Manufacturer Recalls for April 2022

The fourth month of 2022 saw a major share of recalls being dominated by American manufacturers, especially Ford. Here is the list of all recalls that happened in the past month.

Ford clocks four different massive recalls in April 2022. The first one, with an NHTSA recall No. 22V-191, affects 345,451 examples of Ford Escape and Bronco Sport. All these vehicles come with a 1.5-litre engine. The mill in question may have an engine oil separator housing that can develop cracks over time. This will lead to an oil leak, and a potential fire risk.

The second recall comes with an NHTSA No. 22V-193 and affects 391,836 units of the Ford Maverick, Expedition, Super Duty, and Lincoln Navigator. In these vehicles, there may be a glitch in the trailer brake controller software. Due to this, the vehicle may not apply proper braking pressure to the trailer brakes while towing a trailer with the electric or electro-hydraulic braking system. Both these recalls will of course lead to the defective parts getting replaced free of cost.

Another colossal recall from Ford affects their best-seller, the F-Series pickups as well as Ford Expedition, and the Lincoln Navigator. In these vehicles, the wiper arm splines can get stripped out. This will not help the wipers to work properly, or even stay connected to the vehicle. As it impairs visibility in the situations when it is of utmost importance. The list of vehicle models includes 2020-2021 Ford F-150, 2020-2022 Ford Super Duty, 2020-2021 Ford Expedition, and 2020-2021 Lincoln Navigator. Both front wiper blade arms will be replaced in these vehicles if found affected.

Ford is not done yet. Yet another recall from the Blue Oval sees 250,000 Ford Explorer SUVs preparing to march back. The problem causing this recall is a faulty rear axle horizontal mounting bolt. This bolt can fracture, causing the driveshaft to disconnect. Apart from losing power, this issue can also cause the Explorer to roll forward while parked, if the parking brake is not engaged. In this case, not all Explorers are affected. Only specific versions are affected. These include 2020-2022 Ford Explorer Hybrids, 2020-2021 Ford Explorer Interceptor Hybrid, 2020-2022 Explorer PHEV, and 2020-2021 Explorer Police Interceptors.

Though not from Ford’s house, here is another American UV recall. General Motors is recalling more than 650,000 Chevy Equinox and GMC Terrain models from 2014 and 2015 due to a possible failure in their windshield wipers. The ball joints in the wiper control modules can corrode and cause the failure of the wipers. This can obviously reduce visibility. GM dealers will inspect these vehicles and repair or replace the part if necessary.

Another SUV recall comes from across the pond. VW recalls 222,892 units of their large SUV, the Teramont or Atlas, as it is called in the US and its stylish version, called the Atlas Cross Sport. The Cross Sport is not available on our shores so the recall is confined to the Teramont in our market. According to NHTSA’s Part 573 Safety Recall Report, the Teramont’s side airbag may deploy later than when it is required. This delay can prevent the airbag from providing optimum protection.

Another side airbag-related recall in this list is from Tesla. The electric brand recalls 7,300 of its Tesla Model X crossovers from the 2021 and 2022 model years. In these vehicles, the side airbags may not deploy as intended under certain situations like when windows are lowered, etc. Tesla will replace the airbag mounting brackets on the A-pillars with modified units to rectify this issue. Another recall from Tesla is getting re-issued due to its Boombox feature. NHTSA notes that this feature allows the users to play random noises via the external speakers that are otherwise mounted to produce mandatory noises that enable pedestrians to detect the arrival of the silent EV.

From the house of Tesla, here is another recall. This time, it is the performance version of their entry model, the Model 3 Performance that is under the radar. More than 48,000 vehicles are being recalled and these Model 3s offer a speed display that may be non-compliant with the regulations. The speed display in the track mode displays the speed but with no units like kilometers per hour or miles per hour. This does not adhere to federal guidelines. The issue can be resolved via an over-the-air update.

Audi recalls more than 26,000 units of their performance S, and RS models as well as the luxury A8 model. These vehicles may have an issue with the turbocharger oiling system. The mesh that strains the oil supplied to the turbos is so fine that it can clog up after a while with carbon deposits or other build-ups. This can reduce the flow of oil into the turbine bearings, increasing their wear. This can later lead to catastrophic failures but only after flashing multiple warning lights. These vehicles will get a newer screen that does not have this issue. The affected models include the 2013-2017 Audi RS7, S6, S7, S8, and A8. According to Audi, the vehicles built after 2017 already comes with the updated screen. There is no reason for the newer owners to worry.

From the other side of the world, Toyota and Lexus announce a recall for almost all the electrified models in their line-up and the pure-ICE Lexus LX600. The issue however is no mechanical or electrical defect that endangers the occupants. Instead, the issue that triggered the recall is a non-compliance matter. In these vehicles, the Vehicle Stability Control system (VSC) may not default to its ON position every time the vehicle is started. This does not agree with some of the applicable regulations in the US. Toyota and Lexus will roll out an update for the Skid Control ECU software to fix the issue. The models affected include the Toyota Mirai, Toyota RAV4 Hybrid, RAV4 Prime, Sienna Hybrid, Highlander Hybrid, and Toyota Venza from the Toyota stable. From the leather-lined Lexus house, LS500h, NX350h, and NX450h+, as well as the LX600 are included.

If you recently purchased a Mercedes-Benz with the fancy Active Distance Assist feature, you may need to focus here. A large number of 2021 and 2022 models equipped with the said feature and heated steering wheel are being recalled due to an issue with a sensor. This sensor sits inside the steering wheels and detects if the driver removes his/her hands from the wheel. If it fails, the vehicle will not know if the driver has left the grip on the steering wheel, allowing the Active Distance Assist feature to drive the car by itself no matter what the attention level of the driver is. This recall affects C-Class, E-Class sedan/coupe/convertible, SL-Class, S-Class, CLS-Class, AMG GT 4-Door Coupe, and EQS, including the AMG versions. For most of them, only 2022 models are included but 2021 E- and S-Class cars are also a part. Thankfully, a simple software update can fix this issue.

From the rival team, here is BMW pitching in with their recall story this month. More than 61,000 of their vehicles are being recalled to address a fault in the sunroof control unit programming. This glitch allows the users to close the sunroof without having the key in the vehicle. This not only violates the regulations but also poses a threat to any unattended person or animal in the car. The models affected include 2022 4 Series Gran Coupe (430i, 430i xDrive, M440i xDrive); 2019-2022 X5 sDrive40i, X5 xDrive40i, X5 xDrive50i, X5 M50i, X5M; 2021-2022 X5 xdrive45e; 2020-2022 X6 sDrive40i, X6 xDrive40i, X6 xDrive50i, X6M and 2019-2023 X7 xDrive40i, X7 xDrive50i, X7 M50i, X7 xDrive60i, X7 M60i, X7M, Alpina XB7.  The fix is a software update that can be done either over the air or at a dealership.

That is all for the month of April. Catch you here later with the recall stories from the next month.