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Kia Optima and Sorento recalled with brake fluid leaks

October 23, 2020 Ken Boyd Kia Recalls

Pleasanton, CA – August 27, 2020 – Kia Motors America (NASDAQ:KIMTF) has recalled 440,370 Optima and Sorento vehicles, due to a brake fluid leak, which increases the risk of an engine fire. The recall includes:

2013-2015 Optima Sedans
2014-2015 Sorento SUVs

Recall summary

These cars are equipped with the Hydraulic Electronic Control Unit (HECU), which is a component of the anti-lock braking system (ABS) that prevents the wheels from locking. Due to an error on the part of a supplier, brake fluid may enter the HECU, cause an electrical short and create a fire risk.

This is the second recall Kia is conducting for a similar issue. In April, the manufacturer recalled Sedona and other Sorento vehicles, of several different model years, due to another error that allowed moisture to enter the control unit.

Risks

A fire in the engine compartment can injure the vehicle occupants. If the driver loses control of the vehicle due to a fire, other vehicles, pedestrians, and property may be at risk.

Engine fires are a real risk for drivers. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) estimated over 171,000 engine fires annually from 2014 to 2016.

Warning signs

In some instances, the driver may see the ABS light or the malfunction indicator lamp (MIL) come on prior to the fire. She also may become aware of “burning/melting smell [or] smoke from [the] engine compartment,” according to the recall notice.

What to do in the event of a fire?

If you suspect that your vehicle is on fire:

Pull over
Turn off the engine
Get all of the occupants away from the vehicle
Call 911

The repair

To fix the issue, dealers will examine the HECU and determine if brake fluid is leaking. If the a brake fluid leak is found, the dealer will replace it free of charge. The recall began October 15, 2020.

Vehicle owners should park the vehicles outside and away from structures and other vehicles until repairs can be made.

Is your vehicle part of this recall?

Over 440,000 vehicles are included in this Optima and Sorento recall. To see if your vehicle is one of them, use MotorSafety’s free vehicle lookup tool.

Mitsubishi Outlander recalled for faulty seat belts

October 22, 2020 Ken Boyd Mitsubishi Recalls

Pleasanton, CA – July 13, 2020 – Mitsubishi Motors (NASDAQ:MMTOF) has recalled 177,000 Mitsubishi Outlander SUVs due to an issue with the second-row seat belt. When the seat backs are folded down, the right-side seat buckle latch may become inoperable. The recall includes:

2014-2019 Outlander SUVs
2018-2019 Outlander PHEV SUVs

Recall summary

Due to an improper design, when folding the left-hand back row seat, the center seat may damage the belt buckle of the right-hand seat. If this happens, the buckle latch may not restrain an occupant during an accident.

Risks

Seat belt use is critically important. If an occupant is not restrained by a seat belt, he or she has a high risk of injury in the event of a crash. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) nearly 15,000 lives were saved in 2017 by seat belts used in passenger vehicles. Over 90% of occupants used seat belts in 2019.

The repair

To fix the issue, dealers will need to modify the seat belt buckle cover for the center seat belt in the second row. Dealers will also add a new warning label to the support base of the second row seat. The repair is free of charge and is available in September. Owners should plan on up to half a day to complete the repair.

Is your vehicle part of this recall?

Over 170,000 vehicles are included in this Mitsubishi Outlander recall. To see if your car is one of them, use MotorSafety’s free vehicle lookup tool.

Ford conducts Edge and Lincoln MKX recall for leaking brake fluid

October 21, 2020 Rebecca Rand Ford Recalls, Lincoln Recalls

Pleasanton, CA – April 14, 2022 – Ford (NYSE:F) has remedied issues with 249,359 2015-2018 Ford Edge Crossovers and 2016-2018 Lincoln MKX Luxury SUVs that were dealing with brake fluid leaks. Additionally, 249,359 of these Ford models were categorized as unreachable and only 2 were removed from the recall. Four groups of these 2015-2018 Ford Edge Crossovers models with a fluid leak in the Front Brake Hoses issues were remedied in 2021 and one group was remedied in 2022.

Pleasanton, CA – August 11, 2020 – Ford (NYSE:F) has announced a recall of 488,594 SUVs whose front brake hoses may leak brake fluid. The recall includes:

2015-2018 Ford Edge crossovers
2016-2018 Lincoln MKX luxury SUVs

Recall summary

The rubber brake hose in these recalled vehicles may not stand up to stress over time. Hard steering and bumpy roads could stress the front brake jounce hose and cause it to split, resulting in a leak. Brake fluid leaks can make it harder for a driver to stop, increasing the risk of a crash.

Safety tips

Drivers of Ford Edge and Lincoln MKX vehicles should keep an eye on the brake fluid warning indicator light, which will light up if the brakes lose too much fluid.

Losing brake pressure can be frightening. When you press on your brakes, you may feel the pedal go down to the floor with little or no resistance. If this happens, you should:

Turn on your hazard lights.
Try to slow down either by shifting to a lower gear (if you have a manual transmission) or taking your foot off the gas (if you have an automatic transmission).
Pump your brakes.
If pumping your brakes does not stop the car, slowly engage your parking brake. (This is also called the emergency brake.)
Look for a place where you can safely pull off the road. You might be able to steer into an open area or turn your vehicle onto an uphill road.
As a last resort, if the vehicle does not stop, turn off the ignition. Do not turn it all the way to Lock to avoid locking up the steering wheel.

The repair

Ford and Lincoln dealers will replace the front brake hoses in all recalled vehicles. As of yet, there are not enough parts for Ford and Lincoln dealers to repair the problems described in this recall, but the new hoses should be ready sometime in early 2021. Owners will be notified by mail when they’re available, at which time you can make an appointment with a dealer who will perform the service free of charge.

Is your vehicle part of this recall?

Over 488,000 SUVs are included in this Lincoln MKX and Ford Edge recall. To see if your car is one use the MotorSafety.org vehicle identification number (VIN) look up tool.

Ford issues Lincoln Corsair recall for suspension-spring issue

October 20, 2020 Rebecca Rand Lincoln Recalls

Pleasanton, CA – Aug 11, 2020 – Ford Motor Company (NYSE: F) has recalled 2,965 cars with potentially damaged rear coil springs that may become a road hazard. The recall includes 2020 Lincoln Corsairs crossover SUVs.

Recall summary

A design mistake in the 2020 Corsair has caused insufficient clearance with some vehicles’ suspensions. Coil springs – which help absorb shock as the vehicle drives over bumps – are grinding against a toe link bracket edge, which can damage the springs and possibly break them. If the driver notices that the vehicle is providing a “bumpy ride,” that may indicate a broken spring, which no longer absorbs little shocks on the road.

The 2020 Corsair currently has 3 outstanding recalls, including one for an inoperative rearview camera.

Risks

If a coil spring breaks, it could fall off and become a hazard for other drivers on the road, increasing their risk of a crash. Between 2011 and 2014, road trash played a role in around 200,000 crashes and caused close to 40,000 injuries and 500 deaths, according to a study by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety.

The repair

Ford dealers will inspect the coil springs for damage and replace them if needed, free of charge. They may also trim down the part that’s been grinding against the spring. Ford is still working on making enough replacement Lincoln coil springs to repair recalled vehicles.

The recall is expected to be ready sometime in the next few months. In the meantime, Ford has not told 2020 Corsair owners to stop driving their vehicles.

Is your vehicle part of this recall?

Nearly 3,000 vehicles are part of this Ford recall. To see if your car is one of them, use MotorSafety’s free vehicle lookup tool.

Volkswagen Passat recall for airbag with excessive force

October 19, 2020 Nate Gouldsbrough Volkswagen Recalls

Pleasanton, CA – May 13, 2022 – Volkswagen (OTCMKTS:VWAGY) has remedied 1,506 2020 Volkswagen Passat vehicles dealing with airbags issues. So far 8 of these 2020 Volkswagen Passat vehicles have been declared unreachable and 0 have been removed from the recall. In total, Volkswagen fixed issues with mis-deployed airbags in one group during 2020 and 3 other groups during 2021.

Pleasanton, CA – September 2, 2020 – Volkswagen Group of America (NASDAQ:VWAPY) has recalled 1,829 Passat vehicles whose airbags do not deploy correctly in the event of a crash. The recall includes 2020 Volkswagen Passat vehicles.

Recall summary

The frontal air bag on the passenger side may not have been folded correctly, which may cause it to deploy “too forcefully” in a collision. These airbags are in noncompliance with Federal Motor Vehicle Safety standard number 208 “Occupant crash protection”.

Risks

Airbags provide cushioning to protect passengers during a crash and keep the occupant from being thrown outside of the car during a collision.

When a crash is severe enough to deploy the air bags, sensors inflate the bags with gas in less than a second. If the airbag deploys with too much force, the passenger may be injured.

According to documents found on the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration if a small child is standing on the passenger floor, the child may be injured when the faulty airbag deploys.

The repair

Volkswagen with notify owners and dealers by October 30. To fix the issue, the latter will replace the airbags free of charge when the repair is available.

Is your vehicle part of this recall?

Over 1,800 vehicles are included in this Volkswagen Passat recall. Use MotorSafety’s VIN look up tool to discover if your vehicle is affected by this recall.

Hyundai Tucson recalled for faulty brake system and fire risk

October 16, 2020 Ken Boyd Hyundai Recalls

Pleasanton, CA – March 4, 2022 – Hyundai Motor Company (NASDAQ:HYMTF) has remedied issues with 495,532 2019-2021 Tucson SUVs dealing with anti-lock brake system problems. Additionally, 11,593 of these Hyundai Tucson models have been categorized as unreachable and 7,877 have been removed from the recall. One group of 2019-2021 Hyundai Tucson SUVs were remedied in 2020 and four groups were remedied in 2021 for this issue with the ABS Unit that may cause an engine compartment fire.

In 2021, Hyundai informed about expanding this recall to 2016-2018 Tucson SUVs due to a similar issue with the anti-lock brake system and a risk of engine fire.

Pleasanton, CA – September 4, 2020 – Hyundai Motor Company (NASDAQ:HYMTF) has recalled 180,000 Hyundai Tucson SUVs that operate with an anti-lock brake system (ABS). A component within the brake system may corrode and cause an electrical short.

A short may cause an engine compartment fire, increasing the risk of a crash and injury. The recall includes:

2019-2021 Hyundai Tucson SUVs

Recall summary

The anti-lock brake system includes a hydraulic electronic control unit (HECU). A defective circuit board on the 2019-2021 Hyundai Tucson Suvs may corrode internally and cause an electrical short. This type of electrical issue may result in an engine compartment fire.

There are several situations that may indicate an engine compartment fire. If the driver sees smoke from the engine compartment, smells burning or melting, a fire may be taking place. If the vehicle’s malfunction indicator lamp (MIL) or ABS warning light is illuminating (or both lights are on), there is a risk of engine compartment fire.

Statista estimates that there were 189,500 highway vehicle fires in the US during 2019. On the other hand, Hyundai has documented 12 engine compartment fires related to this defect.

Risks

An engine fire can cause the driver to lose control of the vehicle which may result in an accident. Causing injuries to passengers, pedestrians, or to occupants in other vehicles.

If your vehicle has an engine compartment fire, the National Fire Association Council recommends that you do the following:

Pull over as quickly as you can into a safe location, such as a rest stop or breakdown lane.
Turn off the engine
Make sure that all occupants get out of the vehicle
Move everyone at least 100 feet away
Call 9-1-1 and explain the situation

The repair

Hyundai will notify owners and replace the defective components. To eliminate the risk of an electrical short circuit, dealers will need to replace the anti-lock brake hydraulic electronic control unit (HECU). The recall is expected to begin October 30, and is free of charge.

Other Hyundai Tucson Recalls

In February 2022, Hyundai recalled several SUVs models including the 2014-2015 Hyundai Tucson due to a risk of fire inside their engine compartments. The models included on the recall are equipped with ABS, which is short for the anti-lock brake system.

Back in 2011, Hyundai recalled several 2011 Tucson vehicles due to a possible transmission fluid leak caused by a badly produced hose. This recall affected models manufactured between July and October in 2010.

Is your vehicle part of this recall?

Up to 180,000 vehicles are included in this Hyundai ABS recall. To see if your SUV is one of them, use MotorSafety’s free vehicle identification number look up tool.

Dodge Charger Pursuit recalled for faulty backup cameras

October 15, 2020 Ken Boyd Dodge Recalls

Pleasanton, CA – August 27 2020 – Fiat Chrysler (NYSE:FCAU) has recalled 26,361 Dodge Charger Pursuit vehicles that operate with backup cameras. When the driver selects the “stealth mode” setting and shifts into reverse, the backup camera rearview image does not display, increasing the risk of a crash. The recall includes 2018-2020 Dodge Charger Pursuit sedans.

Recall summary

Federal safety regulations require that vehicle manufactures make the rearview camera image visible at all times to ensure the safety of the public and driver. The image for the cars in question is not displayed when the car enters “the stealth mode,” which is the ability to dim most of the sedan’s interior lights.

Risks

A malfunctioning rearview camera may result in a crash as the driver may fail to notice a person or an object behind them. This can result in injury or even death for everyone involved.

In fact, before back-up cameras became obligatory on all new vehicle models in 2018, back-up crashes killed an estimated 284 people and injured around 12,000 annually, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

The repair

To fix the issue, dealers will update the software of the body control module (BCM), which is the “center” of the vehicle responsible for many of its operations. The update will disable the stealth mode when the vehicle is put into reverse.

The repair is free of charge and is available now. Owners should plan on a half day to complete the repair.

Is your vehicle part of this recall?

Over 25,000 vehicles are included in this Dodge Charger Pursuit recall. MotorSafety.org allows you to use your vehicle identification number to find if your vehicle has been recalled and we will help you find a dealer to get this issues fixed.

Kia Telluride recalled for faulty trailer brake lights

October 14, 2020 Ken Boyd Kia Recalls

Pleasanton, CA – July 28, 2020 – Kia Motors Corporation (NASDAQ:KIMTF) has recalled 86,921 cars that operate with smart cruise control (SCC). In certain situations, the brake lights will not light up when the SCC brakes the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash. The recall includes 2020 Kia Telluride SUVs.

Recall summary

When the SCC system is on, if it senses another vehicle is within a certain distance in front of it, it will automatically apply the brakes to slow down. This is meant to keep the vehicle from coming too close to the one in front of it and reduce the risk of a crash.

In recalled cars, the brake lights will not come on when a trailer is attached to the back of the car.

Risks

If the trailer brake lights do not turn on, other drivers are not warned that the vehicle is slowing. This could cause a rear-end collision, which may injure the people in both cars.

If the driver in the vehicle behind changes lanes quickly to avoid a collision, people nearby or in other vehicles may be injured. If a driver loses control of a vehicle, it may cause property damage. If an accident happens, items in the trailer can damage the vehicle it’s attached to or other vehicles or may injure people in the area.

The repair

The dealer will notify owners and install a wire harness, which will allow the trailer brake lights to operate correctly. The recall begins in September and it is free of charge.

Is your vehicle part of this recall?

Over 86,000 vehicles are included in this Kia Telluride SUV recall. To see if your truck is one of them, use MotorSafety’s free vehicle lookup tool.

Volvo XC60 recalled for loose windshield wipers

October 13, 2020 Rebecca Rand Volvo Recalls

Pleasanton, CA – Aug 4, 2022 – Volvo Car USA LLC (OTCMKTS: VLVLY) has remedied issues with 82,889 SUV models including the 2018-2020 Volvo XC60 Compact that were dealing with windshield wipers installation issues. Additionally, 3,699 of these models have been categorized as unreachable and 77 have been removed from the recall. Two groups of these 2018-2020 Volvo XC60 Compact were remedied in 2020, 4 groups in 2021, and 1 other group was remedied in 2022 due to these issues with the windshield wipers that might loosen and prevent them to work properly.

Pleasanton, CA – Aug 27, 2020 –Volvo Car USA LLC (OTCMKTS: VLVLY) has recalled 87,226 compact SUVs with improperly attached windshield wipers. The recall includes model year 2018-2020 Volvo XC60 compact SUVs.

Recall Summary

The wipers on the recalled Volvos may not be properly screwed into the car. The nuts holding the wipers to the windshield could loosen and keep the blades from effectively clearing water from the windshield, causing visibility problems for the driver.

The issue has been traced to a mistake in the instructions Volvo gave to the Swedish and Chinese factories who build their XC60s. The mistake has since been corrected, so only cars manufactured before May 20, 2020 are implicated in the recall.

Risks

Nearly 1,235,000 crashes each year are weather-related, and 40% of these occur in the rain. It is important to maintain good visibility in wet weather so that you can react as quickly as possible to hazards and other driving obstacles. Poorly attached windshield wipers can seriously affect visibility in these conditions, making driving on wet roads even more dangerous.

The repair

Volvo will tighten the loose windshield wiper arm on the affected vehicles for free. The recall repair is currently available and should take less than half a day.

Is your vehicle part of this recall?

Over 87,000 vehicles are part of this Volvo recall. To see if your car is one of them, use MotorSafety’s free vehicle lookup tool.

BMW Z4 and Toyota Supra recalled for in-your-face headlights

October 12, 2020 Rebecca Rand BMW Recalls, Toyota Recalls

Pleasanton, CA – Aug 28, 2020 – BMW of North America LLC (OTCMKTS: BMWYY) has recalled 4,265 cars with faulty headlights that may create glare for oncoming drivers, reducing visibility and increasing the risk of a crash. The recall includes:

2019-2020 BMW Z4 roadsters
2020 Toyota Supra sports cars

Recall summary

Due to a manufacturing mistake, the headlights on these vehicles are able to be pointed left and right. This is not allowed by federal motor vehicle safety regulations, which state that the low beams – used to light the road ahead of the car – must not be horizontally adjustable.

What does Toyota have to do with it?

The 2020 Toyota Supra is part of the BMW Z4 recall because both vehicles are the result of a collaboration between Toyota and BMW. The Supra uses many BMW parts and is built at the same plant as the Z4.

Risks

It is important for headlights to work properly to maximize visibility for everyone on the road. Beams that are not aimed properly may cause glare, blinding oncoming drivers. At the same time, lights that are not bright enough limit how much the person behind the wheel can see. Both increase the risk of collisions.

Of all the fatal accidents in the United States, about half happen at night, when only a quarter of trips take place. So not only is reduced visibility responsible for more accidents, these accidents are also more severe.

The repair

BMW dealers will inspect vehicles’ headlights and correct the problem for free. The recall repair is currently available and should take less than half a day.

Is your vehicle part of this recall?

Over 4,000 vehicles are part of this BMW recall. To see if your car is one of them, use MotorSafety’s free vehicle lookup tool.

Recall summary

Risks

Warning signs

What to do in the event of a fire?

The repair

Is your vehicle part of this recall?

Recall summary

Risks

The repair

Is your vehicle part of this recall?

Recall summary

Safety tips

The repair

Is your vehicle part of this recall?

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Risks

The repair

Is your vehicle part of this recall?

Recall summary

Risks

The repair

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Recall summary

Risks

The repair

Is your vehicle part of this recall?

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The repair

Is your vehicle part of this recall?

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The repair

Is your vehicle part of this recall?

Recall Summary

Risks

The repair

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Recall summary

What does Toyota have to do with it?

Risks

The repair

Is your vehicle part of this recall?

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