Ford, Jeep, Toyota and other car producers have issued a vehicle recall recently.
Vehicle Recall Updates – Ford, Jeep, Toyota and More
With all the advances in automotive technology and safety systems made since the start of this century, isn’t it somewhat surprising to still see sizable recalls from major players? Does the rush to be first to market with the newest technology detract from quality control in the research and production of a car or truck?
We’re not talking about the Takata debacle which is not over yet given the news that potentially lethal airbags have migrated from cars and trucks to motorcycles. We’re talking product design or production flaws that put customers at risk.
We have focused on three of the biggest sellers in North America but that certainly doesn’t mean they are the only manufacturers who had some “whoopsies” that needed a fix. In fact the issue of recalls has become so big the NHTSA has developed an app that allows you to search their database by VIN to find out if a particular car has been recalled. This is a must download if you are in the market for a used car.
Toyota
In February of 2016 Toyota announced that it was recalling 320,000 vehicles equipped with side-curtain shield air bags, which deploy from the roof in some crashes. Apparently there was some bad programming fed into the airbag control modules that may allow the airbags to deploy and the pretension seat belts to snug you in when you start the vehicle. Toyota says this “unexpected activation” (I guess!) may cause injury to the driver and passengers.
Affected vehicles include 2003 to 2006 Land Cruisers, 2004 to 2006 4Runners, 2005 to 2006 Tundras and Sequoias, and 2003 to 2006 Lexus LX and GX 470s which are equipped with the optional safety feature.
Ford
Ford has its own programming issues although theirs involve the outward speed sensor on certain transmissions. The flaw in the sensor could cause the vehicle to automatically shift to 1st gear causing a dramatic reduction in speed and potentially causing the rear tires to slide and lockup. Ford describes this as a “condition that could result in loss of vehicle control, increasing the risk of a crash.” Really?
The vehicles affected by the recall include 2011-2012 Ford F-150, and 2012 Ford Expedition, Ford Mustang and Lincoln Navigator.
More bad news from Ford. They are recalling 81,000 2014-2015 Ford Explorer and Ford Police Interceptor Utility vehicles to replace rear suspension toe links. It seems these links could fail due to a bad weld job causing the rear suspension to fail as well, an event that will hinder steering or cause complete loss of steering control “increasing the risk of a crash.”
But wait, there’s more! If you are driving one of the 2,600 2016 F Series Super Duty trucks whose tires may have been damaged by a conveyor belt during assembly, Ford wants you to get the tires inspected and replaced before the sidewalls blow.
Jeep
Jeep has a leaky back door that could cause a fire. They are recalling 164,000 Jeep Cherokees from 2014 to 2015 that are equipped with the optional power liftgate. Jeep says a design flaw can allow moisture to enter through the liftgate shorting out the control module (another pesky control module) which in turn could cause an electrical fire.
Jeep wants nothing to do with fire. Last year Jeep settled a lawsuit for $150 million brought by the parents of a four year old who died in a fiery Cherokee crash. It was determined that rear-mounted gas tanks on the Grand Cherokee were found to pose increased fire risk. The net result was Jeep had to recall nearly 1 million older Grand Cherokees to fix the problem only to have to recall them a second time because the original fix didn’t actually fix anything.
So that’s just a sample of three manufacturers and the recalls they have issued in 2016. Together they represent over 760,000 defective vehicles and we’re not even counting Chevy’s ignition debacle.
Before you get all sour on these three brands, you need to know that many other manufacturers also have issued recalls in 2016.
From Around the Dealer Lots
Recent recalls from May and June 2016 — not associated with Tanaka — include:
Hyundai
Tucson is recalling 81,000 2016 vehicles for faulty secondary hood latches. If the primary hood release latch has been inadvertently pulled, the secondary latch may not be strong enough to keep the hood closed when the car is moving. Affected owners will be notified by mail.
Chrysler
Fiat 500e vehicles built in 2013-2016 are being recalled – totalling 16,549. “The power inverter module (PIM) may experience voltage spikes which can cause the propulsion system to shut down and loss of motive power.” We believe “loss of motive power” means the car will stop increasing the risk of a crash.
Nissan
Nissan will be recalling nearly 80,000 Pathfinders manufactured June 20, 2012, to June. 13, 2013. Assembly error may cause the brake light switch to remain in the ON position even when the driver is not braking. Of course if your brake lights never go off, traffic behind you may not slow down when you are actually braking. In addition, the switch problem may allow the driver to exit the vehicle without putting the transmission in PARK.
Dodge
Dodge is recalling 10,944 model year 2009-2016 Dodge Journeys manufactured between July 31, 2007 to November 12, 2016. After repeated exposure to cold weather the power steering return hose may burst upon vehicle start up eliminating power steering and causing a toxic mess on your driveway.
There are recalls every month (16 in May 2016) but many involve specific assembly issues and only involve a few dozen vehicles. Recalls are last ditch options for manufacturers because they are expensive and they do nothing to promote the brand.
Far more common are troubleshooting tips to dealers on how to handle and bill for frequent service issues and a formal Technical Service Bulletin which basically tries to identify the issue as being outside the scope of a warranty. Pesky Lemon Laws frequently turn the TSB into an all-out recall where the manufacturer is responsible for the cost of repair.
So what about your vehicles? Have they been recalled? Have the VIN numbers handy and then visit the NHTSA Database for the answer.
