Manufacturer recalls for March 2020

Our world is in turmoil as the coronavirus pandemic has taken hold of our planet. That has drastically dropped sales of cars around the world. But there has been no decrease in the number of recalls that were announced in the past month. Here are the global recalls for March 2020.

In January 2020, Toyota and Lexus had recalled more than 700,000 vehicles because of faulty fuel pumps. Now, they have added another 1.1 million more vehicles, including Toyota 4Runner, Camry, Highlander, Land Cruiser, Sequoia, Sienna, Tacoma, Avalon, Corolla, and Tundra, plus the Lexus LS 500, LC 500, RC 350, RC 300, GS 350, IS 300, ES 350, LX 570, GX 460, RX 350 NX 300, RX 350L, and GS 300. Of these vehicles, only 2019 models of Avalon, NX 300, RX 350L and GS 300 are a part of this recall while the 2018 & 2019 models of the rest of the vehicles are being recalled. In these vehicles, a faulty low-pressure fuel pump inside the fuel tank can give up which can lead the engine to stop with less or no warnings. The fuel pumps of the affected vehicles will be replaced.

Nearly 207,000 Hyundai Sonatas from 2013 & 2014 model years are now announced to be a part of another fuel pump-related recall. In these cars, the hose connecting the fuel pump to another may develop a crack, leading to a fuel leak which can cause a fire. The fix for the issue is not ready yet but the South Korean manufacturer is working on it. Though a number of leaks have been reported by the customers to date, fortunately, no fires have been caused by them. According to NHTSA, more than 6 million Hyundai and Kia vehicles have been affected by Engine failure and fire problems since 2015.

It hasn’t been that long a while since Chevy and GMC rolled out the 2020 versions of their big trucks, the Sierra and Silverado. They have a recall on the cards already though. Certain 2020 GMC Sierra 1500 and Chevrolet Silverado 1500 trucks are found to be having brake-caliper bolts that are not heat-treated. The heat treatment is done to improve the strength of these bolts and without it, the bolts may be weaker than they should be. This brings in a risk of the bolts’ failure which can bring down the braking performance of the truck. A total of 20,352 trucks are affected and GM’s dealers will inspect the bolt and replace them.

Ford has joined the recall list with its smaller truck, the Ford Ranger. About 200,000 of these trucks were recalled last October to fix faulty HVAC blower motors. And now, Ford is recalling 5000 of the same Ranger trucks for the same reason. As Ford says, “The replacement part used for that service may have been built with an improper clearance between an electrical terminal and the conductive base-plate slot that could result in a resistive electrical short.” That basically means that the motor that they replaced the faulty motor was also, well, faulty. These motors can overheat, melt, produce smoke and even create a fire. The cure, of course, is another replacement that the dealer will do for free. GCC-spec Rangers come from Thailand, while US-spec Rangers are built in the United States and don’t come here.

The next recall affects certain 2014-15 Ford Fiestas, 2014-16 Ford Fusions, and 2014-16 Lincoln MKZs, which are found to be fitted with doors that may not close properly. More than 260,000 vehicles are being recalled in connection with this recall. These vehicles have a “latch pawl spring-tab” that can crack if the temperature gets too hot. If it happens, the door may not shut properly. This can pose a threat, especially when the vehicle is in motion. The door latches will be replaced for these vehicles.

The new Jeeps can’t seem to get a break either. A total of 33,287 vehicles, including the 2018-2020 Jeep Wrangler SUVs and Gladiator pickup trucks are being recalled due to their wonky pressure plates that could overheat and fracture. This problem only affects the vehicles fitted with a manual gearbox. According to NHTSA’s documentation, FCA has tested these plates and they were found to reach temperatures of up to 1,100 degrees Celsius, enough to spark a fire. FCA will start recalling these vehicles starting from 22 April 2020 but the remedy is “still under development.”

Porsche Macan’s previous-generation models are under a bad light as 70,117 of these little SUVs are being recalled for a fuel leak. Porsche says that only 1% of these recalled vehicles are believed to have this issue. The U.S. NHTSA says that “in certain rare circumstances, the fuel pump service cover can deflect and put pressure on the flow nozzle on the filter flange of the fuel pump. This can result in hairline cracks potentially leading to fuel seepage and fuel odor. Macan, Macan S, Macan GTS, and Macan Turbo models between model years 2015 to 2018 are affected by this recall.

Volvo has announced a recall for its entire range because of a glitch in its Automatic Emergency Braking (AEB) system. The affected vehicles are from the years 2019 & 2020 and span across models like S60, V60, V60 Cross Country, S90 L, V90, V90 Cross Country, XC40, XC60, and XC90. The AEB system software has an incompatibility with the new hardware on these vehicles, because of which it “may not detect obstacles and engage as intended.” The fix is an easy one though. Volvo will upload the new software to your vehicle, bringing everything back to order.

That’s it for the month of March. Stay tuned to this section to know more about recalls happening in the automotive arena. If you find your car on this list, get in touch with your dealer to see if these recalls apply to your GCC-spec car, but wait till the pandemic fades away before you go there in person. Till then, stay home and stay safe.