Manufacturer recalls for June 2017

The number of cars recalled in the month of June is higher than that in May this year. Here is the list.

After a recall made in April due to leaking differentials, about 32,000 more Toyota Tacoma trucks are being called back to address an issue with a sensor in the crankshaft. This sensor, called the crankshaft position sensor is responsible for monitoring the position of the crankshaft and sending that information to the ECU. If the signal transmission is interrupted or stopped completely, the engine will respond poorly or seize to operate. If the engine stops at high speed, the power assistance provided to the systems like brakes and steering will not be available. This can pose a huge safety risk, hence the recall. The 2016 and 2017 model year Tacomas equipped with the 3.5-litre V6 engine are affected. The sensor will be replaced free of cost. The Tacoma is not sold in the GCC officially, but some may exist as grey imports.

Mazda’s rotary-engined sports car, RX-8 was involved in two separate recalls to address problems with the fuel pump and ball joints. The fuel pump recall is the bigger among the two, which affected 69,447 examples of the RX-8 from the 2004 through 2008 model years. A weld on the main pipe can crack and expose it to the heat from the engine and the exhaust. This can lead to a gas leak which can have adverse results. The smaller recall affects 35,332 units of 2004 model RX-8s which possess a problem with ball joints. An inappropriate caulking process done on the front suspension’s lower control arm can cause the ball joint area to crack, especially when the car is loaded. The RX-8 was never sold in the GCC, but some exist as grey imports.

Following a massive recall in April, Hyundai has now issued two different recalls that span over more than half a million of their vehicles. The first recall affects 437,400 Santa Fe and Santa Fe Sport models which are fitted with a faulty cable for the secondary hood latch. This recall was announced by the National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration. There had been three incidents of the hood flinging open but most of the complaints were about being unable to open the hood, Hyundai says. About 150,000 Sonatas and 10,800 Genesis models made in 2015 and 2016 are also being recalled due to a corroded switch in the parking brake that displays incorrect information to the driver. Due to this, the parking brake light on the instrument cluster may mislead the driver into driving the vehicle with the parking brake applied. Most GCC-spec Hyundais come from Korea instead of being built in the United States (except the Genesis), but the recalls may still apply here.

About 18,000 of the Porsche Panamera and Cayenne models are now being recalled due to defective camshaft controllers. The controllers can come loose inside the engine, which can stall the operation of the engine, according to NHTSA. The affected vehicles include 2010-2012 Panamera S, Panamera 4S and Panamera Turbo, 2011-2012 Panamera and Panamera 4, and 2011 Cayenne S and Cayenne Turbo models. After notifying the owners, Porsche will initiate the repair process which involves replacing the fastener screws for the camshaft adjusters, free of charge.

Exactly 1658 examples of the Aston Martin Vantage sports cars fitted with the Sportshift I or Sportshift II automated manual transmissions are being recalled to rectify a flaw resulting from a transmission software update. The cars produced from June 2010 to September 2013 are affected by this recall. After the software update for the transmission, technicians were supposed to reset the clutch position which many of them didn’t do. Aston Martin took the responsibility of this recall as they failed to explicitly mention the clutch reset in the service action.

If your car is on this list, contact your local dealer to ask if the recall applies to your car.