Manufacturer Recalls for May 2022

With EVs becoming normalcy, we can see a lot of them popping up in recall lists, albeit in smaller numbers. Tesla has been mentioned in these lists several times but this month, we have some new entrants, along with many IC engine-powered models. Here is the list of all models that are recalled in the month of May 2022.

Lucid Air is the new kid on the block taking the fight to the Tesla Model S. Now, it gets a bit of the limelight, but for the wrong reasons. Every Lucid Air sedan sold are now being recalled to address an issue with a display wiring harness. Every Lucid still means just 1,117 cars though. Some wiring in these vehicles may not be secured properly, hence causing the displays in the vehicle to stop working intermittently. As all the driver information, including the speedometer, relies on this screen, the glitch in its operation can affect the safe operation of the vehicle. It also results in a noncompliance of local and international regulations.

Yet another new EV maker on the block, Rivian recall their R1T truck for an issue with the front airbags. In these vehicles, the front passenger airbag may not get turned off when a child seat is placed on the front seat. If not deactivated, a firing airbag can cause more harm to a child in the situation of an accident. The total number of possible affected vehicles is 502. This may look small, but Rivian has roughly made 5000 vehicles since its new factory started operations. In the affected examples, the carmaker will replace the front passenger seat for free.

No EV recall is complete without the most successful EV maker, Tesla. Last month too, saw them launch a recall, now affecting 129,960 vehicles. The screens in some Tesla models overheat due to a faulty firmware that does not include some temperature checks. The models in question include some 2021-2022 Model X, 2022 Model 3 and 2022 Model Y. The fix is quite simple though. It reaches the owners as an over-the-air update.

Another EV recall comes from South Korea. Hyundai and Kia recalls all Ioniq5 and EV6 EVs sold in the US for a roll-away risk. The electronic parking brake in these vehicles may disengage on its own, causing the vehicle to possibly roll away. As per the NHTSA report filed by Kia, a voltage fluctuation can cause a Shifter Control Unit (SCU) to send a wrong signal to the parking pawl actuator, causing it to temporarily disengage the parking brake. Both brands instruct their customers to bring their EVs to the showrooms to get the issue resolved.

Back to fossil-fuel powered cars. Mercedes-Benz recalls more than 290,000 vehicles for a brake-related issue. The models in question include 2006-2012 ML-Class and GL-Class and the rare R-Class MPV. According to Merc, the brake boosters in these vehicles can get corroded after being exposed to moisture. This can reduce the effectiveness of the braking system, and can cause the entire hardware to break if the driver puts too much pressure on the system. Owners are instructed to park these vehicles until they can be checked by an authorized dealership. If the brake booster in these vehicles are not efficient enough, the brake booster will be replaced.

Another recall from Hyundai, this time for an IC-engine powered vehicle, affects 215,717 Sonata sedans from 2013 and 2014. But only 1% of these vehicles may actually have the issue, as per Hyundai. These vehicles may have the low-pressure fuel lines deteriorate over time due to the heat in the engine bay. This can create cracks in these lines, leaking fuel under the hood. This can come in touch with any hot surfaces, which an engine bay has plenty of, causing a fire risk. Dealers will replace the damaged tube in the affected vehicles.

Hyundai’s smaller sedans, the Elantra and Accent are also in this list but for a different issue. Almost 239,000 units of these sedans will have to march back to the dealer to fix a seatbelt pretensioner issue. The considered model years include 2019-2022 for the compact Accent and 2021-2023 for the larger Elantra. Usually a seatbelt pretensioner relies on small explosive devices that drives a piston that rolls the seatbelt in, tightly holding the occupant before the airbag deploys. In this case, it may not function properly. To make matters worse, the micro-explosion may also throw shrapnel into the cabin.

Ford announces a recall for their large Super Duty trucks, spanning across their model range. More than 310,000 of their F-250, F-350, F-450 and F-550 trucks may have faulty airbags that may not deploy during a crash. The design of a steering wheel clock spring may be the issue here as it allows contamination with dust, as per Ford. These dust particles can increase friction of the internal ribbon cable that rotates with the steering wheel. Obviously, this can lead to the disconnection of some or all circuits, causing the air bad to turn off. The airbag warning light on the dash, or a clicking sound from the steering wheel warns the user about this problem. Dealers will replace the steering wheel lock spring in the affected vehicles.

That is all for the month. See you around here the next month.