Once the circuit board overheats, it can cause the cars’ 12-volt battery to drain and one of several indicator lights to turn on on the instrument panel, which means that owners will be aware of the issue when it happens. However, if drivers ignore the warning lights (which we all do sometimes, right?), the engine could eventually stall and start a fire in the trunk.

Thankfully, though, the issue doesn’t affect the rechargable lithium-ion battery that’s a part of the cars’ electric hybrid system. If you’re curious to know whether your specific car is or will be affected, General Motors says that most of the incidents reported have happened within the first 1,000 miles of driving with the cars. No accidents or injuries were reported.

We actually took a look at Buick’s latest LaCrosse and Regal hybrid models during the New York Auto Show back in March. These new models aren’t a part of the recall, as they’re the 2014 models. The new cars come with the company’s next-generation IntelliLink infotainment system, which we got our hands on as well.

[via LA Times]

The recall affects BMW’s 3-series and M3 vehicles from 2002 to 2003, and according to data from the NHTSA, there are about 1.3 million of these vehicles in the US, with just over 42,000 of them being recalled, which means that only a small percentage of these cars are affected by the malfunctioning airbag.

The faulty airbags, made by Takata, were produced from April 2000 to September 2002 at one of the company’s plants in Washington state, according to the NHTSA. The propellant components in the airbag’s inflator may have been produced with an insufficient “compaction force,” leading to malfunctioning when the airbag is activated,

However, the recall most likely won’t affect all the cars involved. BMW spokesman Dave Buchko said that all five car manufacturers involved in the massive Takata recall, there was only about a small handful of improper deployments (around a dozen total) of airbags that have been reported among over 3.4 million vehicles affected.

[via Reuters]

With the spare tires being over or under-inflated, they can fail without warning the driver, leading to an bigger risk of crashing. 2013 Nissan Altima owners are expected to receive their recall notifications beginning May 3rd. They will be asked to bring in their vehicles to their nearest, authorized Nissan dealer who will proceed to inspect and fix the spare tire issues at no charge.

This isn’t the first time that Nissan issued a recall for the 2013 Nissan Altima. Earlier in March, Nissan recalled the vehicle due to a potential problem with the airbags. The airbags would improperly deploy during a crash, which could have led to injury, and worse, death. Alongside the 2013 Nissan Altima, the Nissan Sentra, the Nissan Pathfinder SUV, and the 2013 Nissan Leaf EV were all recalled as well.

Just last week, Nissan also issued a recall for around 20,000 of its 2013 Pathfinder and 2013 Infinite JX vehicles as well. The vehicles potentially had faulty brakes due to one component in the brakes being manufactured incorrectly. The faulty component could potentially reduce the braking power of the affected vehicles, resulting in an increased chance of crashes. Customers with the affected vehicles are expected to receive their recall notifications in early May as well.

[via The Wall Street Journal]

Honda says that owners of a 2012-2013 Honda Fit can take their vehicles to an authorized Honda dealer to check up on their vehicles. Their software will be updated free of charge. Vehicle owners are expected to receive their recall notifications in the middle of May. Vehicle owners can also visit Honda’s recall website to see if their Honda Fit is affected by the system software issues.

This isn’t the first recall that Honda issued this month. Earlier this month, Honda, alongside Toyota and Nissan, all recalled a total of 3 million vehicles due to a potential airbag issue that causes the airbag to deploy abnormally. The improperly deployed airbags could have resulted in injury and worse, death, if the issues were not fixed. In total, Honda recalled 1.14 million vehicles that could have airbags improperly installed.

In the following week, Honda also issued a recall for around 204,500 of its CR-V, Odyssey, and Acura RDX vehicles due to an issue with their braking system. In temperatures below freezings, those vehicles would allow their drivers to shift even when they aren’t pressing on their brakes. It hasn’t been a good month for Honda so far, but hopefully this Honda Fit recall will be the last recall it will have to make (at least for a while). Be sure to check out our Cars Hub for the latest news on the automotive industry.

[via Honda]

This particular problem isn’t terribly troublesome, but does have the potential to cause a crash if the brake pedal or accelerator can’t be pressed properly. Says Subaru, the backing on the floor mats wasn’t made correctly, and because of the problem are prone to curling up when they get too warm, such as on a hot summer day. Upon curling, they could interfere with the pedals.

According to the report, this problem hasn’t caused any injuries, but has been the cause of unintended accerlation that resulted in runaway vehicles, a situation that could have a fatal outcome. The total number of vehicles involved in this recall tally out to 10,137, and will see the auto maker replacing the mats with new ones. Recall notifications are expected to go out to affected vehicle owners this month.

This is Subaru’s second recall this month, with the first happening back on April 9 due to brake lines that could corrode when they come in contact with salt water. That particular recall involved 200,000 Outback and Legacy vehicles made from 2005 to 2009. And that recall followed one shortly before thatinvolving a remote starter glitch that made the cars start up on their own.

[via Wall Street Journal]

Nissan received a field report about a front brake torque member failure on its 2013 Pathfinder. After a detailed analysis of the front brake torque member, Nissan discovered,

“The casting was out of specification due to a ‘cold shut’ condition which occured during the supplier’s manufacturing process. A small amount of molten iron flowed into an adjacent mold prematurely, and did not fuse properly with the newly introduced metal due to temperature loss”

Nissan determined that the defect exists in a number of its vehicles, and issued a recall so that it can resolve the issue. Owners of the defective vehicles are expected to receive their recall notifications in early May, and will then be asked to bring in their vehicle to their nearest Nissan dealer so that it can be inspected. The dealers will inspect the manufacturing date of the torque member, and if it falls between December 3rd, 2012 to January 29th, 2013 (the period when the defective part was manufactured), the vehicle’s front brake torque members will need to be replaced (at no added cost to the vehicle’s owner).

There are approximately 14,168 Nissan Pathfinders and 5,090 Infiniti JX vehicles that potentially have the faulty brakes. This isn’t the first recall that Nissan issued this month. On April 11th, Nissan, Honda, and Toyota recalled over 3 million vehicles due to a potential issue involving their airbags. The airbags could potentially deploy improperly, which could lead to serious injury, or worse, death.

[via NHTSA]

The numbers break down to 59,000 2012 and 2013 Honda Odyssey minivans, 128,000 2012 and 2013 Honda CR-V SUVs, and 17,500 2013 Acura RDX vehicles. Those with an affected vehicle will have a component in the brake shift interlock system replaced with one that isn’t prone to failure in sub-freezing temperatures. According to Honda, no customers have complained or experiened any injuries from the problem.

Snail-mail notifications will go out to those with one of the affected vehicles some time in the middle of May. Once the notifications begin rolling out, customers will also be able to check if they have one of the models by visiting the respective Honda and Acura “Recalls” website (recalls.honda.com and recalls.acura.com) or by calling the customer hotline and pressing “4″.

This follows a recent recall over faulty airbags by the manufacturer, with the airbags coming from Takata Corporation. The airbags were made from 2000 to 2002, and concerned a problem with the inflators that could cause abnormal inflation when deployed. Toyota and Nissan were also forced to issue recalls over the same airbag problems.

[via Honda (PDF)]

Going down the list, first up is the 2007 and 2008 Dodge Nitro and Jeep Liberty, of which 78,500 were recalled over a faulty heat shield that could loosen and rub against the driveshaft, eventually causing it to fail. Most of these vehicles are located in the United States, with others being in Mexico and Canada. Then there’s the 2011 and 2012 Chrysler 300, Challenger, and Charger, 119,000 of which were recalled due to the airbag light coming on due to the incorrect wiring harness being used in some models.

The 2012 Jeep Compass and Patriot is also affected, with 30,000 vehicles being recalled over an issue with deformed fuel lines that cut off gas from the engine, leading to a stall. This issue has resulted in one reported accident, but no one was injured. Most of the vehicles being recalled are located in the US, with others in Canada and Mexico.

And rounding out the recalls is the 2013 Dodge Dart, with 52 vehicles being recalled over bad calipers, all but six of them being located in the US (the others are in Canada). The 2013 Dodge Ram truck has a recall of 9300 over a parking brake that may not work, and finally, approximately 7000 Dodge Ram 2500 and 3500 diesel trucks were recalled due to problems with engine heat.

If you have one of the affected vehicles, you’ll receive a notification from Chrysler.

[via USA Today]

First off, Hyundai said it is recalling 1.06 million vehicles for electrical problems that could result in any number of electrical failures such as “intermittent operation” of the push-button start feature, removing the vehicle’s shifter from the park position, illumination of the “ESC” (Electronic Stability Control) indicator lamp, interference with operation of the cruise control feature, and possible issues with the brake lights.

Kia is recalling 623,000 vehicles to address the same problem as Hyundai’s recall. Hyundai and Kia actually share a technical center in Michigan and are controlled by the same Korean company, but the auto makers mostly operate independently from one another. The list of cars affects include the 2007-09 Accent, 2007-10 Elantra, 2010-2011 Genesis Coupe, 2007-11 Santa Fe, 2011 Sonata, 2007-09 Tucson and 2008-09 Veracruz.

As for Kia vehicles, the 2007-10 Rondo, 2007 Sedona, 2011 Optima, 2007-11 Sorento, 2010-11 Soul, and the 2007-10 Sportage are being recalled. Kia will notify owners of these vehicles in May, and the company says that no injuries or accidents due to the cars’ issues have been reported. Furthermore, Hyundai is recalling around 190,000 2011-13 Elantras for possible airbag problems. None of the Kia vehicles that we test drove back in February are affected, including the 2014 Sorento and Forte.

[via Detroit News]

According to a recall notice from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the brake lines on affected vehicles may corrode over time if they’re splashed by salt water through a gap in the fuel tank protector. Subaru spokesman Michael McHale said that the company was still calculating the total number of cars affected, but it has already reached the 200,000 mark.

However, the recall is only limited to cars either currently or formerly registered in 20 states, and Washington DC. These are states that salt their roads during the winter to allow cars more grip while on the road. So, if you live in a state that salts the roads (as opposed to using a sand mixture, perhaps), you’re mostly affected.

McHale says that there havn’t been any reports of accidents as a result of the brake line issue, but the company doesn’t want to take any chances, and McHale notes that Subaru is being “super conservative.” McHale notes that the issue was actually discovered during testing phases of one of their cars, where it started exhibit corrosion on the brake line. Aside from recalling vehicles earlier last month, Subaru also recalled a whopping 600,000 vehicles back in January.

[via CNN]

The process by which the engine may stall is a bit complicated. According to the NHTSA report, the vehicle’s driver could transfer a chemical found in de-icing products to the car’s carpet by walking on it. From there, the de-icing compound could then be transferred to the Electronic Control Unit where its case meets the carpet.

At this point, the chemical could then lead to corrosion, and the corrosion could cause a stall, with the engine stall potentially causing a crash. As a result, Honda elected to recall just under six figures worth of the Acura TSX model years 2004 through 2007. Of this number, approximately 76,000 are located in the United States, and the rest are located in Canada.

As you can imagine, however, those in some states aren’t likely to come in contact with a de-icing chemical, which is why the recall has been limited to certain states (all of which experience icy winters): Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia, Wisconsin and the District of Columbia.

Owners will be notified next month.

[via Torque News]

Toyota announced the recall in a press release, stating that the driver and front passenger seat belts are fixed to the rear doors, which have panels that aren’t strop enough to handle them. If the driver of an FJ Cruiser repeatedly closes the door “forcefully”, there’s a chance the panels may crack, resulting in a weak seat belt that may not hold up in the event of a crash or rough braking.

The FJ Cruisers being recalled including the latest 2013 model all the way down to the 2007 model-year. The majority of them – 209,000 – were sold in the United States, while a fairy hefty 52,000 were sold in the Middle East. The remaining SUVs were sold throughout China, Australia, Canada, Latin America, and Oceania.

Unfortunately, a solid method of correcting the problem has not been determined, with the manufacturer still considering its options. Once it decides on a repair method, owners of the affected models will be notified and can take the vehicle to the dealer for a cost-free repair. This follows other recalls Toyota has suffered, including one earlier this year where it recalled over 1 million vehicles due to problems with wipers and airbags.

[via NBC News]

Honda has received several complaints about the issue, but says that no accidents or injuries have been reported. Still though, Honda says that the malfunction could cause an accident or serious injury. One Honda owner even went as far as to start a petition with the NHTSA after she sent in a complaint to Honda with no recall to come of it.

After the organization reviewed the petition, Honda ended up announcing the recall. In the US, the recall affects 101,000 Honda Pilot vehicles, 60,000 Acura MDX vehicles, and 21,000 Acura RL vehicles from the 2005 model year, along with 800 Acura MDX vehicles from the 2006 model year. on a global scale, the recall could affect even more of these vehicles.

Specifically, the recall deals with the Vehicle Stability Assist, which is what Honda calls its electronic stability control system. Honda says that the malfunction is caused by an electrical capacitor being damaged during the manufacturing process, as well as an electrical ground bolt that may have not been tightened enough during assembly.

[via NY Times]

The reason for the recall is a sensor that could be faulty which would result in the front passenger’s seat airbag not deploying when it is needed. Such an issue poses a potentially serious safety concern, and as a result the five affected models have been recalled. The number of vehicles that are being recalled is still being calculated.

The affected vehicles are comprised of the 2013 Nissan Altima sedan, the Nissan Sentra, the Nissan Pathfinder SUV, the 2013 Nissan Leaf EV, and the 2013 Infiniti division’s JX35 luxury SUV crossover. The information comes from data posted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

The faulty sensor’s discovery was made when Nissan observed airbag warning lights at one of its automotive plants, as well as warranty claims being made. The problem was traced back to the sensor’s supplier, which altered the process it uses to make the sensors. Those with the affected vehicles will begin receiving notifications in April.

[via USA Today]

Specifically, the issue deals with the third-row seats experiencing corrosion in such a way that they cannot be folded down properly and locked in place. Ford told the NHTSA that it doesn’t feel the corrosion issue poses an “unreasonable” risk, but it has proceeded forward with the recall in order to avoid problems with the administration.

The recalls taking place in the United States are limited to Washington D.C. and 20 states: West Virginia, Ohio, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey, Maine, Maryland, Iowa, Indiana, Missouri, New Hampshire, Michigan, Massachusetts, Delaware, Illinois, Minnesota, Indiana, Vermont, and Rhode Island. This includes vehicles that were registered in these states.

According to Ford spokeswoman Kelli Felker, owners of one of the affected models outside of the states where the recalls are happening should contact their local Ford dealer if they feel there’s a corrosion issue with their vehicle. Those in the areas where the recalls are taking place will have the mounting bracket moved and the area susceptible to corrosion both fixed and reinforced.

[via New York Times]

It turns out that if owners accidentally drop the remote starter key fob, it could trigger a glitch that starts the engine without any button on the fob being pressed. It’s said that the engine may run for up to 15 minutes, and could even continue to start and stop until the remote starter battery is dead or the vehicle runs out of gas.

The NHTSA documents mentioned no reports of any accidents or injuries from the glitch, but one of the biggest safety concerns with this issue is the chance of asphyxiation from carbon monoxide buildup if the vehicle is parked in an enclosed garage. It’s also said that all the vehicles affected have either automatic or continuously variable transmissions.

The recall is expected to begin by the end of April, and it only affects Subaru vehicles that are equipped with the remote starter accessory kits, meaning that OEM keyless entry fobs integrated on the vehicle key don’t apply. Subaru has said that the defect doesn’t pose a risk while driving, so the chances of getting an accident due to the glitch are extremely low.

[via Reuters]

Also affected by the problem is one terminal in the fuse box, which can also degrade and fail. When this happens, the connection between the battery located in the car’s trunk will no longer be connected to the fuse box, causing the engine to suddenly stall. According to the manufacturer, the problem has resulted in one small crash in Canada, but no one was hurt.

The 3-Series, 1-Series, and the Z4 have been recalled. In the 3-Series, coupes, wagons, and convertibles from 2007 to 2011 are affected, while the 1-Series cars span 2008 to 2012. The sleek Z4 sportscar, meanwhile, has affected years from 2009 to 2011. The United States is home to most of the affected vehicles at 504,000, while Canada has the rest at 65,000.

Drivers who have one of the affected models will receive a notification from BMW starting next month. When notified, the driver can take their vehicle to the nearest dealer, where the battery cable connector will be replaced for free. Those who have questions about the issue can contact BMW at 800-525-7417.

[via USA Today]

The recall breaks down to 278,222 SUVS and trucks in the United States, 23,767 in Mexico, 63,321 in Canada, and 4,987 elsewhere. The vehicles affected include Ram 1500 pickup trucks from 2009 to 2012, Chrysler Aspen 2009 models, Dodge Durango 2009 models, and Dodge Dakota trucks from 2009 to 2011. Although 15 accidents have happened, Chrysler says there are no reports of anyone being hurt.

According to the manufacturer, these vehicles have a fastener in the rear axle prone to loosening over time, eventually causing it to fail. When this happens, the axle could lock and result in a crash. Those who own one of the possibly affected vehicles will be notified by Chrysler and will have a retainer installed free of charge to fix the issue.

This follows a recall Chrysler announced late last year, also concerning Ram 1500 and Dodge Dakota vehicles. That recall was for approximately 44,000 trucks and SUVs that were affected by the same loose fastener issue. Then, in November, Chrysler recalled nearly 745,000 Jeep Liberty and Grand Cherokees because of problems with the airbags.

[via Reuters]

The recall is for Honda Pilot SUV 2009 through 2013 models and Honda Odyssey minivan 2011 through 2013 models. Although most of the vehicles are located in the US (748,000), a total of 29,000 have been recalled in Canada, 25,000 in Mexico, and 35,000 in other areas globally. What is the trouble prompting such a massive recall?

The airbags are at risk for deployment due to missing rivets that are designed to keep the airbag’s cover in place. Without them rivets, the airbag could deploy randomly while the car is being driven, possibly harming the driver and causing a car wreck. Although the issue is present, no accidents or injuries caused by the issue have been reported.

This comes after a series of recalls the manufacturer had to issue throughout 2012, with the number of vehicles recalled totaling 3.9 million, according to Torque News. In addition to the 800,000 vehicle recall last month, Honda also issued an 820,000 vehicle recall in March due to issues with headlight wiring that could prove dangerous. That particular recall was for Pilot and Civic models.

[via Torque News]

That is obviously no good, and specifically, the problem centers around faulty park lock cables and warped steering column lock actuator gears. If your car is affected by the issue, it means you could potentially shift your car from park without the key in the ignition or without pressing the brake pedal while the key is in the off position. This in turn could lead to a very bad day, and to make matters worse, this problem seems to affect a number of different models.

The 2013 Escalade, Escalade ESV, and Escalade EXT are the cars from Cadillac that could potentially be affected by this flaw. For Chevrolet, we’re looking at the 2013 Avalanche, Express, Silverado HD, Silverado LD, Suburban, and Tahoe. Finally, GMC cars affected by this defect include the Savana, Sierra HD, Sierra LD, Yukon, and Yukon XL. A total of 55,000 of these vehicles are currently in the US, while 6,310 are in Canada, 670 are in Mexico, and the remaining 7,084 are exports.

Despite this potentially dangerous flaw, there is some good news in that GM hasn’t had any reports of injuries or crashes. The company also says that only 1 in 1,000 of the recalled cars are believed to be affected by this issue, and that most of them are still on dealer lots or on the way to dealers. Affected cars that are still with dealers will be fixed before being sold off, while GM will be sending out letters to owners starting January 22. GM will replace the flawed steering columns at no cost to the owners.

[via Reuters]

The good news is that there haven’t been any fires reported, though there has been one reported instance of smoke. More good news: it seems that not every car recalled even has this accessory light, with Subaru saying that it believes only 54,000 vehicles are truly at risk. Still, risk of fire is enough to worry Subaru, so it wants check all of these vehicles out just the same.

Here’s the problem: moisture containing salt could potentially work its way into the light’s housing, and if it comes into contact with the circuit board, a fire might not be far off. Thankfully, there haven’t been any reported injuries, so Subaru is getting to this problem before it causes any real damage. The cars affected by this fault includes Forester models released between 2009 to 2012, Outback and Legacy models from 2010 to 2012, and Tribeca models from 2006 to 2012.

If you own one of those cars, you should get in touch with your dealer. If you have one of the faulty lights, your dealer will install a harness on the lamp, which helps cut out the risk of fire. We’ll keep you posted on any new developments with the recall, so stay here at SlashGear for more.

[via NBC News]

USA Today explains that for some of the cars involved in the case, Toyota will pay to have them retrofit with technology that aids in stopping the car in an emergency situation. For other cars that can’t be retrofitted with this tech, the owners will be getting cold hard cash. The important thing for Toyota was showing that this wasn’t a defect with the cars’ computers, but rather an issue with floor mats. With that little bullet point on the books, Toyota has agreed to pay out these settlements and put the whole thing behind them.

Toyota was recently fined $17.35 million by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration for failing to report the flaw in the allowed time frame, which is the largest fine the NHTSA can impose. The company now must meet with the NHTSA regularly to report its progress in fixing the issue, so a lot of headway has been made in this case lately.

It’s great to see Toyota doing things like this to get the issue resolved, but we’re sure the company just wants to move on from all of this controversy as quickly as possible. We probably won’t be hearing too much about this case now that Toyota has agreed to both the settlement and the NHTSA’s fine since there’s not much left for the company to resolve. Still, if you need a recap, you can find posts about the issue in our story timeline below.

According to documents filed with the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, GM is recalling the mid-size trucks because the hood may be missing a secondary hood latch, so if the primary latch is not engaged the hood could open and block the driver’s view, thus increasing the risk of an accident.

Luckily, there haven’t been any reports of accidents or injuries related to the issue, and there are only four known cases of the secondary hood latch actually missing, but as with any recall, it’s better to be safe than sorry, and GM is asking those 145,000 affected to bring their truck in for an inspection.

GM said they’ll be notifying owners and instructing them to either inspect their trucks themselves (since it’s an easy inspection compared to most other recalls), or take the truck to a GM dealer for a free inspection. If inspectors discover that the secondary latch is missing, a new hood will be installed for free. GM expects to begin mailing letters to owners on January 17.

[via Reuters]

Image via Flickr

The safety defects in question center around the car’s floor mats, which could potentially entangle gas pedals, thus causing some drivers to accelerate unintentionally. That, as you can imagine, is a rather big problem, and it’s one that forced the company to recall 150,000 2010 Lexus RX 350 and RX 450s after the defect was discovered earlier this year. The $17.35 million fine is as much as the NHTSA is legally allowed to levy, so you can tell that the organization takes things like this seriously.

Toyota has agreed to pay this fine, but denies that it actually violated the National Traffic and Motor Vehicle Safety Act. Whether it did or didn’t doesn’t much matter now, as Toyota has not only signed an agreement to pay the fine – which is due in full within the next 30 days – but also to meet with the NHTSA every month for the next six months to show what it’s doing to resolve these floor mat issues.

It could potentially get worse for Toyota too, as this agreement “does not release Toyota from civil or criminal liabilities,” so government agencies could still hit the company with charges. We’ll have to see where this whole thing goes in the coming weeks, but for now, it’s clear that Toyota would just like to move on from this whole controversy. Check out our story timeline below for more on Toyota!

[via Business Insider]

The recall includes 318,000 Odyssey minivans from 2003-2004, 259,000 Pilots also from 2003-2004, and 230,000 Acura MDXs from 2003-2006. What’s perhaps even more surprising, is that the company has already recalled nearly 2.2 million cars for this exact problem, which is a faulty parking brake that could fail and send your Honda-branded car cruising down a hill on its own.

Honda says that a small number of incidents have occurred already that led to the latest recall. 42 minivans in total have let loose on their own, which resulted in one vehicle rolling into a retaining wall, and another coasting down a hill and into a mailbox. It sounds comedic, but you’d probably be pretty upset if it happened to your own car.

If you own one of these vehicles that’s involved in the recall, we highly suggest parking it on a perfectly level surface whenever possible until you can go to your nearest dealership and get it checked out. If you need to park it on a hill, at least turn the wheels towards the curb so that your car won’t go out into the street and cause more damage.

[via NBC News]

Image via Flickr

The safety recall covers certain 2009 through 2012 model year X5 xDrive35d SUVs because of a problem that could lead to a loss of power steering. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration believes that the recall covers 29,800 potentially affected vehicles in the United States. According to other sources, there are another 5500 of the diesel-powered SUVs in Canada covered in the recall.

All of the X5 models covered in the recall were built from September 1, 2008 through November 15, 2012. The problem has to do with the engine belt idler pulley bolt that can loosen and break over time. If that happens the vehicle could experience a sudden loss of power assisted steering, increasing the risk of accident.

BMW points out that if the power assisted steering is affected by the defect; drivers will still be able to steer manually though the required effort would increase. Steering effort without power steering is substantially higher at low speeds. BMW says there have been no accidents or injuries reported from this issue. The fix is a replacement and retightening of the idler pulley bolt.

[via Business Insider]

The recall covers about 2471 cars from those two model years with specific options. If your car doesn’t have leather seats, you’re free and clear from this recall. However, if your car does have leather seats and was built between February of 2012 and August 2012 you need to have your vehicle and to the dealership as soon as possible.

VW says owners can check the build date by looking on the driver side door jam sticker. According to the NHTSA, if the right front seat in these vehicles gets wet, the sensor in the seat may not detect the presence of the child and deactivate the airbag. The sensor is called the occupant control module. I’ve never owned a Volkswagen vehicle, but every vehicle I have owned or driven has had a light to show when the airbag was on or off.

Volkswagen and the NHTSA fear that a faulty sensor may not realize a child is in the seat and in an accident, the airbag could deploy and injure the child. Volkswagen is replacing the faulty module at no cost. The automaker recommends children ride in the backseat and more information on the recall will be forthcoming from VW.

[via USA Today]

The recall covers some of the automakers most popular (and boring) vehicles, including the Avensis, Corolla, and Prius. The recall covers about 75,000 cars in the UK, 496,000 across Europe, 670,000 in the United States, and 1.5 million vehicles in Japan.

The problems that forced the latest round of recalls for Toyota have to do with faulty steering systems and water pumps. Toyota says that it has not received any reports of crashes or injuries resulting from faults. On the steering problem, Toyota says that the issue was caused by “insufficient hardness” of the steering shaft, which could deform if the wheel was turned forcefully at slow speed.

The water pump issue is known to affect some Prius models. This fault could cause a fuse in the electric power circuit to blow, causing the vehicle to stall. Toyota says that most issues involved with the recalls can be fixed within an hour and a half at the dealership. Issues with the recall will be fixed at no cost to vehicle owners.

[via Guardian]

According to the documents from the US NHTSA, the failure of that airbag control module could cause the front airbags, side curtain airbags, as well as the seatbelt pretensioners to deploy randomly while the vehicle is being operated, which can increase the risk of injury and possibly cause an accident.

The NHTSA opened a preliminary investigation in October 2011 in response to complaints of the random airbag deployments in Jeep Liberty vehicles, and then in January 2012, the investigation was upgraded to include the Grand Cherokee. The investigation discovered 215 cases of random airbag deployment, which resulted in 81 minor injuries. However, no accidents were caused from the faulty airbags.

All owners of a Jeep Grand Cherokee or Liberty with the years 2002, 2003, and 2004 will most likely receive a letter in the mail about the recall, and starting in January, you can hop on down to your local Chrysler dealer for a free inspection and repair, where the dealer will install a supplemental jumper harness to the airbag control module at no cost.

[via Reuters]

Sony is blaming the flaw on manufacturing processes used at the Chinese plant where the tablet is constructed. A Sony spokeswoman Noriko Shoji says that Sony doesn’t have a time frame for sales to start again at this time. The tablet only went on sale on September 7 in the United States in launched after that date in Japan, Europe, and other countries.

The tablet runs the Android operating system and Sony notes that so far it shipped about 100,000 of the tablets. Sony has pledged to fix any tablets sold that have the defect. The electronics giant says that the cost of the recall will have no significant impact on its earnings.

The tablet weighs in at 1.26 pounds and its display has a resolution of 1280 x 800. The tablet sold for between $400 and $600 depending on the storage capacity. The available storage capacity ranges between 16 GB and 64 GB.

[via Yahoo]

The recall covers 2007 through 2009 Pontiac G5s and Chevrolet Cobalts. The Saturn Ion, Chevrolet Equinox, and Pontiac Torrent vehicles are all from the 2007 model year. The recall applies to specific states, including vehicles sold in or registered in Arizona, Florida, Nevada, Texas, and California.

The recall also applies to some models sold and registered in Arkansas or Oklahoma. GM says it is has been investigating the issue covered in the recall since 2011, after a dealer reported fuel leakage from five different vehicles. According to GM, there has been no reports of fire or injury related to the fact.

GM says that the fix include replacing a fuel module in the vehicles. The repair will be performed at no charge for vehicles as long as the repair is requested within 10 years or 120,000 miles from when the vehicle sold. I guess you’re on your own if your vehicle has over 120,000 miles.

[via LA Times]

The part of the vehicle that forced the recall is a plate designed to protect the transmission and the catalytic converter underneath the vehicle. The plate was designed in a way that allows debris to get caught between the plate and hot vehicle parts. Chrysler is aware of at least 14 different complaints that the issue caused fires in 2010 Wranglers. However, the company denies any knowledge of injury caused by these fires.

According to Chrysler, the risk of fire is greatest on Wranglers that are driven off-road or through tall brush. The fix Chrysler will be applying to the vehicles at no cost to the drivers is removing the plate and replacing it with a bar that won’t catch debris. The recall affects 68,000 Wranglers in the United States, 6000 in Canada, 1500 Mexico, and about 11,000 in other countries.

[via Washington Post]

Between August 1, 2010 and October 18, 2011, all Ford Focuses did not include a seal in the wiring for the windshield wiper motor. What that means is that if water gets inside, it can cause the wires to short, effectively ruining the wipers. This is obviously a problem because the only time a driver would notice wiper problems is while it’s raining or snowing, and at that point there are definite safety concerns.

Anyone who purchased a Ford Focus that was built in the above specified dates will be able to take it into any Ford dealer and have the issue fixed for free, regardless of whether or not their blades have actually stopped working. The automaker said it expects to begin the repair process in later May. Ford is advising owners with any questions to call 866-436-7332.

The ThinkCentre M70z ad M90z have a defective internal component inside the power supply that can overheat and catch on fire. There has been one reported fire incident and one smoke incident, but no injuries so far. If you’ve experienced any related issues with your M70z or M90z PC, the US Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) would like you to contact them at (800)638-2772 or you can visit SaferProducts.gov for more information.

To see if your M70z or M90z model is affected by the recall, check the underside of the unit for a date code. The date codes included in this recall are 1001 to 1012, 1101 to 1112, 001 to 012, and 101 to 112. If you have a problem unit, call Lenovo at (855)248-2194 or visit the company’s recall page.

[via PRNewswire]

Kia reported this problem last week, and the recall is expected to take place en masse starting in March, so says that NHTSA. This vehicle has otherwise had no such similar problems, and you’re encouraged top contact you local dealer now if you’d like to get a fix in the future. Customers affected by the problem will be able to have the problem fixed at their local dealer free of charge when the time comes.

You can also call the NHTSA vehicle safety hotline at 1-888-327-4236 or visit the NHTSA at SaferCar.gov, taking special note of the terrible graphic design they’ve got going on there. Sidenote: why is it that government run websites never look any good? Is it a law that they’re not allowed to hire graphic designers with any salt?

[via CNN]

This recall affects Mini and Mini Cooper vehicles, and those of you that wish to find out more instead of waiting on a call from your friendly BMW dealer should contact BMW directly though their customer relations line here in the USA at 1-800-831-1117 or email customerrelations@bmwusa.com. Those outside the USA should contact the dealers they purchased their vehicles from.

A spokesperson from BMW has noted that there haven’t been any accidents this far as result of reported malfunctions, so don’t fear, but DO NOT think that it’s not possible for you. They haven’t been extremely specific on which models are affected yet, no years or anything like that, so just on a safe side: assume it’s you. If you are affected, BMW will notify you (if you’ve not already contacted them) and your local dealer will replace the water pump free of charge.

[via Detroit News]

The year range for the Escape SUVs under the recall is 2001 to 2002. On these vehicles, the brake fluid can leak from the master cylinder cap and lead to corrosion that could cause a fire. The Freestar and Monterey vans are being recalled due to issues with the torque converter. The output shaft of the torque converter could fail and cause a loss of power.

A loss of power while passing or accelerating into traffic could be disastrous. Apparently, only two minor accidents have happened over the last eight years. There were only minor injuries reported in the incidents.

[via Freep]

It’s time to start digging around in the drawers around your house and find those old units for a free upgrade. The recall was only on the first gen nano, all other versions of the nano are the same. Users have previously reported long delays getting their replacement nanos. New updates are suggesting the hardware is the latest nano model.

It would be hard to replace all first gen units with other first gen units. Apparently, Apple did have some refurbished units lying around. Perhaps the plan was to get the recalled units in and fix them for an exchange supply. Serial numbers on shipping replacements resolve to the newest models.

[via ipodnn]

The vehicles covered in the recall are 2008-2011 8 and 12 cylinder cars in the 5 Series, 5 Series Gran Turismo, 7 Series, X5, and X6 model lines. According to the recall, a circuit board in the engine bay that controls an ancillary electric water pump can overheat and lead to a risk of fire. BMW notes that the overheating can cause the pump to smolder.

There have been 102 reported cases of this issue and according to BMW in two of the incidences, there were engine compartment fires. The recall will replace the water pump causing the fire risk free of charge on all of the vehicles and the recall notices will be going out to owners of all 32,000 affected vehicles.

[via Pikaba]

The TVs covered in the recall were sold as far back as 2007. The reason for the recall is that a faulty component inside the sets poses a risk of fire. The sets in the recall are LCD units and the recall was forced after a September incident where an owner of an affected set had to call the fire department after a small fire happened in his TV.

Bloomberg reports that so far 11 incidents of overheating have been reported in Japan concerning Bravia sets since 2008. There have been no injuries reported. The suspected component is a faulty part of the backlight system that can overheat and melt the top of the set. The same suspect transformer is used in all five of the Bravia models being recalled. No recall has been issued outside of Japan.

Update: Recalled Bravia models include: KDL-40D3400, KLD-40D3500, KDL-40D3550, KDL-40D3660, KDL-40V3000, KDL-40W3000, KDL-40X3000 and KDL-40X3500 models.

[via Bloomberg]