Manufacturer recalls for March 2021

Here is the list of all recalls announced around the world in the month of March 2021.

Kia advises more than 380,000 of their 2017-2019 Cadenza and 2017-2021 Sportage customers to park their vehicles outside due to a fire risk. The risk is traced back to a possible short circuit in the hydraulic electronic brake control unit. Owners will be notified from April 30 and the dealers will replace the fuses in the junction box to rectify the issue. Till then, the owners must keep an eye out for any warning lights on their dashboard or any burning odours. It is unclear if the recall applies to GCC-spec vehicles as well.

Kia is not the only manufacturer that is advising its owners to park outside due to a fire risk. GM and RAM are also asking their customers to do the same. GM’s full-size vans, Chevy Express and GMC Savana are under the radar because they may be suffering from an electrical issue that may lead to a fire. The models equipped with the 6.6-litre V8 engine are the ones in question. Dealers will fix the problem for free.

Similarly, RAM has also requested its customers to park their Heavy Duty customers outside due to, surprise surprise, yet another fire risk. Specifically, the 2021 model 2500,3500 and 4500/5500 trucks are included in this advisory. NHTSA has reported a recall numbered 21V-163 connected to this issue for 19,214 trucks. All of these trucks are fitted with the 6.7-litre Cummins Turbo-diesel engine. Fix for this issue is still under development and the customers will be notified starting from the end of April.

Honda announces a recall for over 761,000 vehicles due to a fuel pump issue. According to NHTSA campaign number 21V215000, the recall includes Honda Accord, Accord Hybrid, Civic, Fit, HR-V, Odyssey, Passport, Pilot and Ridgeline. Some models from Acura are also a part of the recall. The issue with the fuel pump may lead these vehicles’ engines to stall and fail. Some of these US-built models are offered in the GCC as well, so this recall may extend to our region soon.

Nissan is recalling many of its Sentra sedans due to malfunctioning taillights. More than 854,000 2016-2019 Sentras are a part of this recall. The stop lamps in these vehicles may not function due to the oxidation caused by silicon contamination from grease applied on adjoining components. This may also prevent the engine from starting. The Sentra we get in the GCC is not sourced from North America so the recall may not apply to the GCC.

NHTSA is extending a probe into more than 1.9 million 2013-2018 Toyota RAV4 crossovers triggered by 11 fire complaints they received. These vehicles may develop a short on the battery terminal, leading to engine power loss or even a fire. No recall has been announced yet but this may end up being the final result of the ongoing investigation.

That wraps up the recalls for the past month. Stay tuned to this column for more recall news in the coming months.