Manufacturer recalls for September 2020

Here is the list of recalls that were sent out globally in the month of September 2020.

More than 600,000 Hyundai and Kia vehicles are being recalled due to a brake fluid leak which has the potential to cause engine fires. The leak is found inside a hydraulic control unit for the antilock brakes. The recall affects 440,000 Kia Optima sedans from 2013 through 2015, 2014-2015 Kia Sorento SUVs, along with 2013-2015 Hyundai Santa Fe SUVs. The ABS control units of these vehicles will be inspected and replaced if a leak is detected. Till it is fixed, the owners are advised to contact the dealer and not drive the vehicle if the ABS light comes on. They should also disconnect the car battery. It is unclear if this recall applies globally or just in the U.S.

The Dodge Challenger SRT Demon was launched as a drag strip monster when it was launched back in 2017. Now the Demon is in the line of fire of a class-action lawsuit filed by Demon owners in California, as reported by Carcomplaints.com. The complainants claim that the factory paint on the large hood scoop of the Demon cracks and peels away. This problem is attributed to a “flimsy insert that expands and contracts when the Class Vehicle is used, which results in a sagging, buckling, bulging, and vibrating insert.” This insert is thought to cause the paint to chip away. Even before the lawsuit, FCA had already issued a service bulletin 23-033-19, which quotes a “smaller, non-original hood scoop bezel, which is the only part of the Demon AirGrabber that is visible from the outside.” This is insufficient to solve the problem, as per the complainants. On top of it, FCA allegedly denies their complaints of the hood not being repaired under warranty. This has caused the owners to spend out of pocket. This sort of quality issue is a standard expectation from FCA, but it is not a recall yet.

On the other side of the muscle car arena, the Ford Mustang is being recalled for brake pedals that may snap. As per NHTSA, over 38,000 automatic transmission-equipped 2020 Mustangs are affected. These vehicles may be fitted with a defective brake pedal bracket assembly which can cause the pedal to crack or ultimately snap. As all Mustangs are assembled in the same factory in Michigan, it is quite possible that some 2020 Mustangs sold in the GCC may also possess the same issue, so call your Ford dealer if you own one.

Last month, the C8 Chevy Corvette was in the news with two separate recalls. This month too, the mid-engined sports car makes a reappearance in the list but accompanied by a few other Cadillac, Chevy and Buick models. The problem that caused this recall involves a sensor for the electronic brake boost system. The possible presence of some material in the system may interrupt the communication between this sensor and the brake boost system. This can lead to a total loss in the assistance from the brake boost system, making the driver exert more force on the pedal to eke out the bite he/she might need to stop. The list of vehicles affected includes the 2020 Chevrolet Corvette, 2020 Cadillac CT4, CT5 and XT4, 2021 Chevrolet Trailblazer and 2020-2021 Buick Encore GX. The total number of vehicles recalled is quite small though, with just 3,317 vehicles under the radar.

And that is it for the ninth month of this peculiar year. All these recalls won’t apply to the GCC, but if you have any concerns, contact your local dealer.