Manufacturer recalls for August 2020

Our days are slowly coming back to normal and so are the recalls. Here are the major recalls that happened in the month of August.

Fiat Chrysler Automotive is working with the U.S. government on a recall that may affect more than a million vehicles These vehicles may be polluting the environment a little bit more than what the government norms allow them to. These vehicles are fitted with the brand’s 2.4-litre Tigershark petrol engine, which was found to be spewing more emissions than what the emission norms stipulate. The models fitted with this engine include Jeep Compass, Cherokee, and Renegade SUVs as well as Dodge Dart and Chrysler 200 sedans. As per FCA, this issue is unrelated to any other emission problems. They also added that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is not planning on any enforcement action against the company.

Chevy’s new mid-engined Corvette C8 is being recalled for two separate issues concerning its front trunk or “frunk.” One of these recalls is obvious while the other one is a bit of an odd example. The first recall is for an issue that makes the frunk fly open at certain speeds. Chevy is sending over-the-air updates to limit the vehicle’s speed to 42 kph if it detects that the hood is not properly latched. According to General Motors, 6,661 examples of the Corvette C8 is affected by this recall. They have also issued a stop-sale order for some Corvettes that are not yet delivered to the customers. The second recall of the C8 Corvette is quite odd. The release button located inside the frunk is found to disable itself 10 minutes after the vehicle is switched off. After this time, if a person climbs inside and closes the lid, there will be no way for him/her to open the flap and escape. The fix for this issue is to make the release button function all the time.

Honda recalls more than 600,000 vehicles due to faulty software that can cause the reverse camera to fail and the instrument panel to blackout key information. These are treated as two separate recalls, one for the reversing camera and the other for the instrument panel. NHTSA says that incorrect central programming may cause certain errors that prevent the camera image from displaying. The other issue is caused due to another faulty program in the instrument panel module control software that can cause the instrument panel to stop displaying a few key information, including engine oil pressure, gear selector position, and speedometer. The first recall prevails over several Honda vehicles including 2018-2020 Odysseys, 2019-2020 Passports, and 2019-2021 Honda Pilots. The second recall is for the same vehicles except for the 2018 Odysseys. The fixes for these problems will be rolled out in September and both problems can be remedied by reprogramming and updating their respective software.

Ford announced three different recalls affecting a total of more than 550,000 vehicles, including F-150 pickups, Ford Edge, Lincoln Corsair and Lincoln MKX Crossovers. The first recall is for a fault in the front brake flex lines that run the brake fluid to the front brake calipers. Due to this defect, these hoses may rupture and result in brake fluid leakage. Brakes may not function effectively if this happens. Ford will replace the components to rectify this issue. This specific recall affects Ford Edge and Lincoln MKX crossovers.

The next recall from Ford is a small one with only about 3000 affected examples. These are 2020 Lincoln Corsairs and they are fitted without proper clearance between rear suspension springs and toe link brackets. These components may touch each other and scrape off the protective coating on the rear coil springs, leading to corrosion. Corroded springs can get damaged easily, posing a threat to the occupants as well as the other traffic. Ford’s technicians will inspect these vehicles and if they are found with less clearance, more material will be removed from the toe link bracket to prevent them from contacting each other.

A few Ford F-150 pickups are to march back to the dealer for an incorrect retention nut on the hot lead to the starter motor. This poses a fire risk and Ford will replace the nut. Only a few hundred examples are found to have this issue and it is highly unlikely that one of those defective vehicles may have landed on our shores.

Most of these recalls are for U.S. models, but some may apply to the GCC as well. As always, give your dealer a ring if you think your vehicle might be among the affected models.