Manufacturer recalls for April 2017

In the month of April, several manufacturers have announced recalls that include passenger cars, electric cars, trucks and even a full-size V12 sedan.

Electric car maker Tesla is recalling 53,000 of its cars to address an issue with the parking brake. The vehicles recalled include the Model S and Model X vehicles manufactured between February and October 2016. A small gear in the parking brake system manufactured and supplied by Brembo is pointed out as the cause of this problem. This flaw will prevent the parking gear from disengaging, rendering the car unable to move. Only a few cars are actually affected by this problem, Tesla says. The main braking system of the car will not be affected by this. Tesla is sending out letters to customers asking them to get their cars checked. The repair procedure will only be a 45-minute long procedure.

The “Dieselgate” emissions scandal has hit the German firm Volkswagen badly from many directions. The brand was found to tamper with their TDI engines NOx gas output in 2010. The Middle East was comparatively safe from it owing to the low popularity of diesel vehicles in the region. Now, news from UK says that, the dieselgate fix offered by Volkswagen for many of its customers has hampered the reliability, fuel consumption and performance of their cars. A 1700-member strong Facebook group for British VW diesel car owners has raised its concerns over the repair procedure. But Volkswagen claims that 99% of the customers of the 600,000 vehicles modified in UK until now are happy with the procedure. They also assured that they will look into the grievances posted by the few owners.

Korean brands, Hyundai and Kia, are conducting a recall that affects a total of 1,190,160 vehicles because their engines may seize which may lead to a crash. The issue spans over a number of models which include 2013-2014 Sonata and Santa Fe Sport and the 2011-2014 Optima, 2012-2014 Sorento and 2011-2013 Sportage. An improperly machined bearing in the engine has been found as the cause of this problem. This bearing can prematurely wear causing the part to fail which ultimately seizes the engine. Hyundai’s recall will begin on May 19, 2017 while Kia will start it on May 25, 2017.

Ford is recalling 52,600 F-250 pickup trucks to rectify a problem with the automatic gearbox. The pickups are reported to roll away even after the automatic transmission is slotted into the park position. This problem is found to exist only in the models that are powered by the 6.2-litre petrol engines and built in the Louisville, Kentucky plant. Another 211,000 vehicles were also recalled by Ford in North America to replace faulty door latches. About 230,000 vehicles apart from these are also recalled by Ford due to a fire risk in the engine compartment.

About 228,000 units of 2016 and 2017 Toyota Tacoma trucks are being recalled to replace a leaking rear differential. The lubricating oil in the rear differential is found to be leaking out. This can lead to low oil levels which can increase friction. Driving with less or no oil can ultimately lead the part to seize which can leave the driver with less control of the truck. The differential of the affected examples will be repaired free of cost. The Tacoma is not officially sold in the GCC.

The most expensive BMW money can buy, the M760Li xDrive, has also been called back in the last month. Exactly 97 examples of the V-12 full-size sedan “may have been equipped with incorrectly manufactured engine oil cooler lines”. The affected cars were manufactured between May 10 last year and March 23 this year. The NHTSA explains that a crimping at a sleeve of an oil cooler line wasn’t done properly, so it may loosen up during operation. This can leak the engine oil into the engine bay and the road underneath which can pose a fire threat. The defective oil cooler lines will be replaced free of cost by BMW.

That’s all for the month of April. If you find your car in this list, ring up your nearest the dealer and ask for instructions on how to deal with the recall.