Recall Wrap-Up: Callbacks Continue to Plague the Auto Industry

We’re so close to bidding 2014 goodbye, and with it the seemingly-endless roll out of automotive recalls and callbacks. After General Motors started off the year in one of the toughest ways imaginable, almost every other auto maker in the world fell in line behind them. Though GM had to call back millions of vehicles, the company has seemingly held together fairly well, and sales have continued to hold strong. Other companies, like Toyota, have also had fairly large recalls that they’ve also been able to successfully absorb.
Along with those big recalls have been a slew of smaller ones, some addressing serious flaws, others relatively harmless. While each and every recalls is serious on some level, there have definitely been some that are much more important than others, and in some cases, lives hang in the balance. This is what made the GM recall such a big news event, while many others simply flew under the radar.
So what other recalls are currently underway? Many people have heard about the bigger ones, but there are many others from companies like Jaguar, Nissan, and Mazda that you may not have caught. Luckily, that’s where we come in. Read on to get a wrap-up of some of the auto recalls you may not have heard about.
Here’s to hoping 2015 sees a lot less of them.

Jaguar
Jaguar owners, if you sport an XJ, XF or XK built during 2013 or 2014, it may be time to head into the dealership. Jaguar is recalling the vehicles due to an issue with the toe links, which can separate from the car’s subframe and lead to problems with the rear-wheel alignment. “In this condition, vehicle stability will be compromised and the degree of directional control minimized, this significantly increases the risk of an accident,” Jaguar told the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. The good news is that the recall only includes around 300 cars registered within the United States.
In another callback, however, around 7,000 cars are being recalled for a wiring issue. F-Type sports cars are affected in this particular matter, in which faulty wiring can possibly lead to airbag and safety feature malfunctions.

Nissan
For Nissan owners, there’s a bit of bad news on the horizon as well. In a rather huge recall, Nissan is calling back 470,000 vehicles for a fuel leak issue that is plaguing the company’s cars and SUVs. As the Associated Press and ABC News reports, “In the U.S., the recall covers about 134,000 vehicles with direct fuel injection engines. That includes Nissan’s Juke SUV from the 2012 through 2014 model years, and the Infiniti M56 and QX56 from 2012 and 2013. Also affected are Infiniti QX70 and QX80 SUVs from 2014 and 2015.” The issue does present the possibility of gas leaks and fires, although none have been reported. A quick trip to a dealership is all that’s needed to get the problematic sensors taken care of.

Mazda
Mazda hasn’t been able to dodge the recall bullet either, but most of the company’s troubles have come as a result of the Takata air bag problem. For those who don’t know, Takata — a company that makes airbags and safety components for vehicles — has come under fire as it was found that the airbags can actually blast drivers and passengers with debris during deployment. Essentially, it’s kind of like a short-range shotgun blast. Well, Mazda has recalled tens of thousands of vehicles already and is evidently expanding on that recall. Vehicles of all different makes are affected by the Takata issue, including Honda, but Mazda is taking initiative now to make sure their customers are protected.

Honda
As previously mentioned, Honda is also experiencing a lot of fallout as a result of the Takata airbag recall. Honda is actually Takata’s biggest customer, and as a result, has had to issue recalls for millions of vehicles. A slew of Honda and Acura vehicles are affected by the recalls so far, including vehicles of all types and sizes. Models built between 2002 and 2013 are also included, further showing just how far-reaching the Takata problem is, and has been, over the years.

Hyundai
Finally, Hyundai is another auto maker that has had its issues this year. The company just recently recalled nearly 43,000 sedans in the United States for a problem with faulty brake lights. While brake lights aren’t quite as dangerous on the surface as faulty airbags or potential gas leaks, it’s not hard to imagine what kind of issues can come about if the issue is not taken care of. Reuters says the problem is relegated to Genesis and Equus sedans built between 2009 and 2011, and a quick circuit replacement should take care of the issue.