Manufacturer recalls for October 2018

With a couple of recalls accounting up to more than a million vehicles each, the month of October did have some impact on the car industry.

An unknown number of 2017 and 2018 Jeep Wranglers are being recalled as the Track Bar Mount on these vehicles are found to shear off the frame. Most of these vehicles are still at the dealer stockyards. The repair procedure for rectifying this issue is not officially announced yet. A Wrangler owner from California posted a video on YouTube showing his Wrangler from the back, of which the Track Bar mounts have completely sheared off the frame. He says in the video that his vehicle is going to be replaced by Jeep. There is no official confirmation on this though.

Toyota announces that they will be recalling 2.43 million hybrid vehicles which are prone to an issue that may prevent the vehicle from entering a “failsafe” driving mode, lose power and stall. The software of these vehicles will be updated as a fix.

Ford’s supercar, the Ford GT is also running back to the factory due to fire risks. Some valves at the base of the hydraulically actuated rear wing can leak fluid into the exhaust, causing a fire outbreak. A fire has already been reported in Germany with no injuries. 194 examples of 2017-2018 Ford GTs built from December 20, 2016, and July 31, 2018 are being recalled. The repair procedure may range from just a software update to reduce the pressure going to the faulty valves to the fitment of hydraulic check valve and filter, as well as new O-rings.

Another fire risk is in the news. About 1.6 million BMW diesel vehicles made from 2010 to 2017 are being recalled. Coolant from the exhaust gas re-circulation module can leak and combine with soot to form a fire in these vehicles. Some fires were already reported in South Korea where, luckily, no one was injured.

About 1.5 million Ford Focus models are found to be prone to engine stalls due to a faulty valve. The recall affects Ford Focus cars made from 2012 through 2018  with 2.0-liter GDI and 2.0-liter GTDI engine. The cause is the problem is the detective canister purge valve. This valve can become stuck open creating excessive vacuum inside the fuel tank. This can easily deform the plastic fuel tank of the Focus which can lead to a stall while driving. Ford will notify the owners until the vehicles are recalled. Till then, they advise the owners of these vehicles to keep half a tank of fuel inside their cars at all times.

The BMW M3 and M4 twins are known for their metal twisting torque. But now, the mechanicals of the M3 and M4 seem to have taken a literal stance on this. Almost 3,000 of these cars, including the rare M4 GTS Coupe, are being recalled as the driveshaft flange is reportedly too weak to handle the torque. The driveshaft and the flange can break when it happens which can lead to a loss in propulsion. The driveshaft of these cars will be replaced free of cost.

Nissan issued a local recall for the 2013-2018 Nissan Patrol Y61 Safari as well as the 2013 X-Trail to replace the passenger-side airbag module.

That’s it for this month. Stay tuned to this section for more safety-related news.