Recalls happen, they’re inevitable. But the sweeping the recalls from Toyota, which have involved 8 million vehicles worldwide, have fueled increasing concern and scrutiny over vehicle safety. How automakers respond to consumer complaints has also come into focus. As Toyota continues to battle a public relations nightmare and outside investigations, other automakers appear to be moving quickly to announce recalls at at even the slightest chance of danger – which ultimately is the way it should be. Below is a recap of recent automotive recalls.
Toyota
By now consumers are likely well aware of Toyota’s recalls concerning unintended acceleration, which has already been linked to dozens of deaths according to the NHTSA. Although Toyota provided a fix for defective accelerator pedal mechanisms, complaints are still rolling in as the issue of unintended acceleration appears to be more complex and more widespread than most lawmakers and consumers even realized. Not only is the U.S. Department of Transportation investigating problems with recalled vehicles that have already been repaired, but even Edmunds.com is offering a $1 million reward to anyone able to find a solution. Read more Toyota News.
General Motors
Just this week, General Motors announced a recall of 1.3 million Chevrolet Cobalt and Pontiac G4, G5 and Pursuit models due to steering motor failure.
No deaths have been linked to this issue, but the failure can cause steering difficultly at speeds under 15 mph. Chevrolet Colorado Springs expects GM to remedy the issue swiftly. Read more Chevrolet news.
Honda
Like Toyota, Honda holds a reputation for quality and reliability. But this doesn’t mean Hondas are not entirely immune to defects either. Honda recently issued a recall for 646,000 Honda Fit models due to a faulty driver-side master power-window switch. If the switch comes into contact with liquid, such as from rain when the window is rolled down, the switch could overheat and ignite a fire. Making matters worse for Honda, another 438,000 new vehicles were recalled in order to replace the driver’s side airbag inflator.
The defective inflator has the potential to inflate with too much force and send metal fragments into the cabin like shrapnel. The airbag recall involves Accords, Civics, Odyssey minivans, CR-V crossovers and some 2002 Acura TLs. Read more Honda news.
Nissan
Yesterday Nissan accounted the recall of 540,000 vehicles worldwide. This recall involves defective fuel gauges and deficient brake pedal pins. The recall involves the Infiniti QX56, Titan pickup, Armada SUV, Quest minivan, Frontier pickup, Pathfinder SUV, and Xterra SUV. Read more Nissan news.
Hyundai
The all-new 2011 Hyundai Sonata has received ample attention on the auto show circuit for its incredible new design, lavish interior appointments, and impressive overall value. And while consumers are eagerly awaiting for this new sedan to arrive in showrooms across the country, it has already encountered its first recall.
The recall, which led to a temporary halting of the 2011 Sonata sales, was due to a potentially faulty front-door latch mechanism. About 5,000 vehicles were implicated in the recall and sales have since resumed. Read more Hyundai news.
Mazda
Another recall that was announced this week was for 12,300 CX-9 crossovers. On certain CX-9s, the seat heaters could fail, and lead to burned seat cushions, smoking, or even fire. Mazda will remedy the issue by adding an additional ground to the unit as well as repair any components or seats that may have become damaged. Read more Mazda news.
Automakers typically incur substantial costs for every recall. This is why thorough investigates of vehicle complains are typically launched before recalls are issued. But automakers seem to be responding swiftly to Toyota’s ongoing struggles, and are surely watching as Toyota’s sales tumble and their brand weakens. As a result, don’t be surprised to see recall frequency only increase in the near future.
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