Manufacturer recalls for February 2019

The second month of 2019 has been quite a chaotic one as a few recalls affecting over a million cars each have cropped up, from different manufacturers.

About 882,000 Ram pickup trucks are also being asked to return to the manufacturer to address steering and brake issues. About 660,000 of the trucks are 2013-2017 Ram 2500 and 3500 models with steering related issues. The fault lies with a nut which can come loose, taking away the steering control from the driver.

The rest of the recalled vehicles includes 2019 Ram 1500 trucks. These trucks come with Ram’s adjustable pedal feature. When this feature is in use, it can cause the brake pedal to fall off if the pedals are moved to the rearmost position.

Ford announces a recall for nearly 1.5 million of its Ford F-150 trucks to solve an issue that can potentially cause serious accidents. Some of the F-150 trucks with 6-speed automatic gearbox built from 2011 through 2013 could suddenly shift down to 1st gear. If this happens at highway speeds, the tires sab easily lose traction and can cause the vehicle can skit out of control. Ford says that it’s aware of five different accidents that can be traced back to this issue. Ford will install an update to the powertrain control module software to rectify this issue.

Another humungous recall is from Subaru, which is planning on recalling 2.3 million cars worldwide for a tail lamp problem. The brake lamp switch inside the vehicle may come in contact with liquids, hampering its work. This can cause the tail lamps to not illuminate during braking, which is a safety concern. In some vehicles which need the driver to depress the brake pedal to start the car, the tail lamp switch is connected to the ignition system. So this issue may also cause ignition problems in those cars. Though this concern with the ignition system was raised by Reuters, Subaru has not confirmed on it yet.

Hyundai and Kia add nearly half a million vehicles to the already huge count of 2.4 million that they have recalled for similar issues since 2015. The recall is done in the installments, the largest of which is the recall that affects 379,000 Kia Souls in which the high exhaust gas temperatures are found to damage the catalytic converter, which can damage pistons and connecting rods. The damaged rods can puncture the engine block to cause an oil leak, ultimately leading to a fire. The next recalls include 152,000 2011-2013 Hyundai Tucsons and 2011-2012 Kia Sportages to fix an engine oil pan leak.

Honda announces a recall for the Accord sedan and several Acura models which may possess an issue with the fuel pump. Fuel particulates may stick to the internal components of the fuel pump which can reduce the performance of the pump and hence, the engine may stall. Honda will update the fuel injection ECU software and/or replace the fuel pump.

If you feel your car could be affected, call your local dealer.