Auto Racing

GM recalling nearly 4,300 Chevrolet Sonics to check for possible missing brake pad

DETROIT, MI (AP) -- General Motors Co. said on Friday that it is recalling more than 4,000 of its 2012 Chevrolet Sonic subcompact cars to check for missing brake pads.

The possibility that some Sonics could be missing an inner or outer brake pad was discovered during warranty service for a rental vehicle customer. GM said the problem "is expected to exist in very few cars," and there are no known crashes or injuries related to the issue. A missing pad could require longer stopping distance, and contribute to a crash.

The recall involves 4,296 of GM's 2012 Sonics sold in the U.S. The affected models are from the Orion Township, Mich., assembly plant, where the Sonic is built for sale in the U.S. and Canada.

Dealers will inspect the front brakes for missing inner or outer pads and, if a pad is missing, install new pads. If needed, a new brake caliper or brake rotor, or both, will also be installed. Affected customers will receive dealer letters beginning Jan. 14.

Ford Canada is claiming the title of Canada's top-selling automaker in 2011 for the second year in a row.

The Detroit-based auto giant said Wednesday its Canadian vehicle sales were up three per cent to 275,978 from 267,974 in 2010. The growth was led by strong sales of SUVs and crossover vehicles.

Full-year car sales were up 14 per cent, driven by strong sales of the Ford Fiesta. And the company said its F-Series pickup truck was the top-selling vehicle in Canada.

"Full-sized trucks are experiencing record-breaking sales in Canada," said Scott Cauvel, vice president of sales, Ford of Canada.

However, the company saw slightly weaker sales in December compared with a year ago, with 19,381 vehicles sold, down 0.5 per cent from the 19,477 sold in December 2010.

Cauvel added that the company is optimistic that the industry will continue to grow in 2012.

Meanwhile, Chrysler Canada said it has capped its best retail sales year since 2002 with a two per cent increase in overall light vehicle sales in December.

For the full year, combined sales were 230,992, compared with 204,955 in 2010, a 12.7 per cent increase.

"For the second year in a row, Chrysler Canada was the No. 1 market share gainer in the country," president and CEO Reid Bigland said in a release.

Industry sees uneven sales over 2011

Chrysler, the first of several Canadian automakers expected to report sales figures Wednesday, said it sold a total of 14,628 vehicles in December, up from 14,407 in the same month last year.

A disappointing 10 per cent drop in car sales to 1,394 units from 1,549 in December 2010 was more than offset by a 2.9 per cent increase in truck sales to 13,234 units from 12,858 as the company posted its 25th consecutive month of year-over-year sales growth.

Honda Canada said its Civic remained Canada's best-selling car for the 14th straight year, despite a double digit plunge in overall sales due to inventory problems caused by Japan's earthquake and tsunami in March.

"This past year was incredibly challenging because of the Japan earthquake and tsunami in March and the Thailand flood in October," said Jerry Chenkin, executive vice president of Honda Canada Inc.

"Combined, these two disasters resulted in significantly reduced production due to parts shortages for more than half of the year.

Especially hard hit was the new 2012 Civic, which had just launched and was seriously affected by a severe parts shortage for more than half of the year."

Honda said the parts shortages were responsible for a 12 per cent decline in annual sales of Hondas and Acuras to 123,121 units.

Honda said about 96 per cent of the vehicles it sold in Canada were produced at its North American assembly plants, up from 91 per cent in 2010.

Volkswagen has best-ever year

On Tuesday, Volkswagen Canada said it had its best-ever sales year in 2011, beating the previous record set in 2010 by 16 per cent. The company said it sold 3,565 cars last month, pushing the full year total to 52,604.

Reports from other carmakers were expected to confirm that the industry was on track to beat volumes reported in the years since the last recession.

Automakers have seen uneven but rising sales this year, with growth positive one month and negative the next, as economic uncertainty pervaded consumer sentiment.

Overall light vehicle sales grew 1.8 per cent in November.

A total 1.47 million vehicles had been sold as of Nov. 30 — surpassing the 1.46 million sold during all of 2009 — the worst sales year for the industry since 1998, according to data released by DesRosiers Automotive Consultants.

Sales are also ahead of the 1.45 million vehicles sold as of the end of November 2010, giving the industry momentum to beat the 1.56 million vehicles sold last year.

Still, 2011 sales volumes are well short of their pre-recession levels of 1.64 million units in 2008 and 1.65 million in booming 2007.

Analysts predict 2012 sales will be in line with volumes seen last year as recession in Europe, slower growth in emerging markets and an uncertain economic and political climate in the U.S. continue to weigh on consumer sentiment.

DEARBORN, MI – Ford enters 2012 with plans to further reduce the amount of water used to make vehicles and continue showing efficiency is not only inherent in its vehicle lineup, but also in its manufacturing practices.

A new goal calls for Ford to cut the amount of water used to make each vehicle 30 percent globally by 2015, compared with the amount of water used per vehicle in 2009.

Ford is also developing year-over-year efficiency targets as part of its annual environmental business planning process and has established a cross-functional team spanning several divisions to review water usage more holistically.

“Water remains one of our top environmental priorities and our aggressive reduction target helps ensure continued focus on this critical resource,” said Sue Cischke, group vice president, Sustainability, Environment and Safety Engineering.

Ford’s latest water reduction initiatives are designed to build on the success the company has had with its Global Water Management Initiative that launched in 2000. Between 2000 and 2010, Ford reduced its global water use by 62 percent, or 10.5 billion gallons. That’s the equivalent of how much water 105,000 average American residences use annually, based on figures from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

If Ford meets its goal of reducing the amount of water used by 30 percent between 2009 and 2015, the amount of water used to make a vehicle will have dropped from 9.5 cubic meters in 2000 to approximately 3.5 cubic meters in 2015. One cubic meter is equal to 264.2 gallons of water.

Leading by example

When it comes to water, drought and extensive population growth are just two of many challenges in places such as Mexico’s Sonoran Desert, home to Ford’s Hermosillo Stamping and Assembly Plant. The plant produces the Ford Fusion, Fusion Hybrid and Lincoln MKZ.

Production at Hermosillo Stamping and Assembly Plant doubled between 2000 and 2010. However, water usage at the plant dropped during the same period by 40 percent.

“We applied innovative technology to our Hermosillo plant to reduce water consumption, minimize impact on the community and build vehicles in a more sustainable manner,” said Larry Merritt, manager, Environmental Quality Office.

To reduce water use, a membrane biological reactor – a biological water treatment system – was installed. The complex system is able to make up to 65 percent of the plant’s wastewater suitable for high-quality reuse elsewhere in the facility or for irrigation. The water treatment system also is being used at Ford plants in Chennai, India and Chongqing, China.

More technology, less water

Another approach is to cut the amount of water necessary to complete a task – a strategy afforded by the use of advanced technologies and processes.

“As we invest in new and existing facilities globally, our water strategy prioritizes sustainable manufacturing technologies,” said John Fleming, executive vice president, Global Manufacturing and Labor Affairs. “This disciplined approach allows us to make significant progress in water reduction and other environmental efforts over time.”

For example, several of Ford’s engine plants around the world are using Minimum Quantity Lubrication (MQL) machining, also known as dry-machining.

This technology lubricates the cutting tool with a very small amount of oil sprayed directly on the tip in a finely atomized mist, instead of with a large quantity of coolant/water mixture. The process saves hundreds of thousands of gallons of water and oil per year. By eliminating the coolant/water mixture, dry-machining eliminates the need to treat and dispose of an oily waste stream.

Dry-machining also is delivering significant benefits in energy use, waste production, quality, working conditions and costs. For a typical 450,000-unit line, more than 280,000 gallons of water can be saved annually.

In the U.S., the dry-machining system has been implemented at Ford’s Livonia Transmission Plant, Van Dyke Transmission Plant and Romeo Engine Plant. Ford also has implemented the system at a number of transmission and engine plants in Europe and applications in other plants around the world currently are being considered.

Tracking success

Before Ford launched the Global Water Management Initiative in 2000, many facilities had little ability to even track water usage. The picture is very different today.

When the initiative started, Ford engineers developed software to predict water usage. Another kind of software was developed to track water use at each facility and generate a monthly report so successes and potential opportunities for improvement could be identified.

Also, water reduction actions are built into Ford’s Environmental Operating System (EOS), which provides a standardized, streamlined approach to meeting all environmental requirements, including sustainability objectives and targets within each of Ford’s plants around the world.

EOS allows Ford to track its plants’ performance of fundamental water reduction actions such as leak identification and repair, and cooling tower optimization at every manufacturing site worldwide.

Happy Holidays and a Happy New Year from The Driver!

We will be back in 2012 to cover anything and everything automotive.