct tire information labels on the vehicles.

Owners with questions should call Volkswagen at 800-893-5298. VW's 2017 Jetta recall number is 01B8 and the 2017 Beetle and Jetta GLI recall number is 01B9.

CarComplaints.com has complaints about the Volkswagen Beetle, Jetta, and many other Volkswagen vehicles.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is tasked with the job of making sure vehicle emissions are within legal limits, but the Office of Inspector General (OIG) for the EPA has reason to believe the agency has skipped out on its job duties.

The OIG is preparing to investigate the EPA to determine if the agency is effective at detecting and preventing vehicle emissions fraud. Based on what has been discovered with Volkswagen cheating the system for years, all indications point to the EPA having no clue what Volkswagen and other automakers were doing concerning emissions violations.

Volkswagen may have been fined by the EPA, but it wasn't the EPA that caught VW in the act of cheating. The only reason the automaker was finally caught after years of fraud is because of researchers at West Virginia University who were working with the International Council on Clean Transportation.

University researchers determined Volkswagen's nitrogen oxide emissions were up to 40 times higher than allowed by law and when the automaker couldn't respond with sane reasons why, the EPA stepped in and started asking questions. If not for researchers based out of West Virginia, it's likely Volkswagen would still be manufacturing and selling illegal vehicles.

Investigators with the Office of Inspector General will place their focus on the National Vehicle and Fuel Emissions Laboratory and other divisions in the Office of Transportation and Air Quality within the EPA’s Office of Air and Radiation.

The OIG says the public needs to know if the agency responsible for monitoring on-road emissions is doing its job or if changes should be made. In addition, the OIG wants to know how the EPA handles internal controls and testing programs for vehicles on U.S. roads because the current methods don't seem to be working.

Volkswagen was able to get its illegal vehicles certified for sale for years, so the OIG will look into what procedures the EPA uses to audit data submitted by automakers.

Although Volkswagen's emissions cheating is the primary cause of the investigation, additional automakers have been added to the illegal emissions list.

Firstly, Fiat Chrysler stands accused by the EPA of installing and concealing "auxiliary emission control devices" in about 104,000 Jeep Grand Cherokees and Ram 1500 pickup trucks.

Secondly, Mitsubishi admitted it spent the past 25 years cheating fuel economy standards in Japan, and only after this admission did the EPA ask for additional tests on Mitsubishi vehicles.

Read about Volkswagen's emissions "defeat devices."

Is premium gas worth the extra cost? Probably not, at least according to research conducted by the American Automobile Association (AAA).

Researchers used vehicles of the same makes and models and compared what happened to the vehicles when using premium versus regular gas by testing horsepower, emissions and fuel economy data in a lab under different driving conditions. All the vehicles were sold without any recommendations or requirements to use premium fuel.

Researchers confirmed what previous researchers have found: Using premium gas when it's not required by an automaker does nothing to help with horsepower, fuel economy or emissions.

Considering some gas stations charge an additional 20 to 30 cents per gallon for premium gas, AAA estimates consumers throw away more than $2 billion each year to pay for fuel that does nothing good for their cars. This equates to more than 16 million drivers unnecessarily throwing out money for premium gas in the last 12 months, money that could be better spent elsewhere.

And then there is the magic word, "octane." While many consumers put a lot of stock in octane ratings, it has nothing to do with the quality of the fuel because the octane number is simply a measure of the compression ratio in fuel.

For example, some sports or luxury cars may use high compression engines that require premium high-octane fuel to keep the engines from knocking. In short, if your car requires premium gas, pay the extra money and use premium or face a knocking engine.

In addition to octane doing nothing concerning the quality of the gas, using a high-octane gas won't do anything to keep the engine clean and won't prevent engine deposits from building up.

As for those octane ratings, pulling into most gas stations means seeing a pump with three choices of gasoline: regular, mid-grade and premium, with typical octane ratings of 87 (regular), 89 (mid-grade) and 93 (premium).

However, octane ratings can be different based on what state you are in, where in one state a minimum octane rating of 90 will qualify as "premium" fuel, while another state may require a rating of 92 or 93 for the gas to be sold as premium.

According to AAA, 70 percent of drivers own a vehicle that requires regular gasoline (87 octane), while 16 percent of vehicles require premium gas and 10 percent of the cars do better with a mid-grade fuel. The remaining 4 percent of vehicles in the U.S. use alternative energy sources.

If you're confused about which gas to use, the best thing a car owner can do is read the owner's manual that describes what octane fuel is recommended. If by some chance the car knocks when the recommended octane is used, try switching to a higher octane to determine if the knocking disappears.

Hyundai is recalling nearly 978,000 Hyundai Sonata and Sonata Hybrid cars to fix seat belts that can detach from the seat belt anchor pretensioners. Recalled are 2011-2014 Sonata and 2011-2015 Sonata Hybrid cars after an investigation was opened by federal safety regulators in January.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) opened the Sonata investigation after two crash reports of seat belts that detached.

The investigation was originally aimed at only 2013 Sonatas after Hyundai received a report in September 2016 about a frontal collision involving a 2013 Sonata in which the front passenger seat belt detached. The automaker inspected the car but couldn't find what caused the problem.

In November 2016, Hyundai learned of another report of a 2013 Sonata that was struck by another car that failed to stop at a red light. Although the passenger weighed only 110 pounds, the seat belt completely failed and led to the passenger suffering injuries.

Hyundai and the seat belt supplier inspected the vehicle and the supplier recovered the parts in December 2016. Both companies started internal investigations, but neither has been able to determine what is causing the seat belt failures.

The automaker says to ensure the safety of consumers, the recall will include 2011-2014 Sonata and 2011-2015 Sonata Hybrid cars.

The Sonata recall will begin April 7, 2017, when Hyundai dealers will inspect the connection between the seat belt linkages and the seat belt anchor pretensioners, repairing them if needed.

Owner's may contact Hyundai customer service at 855-371-9460 and use recall number 160.

CarComplaints.com has complaints about Hyundai Sonata cars:

• Hyundai Sonata - 2011 / 2012 / 2013 / 2014 
• Hyundai Sonata Hybrid - 2011 / 2012 / 2013 / 2014 / 2015

Ford is recalling more than 5,750 model year 2017 Ford Mustangs to repair problems with the return springs on the left-hand interior door handles.

Ford says the Mustangs have left-hand door handles that may have been built with return springs that are out of position. The door could unlatch in a side impact if the interior door handle return spring is unseated, primarily due to loads placed on the door handle.

Although a door opening during a crash is never a good thing, the automaker says it is unaware of any accidents or injuries caused by the defect.

The 2017 Ford Mustangs were built between January 13 to January 31, 2017. About 5,470 Mustangs are in the U.S., 20 are in Mexico and 266 are located in Canada.

Dealers will inspect the left-hand interior door handle springs and fix them, if needed.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration hasn't released details of the recall to date, but if you own a 2017 Ford Mustang and have questions, call Ford at 866-436-7332 and refer to recall number 17C04.

Volkswagen has ordered two recalls involving Audi and VW vehicles with problems related to fuel filters and seat belt retractors and pretensioners.

Volkswagen Touareg Recall

Nearly 21,000 model year 2007-2010 VW Touareg SUVs are recalled, all with fuel filter flanges that may crack and allow fuel to leak out, leading to the possibility of fires.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration contacted Volkswagen about consumers making complaints about leaking gas. The automaker researched data and found numerous similar complaints and engineers determined cracks can form in the fuel filter flange, allowing gas to leak.

Investigators found that with time, oxidization can weaken the components and allow the components to intrude into the fuel filter flange material under pressure from the inside. In addition to the pressure, tension can cause the formation of small cracks where the fuel will eventually leak.

The recall should begin in May 2017, when dealers will inspect the fuel filter flanges for cracks. The fuel filter flanges will be replaced if cracks are discovered, and separately dealers will install protective covers to the fuel filters to prevent cracks from forming.

If you own a 2007-2010 VW Touareg and have questions, call Volkswagen at 800-893-5298 and refer to recall number 20Z4.

Audi A5 Cabriolet, S5 Cabriolet Recall

Audi is recalling more than 1,670 model year 2017 Audi A5 Cabriolet and S5 Cabriolet vehicles to fix problems with the front and rear seat belts, or more specifically, the seat belt retractor pretensioners.

Audi says those pretensioners are manufactured by Autoliv and due to a manufacturing problem, the micro-gas generator within the pretensioner could detach during a crash and become a dangerous projectile.

The automaker says the affected parts made by Autoliv have been installed in other Audi models, but only in the A5 Cabriolet and S5 Cabriolet can the micro-gas generator enter the passenger compartment and injure people.

Audi dealers will replace the seat belt retractors and pretensioners once the recall begins in May 2017.

Owners of recalled 2017 Audi A5 Cabriolet and S5 Cabriolet vehicles may call Audi at 800-253-2834 and use recall number 69O8.

CarComplaints.com has complaints about the Volkswagen Touareg, Audi A5 and Audi S5 vehicles.

Volkswagen has more problems in Germany as Munich prosecutors raided the offices of Jones Day, the large law firm VW hired to learn how the emissions scandal started and continued for years.

German prosecutors raided Jones Day and the offices of Audi's corporate division searching for any evidence to use against VW management or employees.

Volkswagen released a statement saying the raid by the prosecutor is "unacceptable in every respect" and is a "clear breach of the principles of the rule of law laid down in the Code of Criminal Procedure." According to VW, another court case shows a search on a law firm hired by another company is illegal, as confirmed by the Federal Constitutional Court.

VW says it will "take all the action at our disposal against these proceedings."

Documents supplied by Jones Day have been used to prosecute the case against Volkswagen, including by American prosecutors. But German prosecutors apparently believe the law firm may not be turning over all the evidence it found concerning VW's top management.

The automaker alleges millions of documents were searched by Jones Day, the same documents used to indict six Volkswagen executives in the U.S., including Oliver Schmidt, head of Volkswagen's environmental division in Michigan.

In January 2017, Schmidt was arrested in Miami as he was trying to return to Germany and charged with fraud and for his role in a conspiracy to defraud U.S. regulators and customers by using emissions defeat devices in hundreds of thousands of Volkswagen vehicles.

The federal complaint says Schmidt joined VW around 1997 and from 2012 to 2015 was general manager for VW in Auburn Hills, Michigan, where he was primarily responsible for communicating and coordinating with U.S. regulatory agencies.

During the time government agencies were asking for answers from VW about "clean diesel" vehicles, Schmidt allegedly concealed his knowledge of the defeat devices used to fool emissions tests for years.

A federal judge ruled Schmidt should be held in custody until January 2018 because the judge believes if Schmidt is allowed to leave jail, he will likely head back to Germany and never set foot on U.S. soil again.

U.S. District Court Judge Sean Cox says fraud and conspiracy allegations are very serious and since Germany doesn't allow its citizens to be extradited to the U.S., Schmidt should be kept where he can't skip town.

Schmidt's defense argues that using a GPS tracking device while confined to his home would keep Mr. Schmidt away from airports, and it was Schmidt who chose to travel to the U.S. even though he knew he could be charged.

In addition, family and friends of Schmidt told the court they raised more than $1.5 million in assets as bail money, but the judge wasn't swayed and said Mr. Schmidt will stay behind bars until his trial next year.

With at least eleven felony counts against him, Schmidt is technically looking at nearly 170 years in prison.

A Nissan Frontier side airbag lawsuit will continue after a federal judge ruled against Nissan's motion to dismiss, at least for the most part.

Plaintiff Bobette Brantley says the side airbags deploy too easily in Frontier trucks, all without need of a crash. She also alleges Nissan won't cover the damages under warranty and refuses to reimburse owners who must pay out-of-pocket for repairs.

In addition to the expense of repairing the airbags and any damage they caused, the lawsuit alleges drivers are dangerously distracted when the side airbags deploy without the truck rolling over.

The original Nissan Frontier side airbag lawsuit included model years 2011-2012, but plaintiff Josh Jones jumped in and expanded the suit to include 2007-2014 Frontier trucks.

The plaintiffs say Nissan has continued to conceal the allegedly defective airbags from consumers so the automaker can sell the trucks, then refuses to cover the repairs under warranty.

Nissan Frontier truck owners have long complained about side airbags deploying for no reason and ringing the bells of occupants.

"Side curtain airbags deployed for no reason while driving 5-10 mph on flat road. Almost knocked me out and left me confused for awhile, and caused my ears to ring all day. Apparently Nissan knows of the problem and has done nothing about it at all." - 2012 Nissan Frontier owner / Henderson, Nevada

Other owners say they worry about things when using the trucks off-road, but they usually worry about causing damage to the bodies of the trucks, not even thinking the airbags would deploy without rolling over.

"Myself and one passenger were off-roading in my 2012 Frontier pro-4X going over a bumpy surface and without warning the side airbags went off! luckily no one was injured, but we both got quite a scare due to the noise and lack of visibility. There is no damage to the front end nor were we at any degree of angle. Yes it was bumpy but when you pay for a vehicle that states clearly off road on the side you expect it has the suspension to support the ride. The very last thing I was thinking of was the air bags, until they came out." - 2012 Nissan Frontier owner / Lakeland, Florida

Plaintiff Brantley says she almost lost control of the truck when the side airbags deployed and then had to spend thousands of dollars to repair the truck to make it safe to drive.

Nissan argued that Brantley purchased her truck used, which was cause for the judge to throw out implied warranty claims since under the law in California, the truck must be bought new in California.

The judge agreed and tossed those claims, but Judge Kenneth Freeman ruled the majority of claims in the class-action lawsuit can continue, including consumer protection and fraud claims.

The Nissan Frontier side airbag lawsuit was filed in the Superior Court of California County of Los Angeles - Brantley v. Nissan North America Inc. et al.

The plaintiffs are represented by the Law Offices of Robert L. Starr and the Law Offices of Stephen M. Harris.

Alleged Ford Explorer carbon monoxide dangers have caused a large Texas police department to install carbon monoxide detectors in more than 360 Ford Explorer police vehicles.

The Austin Police Department says it will start using stickers that change color if carbon monoxide is detected and will eventually spend about $50 per vehicle to install detectors similar to what are used in homes.

Police officials say recent reports suggest officers may be getting ill from carbon monoxide poisoning in the SUVs, a problem serious enough that a safety bulletin was released on February 27, 2017.

The bulletin says two incidents have been reported within the Austin PD after an officer got lightheaded while driving the Explorer, and another report of a suspicious odor experienced by a sergeant driving an SUV.

Another incident allegedly occurred days ago when an officer driving a Ford Explorer reported feeling sick before the SUV hit a curb. The officer was treated for possible carbon monoxide poisoning and released from the hospital.

Ford Explorer carbon monoxide issues aren't new to owners, Ford or federal safety regulators.

In July 2016, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) opened an investigation after receiving more than 150 complaints about exhaust fumes in 2011-2015 Ford Explorers.

NHTSA says most of the complaints describe smelling fumes inside the SUVs during full throttle applications, such as when merging onto highways or climbing steep inclines. In addition, Explorer drivers complain the air conditioning systems contribute to the fumes when the systems are in recirculation mode.

As for Ford, NHTSA says the automaker knows of the problems because two technical service bulletins (TSBs) have been sent to dealerships concerning exhaust fumes.

One TSB (12-12-4) sent to dealers in December 2012 told technicians to seal and undercoat certain areas of the rear floor pans and body seams, replace the left-side air extractors and install rear lift gate drain valves.

Then in July 2014, Ford sent dealers TSB 14-0130 which added additional software changes to the recirculation mode operation of the air conditioning system during full throttle application events.

However, NHTSA says Ford Explorer owners continue to complain about exhaust fumes even after the SUVs were allegedly repaired under the service bulletins.

Separately, a Florida woman filed a Ford Explorer carbon monoxide lawsuit in 2013 alleging her 2013 Ford Explorer made her and her 5-year-old daughter sick, a lawsuit that was settled by both parties in 2016.

Have a complaint about your Ford Explorer? Add your complaint here, about any vehicle.

CarComplaints.com has complaints about Ford Explorer exhaust problems in the model years included in the federal investigation:

• 2011 Ford Explorer
• 2012 Ford Explorer
• 2013 Ford Explorer
• 2014 Ford Explorer
• 2015 Ford Explorer

A BMW i3 REx (Range Extender) class-action lawsuit is working its way through the legal jungle after BMW asked the court to dismiss the original i3 REx lawsuit and the judge did just that, at least partially.

The plaintiffs went back to the drawing board and on March 6, 2017, filed their first consolidated lawsuit against BMW alleging violations of several statutes.

The lawsuit alleges 2014-2016 BMW i3 REx cars have defects that cause the cars to experience sudden deceleration when the vehicles switch from battery power to the gas-powered Range Extenders.

The plaintiffs say BMW promises the Range Extender doubles the range of the i3 from about 81 miles to 150 miles by using a two-cylinder 650cc gas-powered engine that's essentially a BMW motorcycle engine that powers a generator to keep the battery at a constant level.

The automaker says the Range Extender switches on automatically when the battery level reaches 6.5 percent, much different than a similar feature of the Chevy Volt which uses an 84 horsepower motor that kicks in regularly during the battery’s life.

The i3 REx lawsuit claims BMW charges $3,850 over the base price of the purely electric model so that plenty of energy is left for a trip, yet the car "essentially becomes a golf cart" once the Range Extender is activated. In addition to the i3 suddenly decelerating, the plaintiffs claim the brake lights sometimes don't illuminate.

According to the lawsuit, BMW added an option for drivers to activate the Range Extender earlier than normal, when the charge was 75% or less, but the plaintiffs say that well before the release of the 2014 model year i3, BMW removed the holdstate-of-charge mode from vehicles offered for sale in the U.S.

They did so because the California Air Resources Board (CARB) has issued a “zero-emission-vehicle mandate” requiring automakers to allocate 15% of sales to zero-emissions vehicles by 2025. Under this mandate, BMW can earn credits for range-extended i3s as if they were pure battery-electric cars rather than hybrids, but only so long as the electric range meets or exceeds the gas range.

Allegations are also made that in 2013 or earlier, BMW negotiated with the California Center for Sustainable Energy, which administers the clean vehicle rebate program of CARB, to be able to make necessary changes to the U.S. model of the BMW i3 REx so that it qualifies under the clean vehicle rebate program.

The original version of the European BMW i3 REx did not meet this criteria for approval, so the automaker modified the software of the European model to fit under the special criteria. Then BMW allegedly removed the function enabling a manual start of the Range Extender, limited the use of the fuel tank to 1.9 gallons and programmed the Range Extender to start only automatically when the car charge drops to 6.5 percent.

These modifications to the software allegedly enabled the U.S. version of the BMW i3 REx to become eligible for the rebates and tax credits defined by specific criteria under federal and California regulations.

The plaintiffs argue that while the Chevy Volt and the European-market BMW i3 are reportedly able to maintain full performance under virtually all conditions, the U.S. BMW i3 goes into “limp mode” where the vehicle slows rapidly, cannot accelerate and may not have functioning brake lights.

According to the lawsuit, the car is a danger on the roads when it enters limp mode and experiences a severe loss of power without warning. One plaintiff claims they experience limp mode frequently and the hazard lights must be activated because of how slow the vehicle is moving.

Another plaintiff says in the summer of 2015, he was driving on a two-lane freeway at 75 mph and after just a few minutes of driving in the Range Extender mode, the i3's power appeared to abruptly cut out and the speed was suddenly reduced to 35 mph no matter how much he smashed on the accelerator pedal.

The plaintiffs say owners of 2014-2016 i3 REx cars have been defrauded by BMW as the automaker engaged in unfair competition under state and federal laws and caused the cars to diminish in value.

The BMW i3 REx class-action lawsuit was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California - Barry Braverman, Hakop Demirchyan, Joel Green, Chevay Jones, Dr. Glynda Roberson, Edo Tsoar, Peter Weinstein, Thomas Munk, Peter Bernard, Lawrence Curcio, Naveen Parmeshwar, Adeel Siddiqui, Charles Olsen, Robert Desatnik, Eric Wonderly, John Lingsweiler, Steve Ridges and Brandon Redmond, v. BMW of North America, LLC, and BMW AG.

The plaintiffs are represented by Hagens Berman Sobol Shapiro, Chimicles & Tikellis LLP, MLG Automotive Law, and the Margarian Law Firm.

Maserati is recalling 3,300 model year 2017 Levante SUVs to fix problems that cause the transmissions to shift into neutral or possibly cause the engines to shut down.

In January 2017, Maserati recalled Levante S vehicles for the same problems, but the automaker learned of more reports and attempted to replicate the symptoms and found the process difficult.

Engineers finally created and validated new software and started using it in production on February 21, 2017. Three days later the automaker decided to conduct a larger recall than the previous recall.

Maserati says it determined the SUVs were manufactured with engine software issues that occur when the vehicle is operated at about 2 miles per hour at very low engine RPM, similar to stop-and-go traffic. In these conditions, the transmission may shift into neutral or possibly cause the engine to shut down and create a serious crash hazard.

Maserati dealers can fix the problem by uploading new software into the engine control modules.

Levante owners with questions should contact Maserati customer service at 201-510-2369.

A 2016 Ford Mustang Shelby GT350 lawsuit alleges the cars overheat and go into "limp mode" whether driving on an Interstate or a race track. Included in the proposed class-action lawsuit are all current and former owners or lessees of the 2016 Ford Mustang Shelby GT350 "Base" and "Technology Package" models.

According to the lawsuit, the GT350 is equipped with a “Track-Ready” powertrain system that is allegedly defective because it lacks a transmission cooler and a rear differential cooler.

As a result, the engine will overheat if it operates on the track, which causes the vehicle to go into "limp mode," a safety system designed to protect the engine from being damaged during extremely hot temperatures. Once limp mode engages, the engine will only run at very low RPM and will be barely able to move.

According to the plaintiffs, vehicles in limp mode can immediately go from over 100 mph to a much lower speed and lose power, causing the driver to become disoriented and lose control of the car.

This condition can also cause havoc on a race track as other vehicles operating at high speeds must quickly take action to avoid the Shelby GT350 immediately slowing down.

The lawsuit further alleges unexpected overheating of powertrain systems can damage the clutch and rear-end.

A driver using the car on a track is faced with what the plaintiffs claim is an impossible choice: allow for overheating to occur without warning and cause damage to the car, or modify the car with aftermarket repairs and hope such modifications will not affect performance or void warranties.

The Mustang Shelby GT350 lawsuit alleges consumers lose money because of the overheating problems as the plaintiffs estimate repairs to make the cars usable at high speeds would cost approximately $7,000, including parts and labor, and that is only to resolve the transmission problems.

Owners say they don't have an exact cost related to repairs of the rear differential coolers because Ford has allegedly told owners it is unable to make repairs that properly integrate with the engine’s control modules.

The biggest wallop to the checkbook is that Ford owners must pay for all repairs because the addition of a cooling system to the transmission and rear differentials is not covered under any of Ford’s warranties.

"Ford has belatedly and inconspicuously admitted the defect by advising owners to buy rear differential and transmission coolers for their 2016 model year cars—at their own expense—in order to actually make them “Track-Ready” as advertised." - 2016 Ford Mustang GT350 lawsuit

The plaintiffs claim Ford knows about the serious problems because starting with the 2017 Mustang Shelby GT350, the automaker fixed those problems by installing external coolers that are missing on the 2016 models.

The 2016 Ford Mustang Shelby GT350 lawsuit was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida - George and Diana Tershakovec, Jacques Rimokh and Herbert Alley, et al, v Ford Motor Company.

The plaintiffs are represented by Hagens Berman, and Grossman Roth Yaffa Cohen.