Engines seize. Fires start without a crash. Power cuts out on the highway with no warning. Kia’s Sorento lineup runs three main engines: Theta II, Lambda II, and Smartstream. Each carries its own failure path; bearing debris, stripped head bolts, bad solder joints. Then come the fire risks: overheated ABS modules, melting HVAC harnesses, shorted … Read more
Slams. Revs. Nothing. The HR-V just sits there while traffic closes in. No thrust, no go, just slip. That’s the moment it clicks: the transmission’s done. And for 2016–2020 HR-Vs, it’s not rare. Honda knew early. Issued a software patch. Tied a warranty extension to it. But never called it a recall. This guide cuts … Read more
Stab the gas. Engine revs spike. Nothing happens. Behind you, traffic’s closing fast. That’s how Hyundai Santa Fe owners described the failure; just a flicker of throttle before the DCT let go and coasted dead. Now that defect has a name: Recall 236, followed by Recall 263, and a slow retreat from the 8-speed wet … Read more
Lurch into traffic. The engine revs. The transmission slams into gear; then throws a warning across the dash. That gut-punch moment sends thousands of Dodge Journey owners straight into transmission limbo. Harsh shifts. Stubborn limp mode. Shudder that mimics a misfire. Some deal with it once. Others live in the shop. This guide tears down … Read more
Choke. Stall. Flash the oil light. Honda’s J-series V6 used to be the golden child, quiet, smooth, near bulletproof. Then came VCM, direct injection, cheap bearings, and a spike in engine complaints across the Pilot lineup. Misfires, timing-belt carnage, oil-burned cats, and crankshaft seizures have turned “reliable” into a liability. This guide maps the damage. … Read more
Underhood cable slips free. Shifter says Park. Transmission stays in Reverse. That’s the failure behind Ford’s 22S43 recall; just one of many Edge transmission flaws hiding behind vague symptoms and half-covered fixes. Others crack flexplates, leak fluid, shear torque studs, or seize up from clogged filters no shop can service. This guide breaks down every … Read more
Smells coolant. Loses boost. Taps cold. That quiet four-cylinder just turned into a five-figure rebuild. The BMW B48 shows up strong on paper; closed-deck block, forged rods, clean emissions. But real-world failures stack fast: brittle vent lines, warped housings, plastic charge pipes, rattling wastegates, and carbon that chokes idle by 80,000 miles. This guide skips … Read more
Stalls in traffic. Metal in the oil. Warranty’s gone. That’s how Nissan’s 3-cylinders break the news. Failures aren’t random. The KR15DDT sheds bearing metal before 80,000 miles. The HR12 burns oil, fouls plugs, and melts valves. The HR10 rattles itself into timing errors and low compression. Some owners get engine swaps under recall. Others get … Read more
Shifter clicks into Park. Door swings shut. Fusion creeps down the driveway anyway. That single fault; soft plastic cracking in the shift cable bushing; fueled a 3-million-vehicle safety recall and years of lawsuits. But the bushing failure wasn’t the only thing dragging the Fusion’s name through the dirt. Behind the headlines sits a bigger mess: … Read more
Start the motor cold, and coolant bubbles before the fan even kicks on. The Volvo D13 runs strong; until it doesn’t. When the #5 valve clips a liner or the lower idler starts wobbling, the teardown often ends with a short block. And that’s before you hit the injector cup leaks, 5 MPH derates, or … Read more