Tesla Motors Now a Part of Takata Inflator Recall

Washington, D.C. — June 3, 2016 — Recently, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has taken action to accelerate the Takata air bag recalls. This historic effort has already set records as the largest of its kind, as regulators work with the manufacturers to ensure full completion rates. The official website for the recall campaign, safecar.gov, lists 22 different makes currently involved with the mass recall. Now, a new company is part of the action: Tesla Motors, Inc.

As Bloomberg reported, including Tesla with the existing manufacturers extends the recall’s focus even farther, as the NHTSA works with the various carmakers involved. Back in August, the source reported that Tesla was one of just two car companies that had managed to stay out of the Takata recall actions, along with Volkswagen. The latter company is still not listed among the other participants on Safecar.

In a Takata press release, the company’s CEO, Shigehisa Takada, said that his business still wants to work with regulators to make vehicles safer. “Our actions, including the expansion of product recalls to cover all non-desiccated frontal inflator models, demonstrate our total commitment to safety and our intention to be part of the solution and to restore the confidence of the driving public,” he said.

Tesla has launched multiple recalls recently, including one that impacts 2,700 of its Model X vehicles, according to the Wall Street Journal. That recall centered around loose third-row seats, which could possibly detach if the car was involved in a collision.

Before that, Tesla comprehensively recalled dispersed Model S units after discovering a seatbelt assembly issue. While there were no injuries reported in connection to this problem the seatbelt would have posed a security risk if an affected vehicle was involved in a crash.

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Kia Recalls Vehicles for Headlight Issues

Irvine, CA — June 1, 2016 — Some Kia vehicles may suddenly lose headlight functionality, according to a new recall set to begin on this month. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s Part 573 recall report on this effort stated that 3,099 vehicles were potentially affected, including Kia K900 cars from both the 2015 and 2016 model years. Production dates span three years, from 2013 to 2016, and the faulty components come from Daesung Electric, Ltd.

This problem could manifest itself in multiple ways. Headlights may, according to the report, either flicker on and off or shut off completely. This is because of resistance buildup within the electric system, which can come after prolonged usage of the automatic headlights. The connection can worsen over time, meaning that a flickering at first could be a sign of further headlight failure later on.

A Safety Defect determination document from the same source traced the history of this issue, with the initial Quality Information Report first occurring on October 19, 2015. After the first conditions were found, the manufacturer determined that the oxidized contact points within the affected vehicles’ multifunction switches were causing the lighting failure.

In contrast to this, the new material in the multiswitch contacts will be less prone to oxidization and make connectivity within the lighting system easier. No accidents or injuries are currently connected to this issue.

Although the company upgraded the contact material and software on January 12, 2016, the voluntary recall wasn’t launched until April 7, 2016. This was after 79 warranty claims and 46 consumer reports.

Dealers should be notified by May 19, and will replace the existing contacts with new ones that reduce the chance of a glitch. The owner notification date is planned for May 27.

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