Manufacturer recalls for January 2017

The Takata airbag problem plagued most manufacturers and forced them to recall millions of vehicles during 2016. With the airbag-related problem still creating waves, 2017 started off with some more vehicles making a walk back to the dealer.

Ford has started the year by recalling a mammoth 800,000 vehicles to address the issue with the Takata airbags fitted in them. All of these cars were built in North America and these include the 2005-09 and 2012 Ford Mustang, 2005-06 Ford GT, 2006-09 and 2012 Ford Fusion, 2007-09 Ford Ranger, 2007-09 Ford Edge, 2006-09 and 2012 Lincoln MKZ, 2007-09 Lincoln MKX and 2006-09 Mercury Milan. As usual, the dealers will inspect the cars and replace the unit for you.

Honda also joins Ford for their share of 2017’s Takata-related recalls by recalling 772,000 vehicles which started since December 2014. The affected models include 2005-2006 Acura MDX, 2005-2012 Acura RL, 2008-2012 Honda Accord, 2006-2011 Honda Civic, 2007-2012 Honda Fit and 2010-2012 Honda Insight, as well as the 2009-2012 Acura TSX, 2011-2012 Acura TSX Wagon, 2010-2012 Acura ZDX, 2010-2012 Honda Crosstour, 2005-2011 Honda CR-V, 2005-2011 Honda Element, 2012 Honda FCX Clarity, 2005-2012 Honda Pilot and 2006-2012 Honda Ridgeline. The dealers will replace the unit free of cost in the affected vehicles.

Infiniti announced a recall of the QX30 models due to another airbag related problem. This is not a part of the Takata airbag fever. The passenger airbags fitted to the affected examples may fail to deploy in the event of an accident which can lead to serious injuries. 500 units of the 2017 Infiniti QX30 cars manufactured between August 11 and September 27, 2016, are affected by this recall. The faulty airbag unit will be replaced free of cost.

About 1500 units of Maserati’s new SUV, the 2017 Levante S are subject to a recall to address a glitch in the engine software which leads the car to shift into neutral when the speed is approximately 3 kph. This can create a very frustrated driver of course, but more importantly, the hazard of a low-speed crash. An update for the engine software is being rolled out to get rid of the bug and it will be offered for free.

About 8,200 units of 2017 Jaguar XE luxury sedans made between 12 July and 2 Dec 2016 and F-Type sports cars manufactured between 14 July and 16 December 2016 were called back in to address a problem with the front-seat seatbelt pre-tensioners. The faulty units may not function properly to restrain the occupant in the event of a crash. This can lead to serious injuries that can be avoided if a properly-functioning unit is used. The affected cars will be inspected and the faulty unit will be replaced for free. The same problem also affects 13,500 examples of 2016-17 Land Rover Range Rover and Range Rover Sport SUVs, and model-year 2017 Discovery Sport SUVs. The same repair procedure applies to them as well.

Three recalls adding up to a total of 582,822 were announced by Volkswagen and Audi. Two of these recalls address problems with airbags that may fail to function in an accident. The other recall which affects 342,867 Audi vehicles is due to debris that can block the electric coolant pump which will lead it to overheating and a potential blaze. The vehicles fitted with the 2.0-litre turbocharged engine are the ones affected by this recall. The affected models imclude 2013-2017 A5, including Cabriolet models, 2013-2017 Q5, 2013-2016 Allroad, 2013-2016 A4 and 2012-2015 A6. The dealers will update the cars’ software to enable the system to cut power to the coolant pump if it detects a block caused by debris. This recall is slated to begin on February 20, 2017.

Exactly 234,054 units of the 2011-2017 Q5 are being recalled because of a possible rupture in the side curtain airbag inflator. Another problem with the drainage system of the panoramic sunroof will allow water to leak into the foam which is in contact with the airbag canister. This can cause the part to corrode. The dealers will remove the foam in question and inspect the inflator. The part will be replaced if necessary.

A small recall that involves 5901 vehicles also comes from the VW family, which is aimed to rectify problems with the airbag and seat-belt pre-tensioners that prevent them from deploying. The models which are found to have faulty airbags include 2017 Audi A4, 2017 A6, 2017 A7, 2017 Volkswagen Golf, 2017 Tiguan and 2016 e-Golf. The models that have seat belts pre-tensioners that require inspection are the 2017 Audi A4, 2017 Allroad, 2017 Q7 and 2018 Q5.

That’s all for the month of January. If you find your car in any of these lists, ring up your dealer to know what needs to be done.