It’s only January and already some of the largest automakers are involved in auto recalls over safety issues. Obviously it’s good when recalls are announced in the sense that auto defects have been identified and they will be remedied, replaced, or repaired. That said, it is never a positive when a vehicle enters the market with problems that could cause injury or death.
Right now, General Motors is recalling 303,000 GMC Sierra and Silverado pickup trucks (2014 models) in the United States so the software to prevent engine compartment fires can be reprogrammed. Trucks with 5.3-liter and 4.3 liter engines are affected—the trucks with 6.2-liter engines are not part of the recall. An additional 67,000 models sold in Mexico and Canada were involved.
The automaker said the software problem might lead to the components in the exhaust system overheating, which could start a fire. Already, GM knows of at least eight car fires that started this way. The incidents occurred in very cold weather. No injuries were reported.
GM is offering a repair at local dealers. Until the fix is made, car manufacturer says to avoid leaving the truck unattended while it is idle.
Ford is also recalling vehicles. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said that 27,933 Ford Edge crossovers (2012, 2013 models) are included in this action. Due to faulty manufacturing, a damper in the fuel line may crack, causing a car fire. The cars involved have the 2.0-liter turbocharged EcoBoost engines.
There have been no injuries or accidents related to this safety issue reported so far. Dealers will install a new fuel line for free.
Meantime, Honda Motor Company is recalling 7,387 Acura RLX vehicles (2014 model) because of a possible steering issue that could up the chance of a car crash. The automaker is worried that bolts on the rear lower control arms to the vehicle’s sub-frame may have come loose while the cars were transported to dealerships. If this happened, the steering ability of the car may have become impaired, increasing the chance of a car crash happening. Dealers will replace the suspect part for owners and drivers.
In other recall news, regulators say that Chrysler Group LLC can proceed with its recall of close to 1.6 million Jeep Liberty and Jeep Grand Cherokee vehicles to install a trailer hitch to serve as additional gas tank protection. NHTSA is aware of over 50 car fire fatalities involving Chrysler Jeeps involved in rear-end crashes. The automaker initially refused to recall 2.7 million autos, which is what the government originally asked for. A deal was reached that involved less Jeeps.
At The Gilbert Law Group®, our auto products liability lawyers continue to represent the victims of car crashes in pursuing their personal injury and wrongful death compensation from negligent car manufacturers, dealers, sellers, and distributors. Over the years, we’ve handled auto defects cases involving SUV rollovers, airbag defects, seat belt failure, faulty car seats, roof crush, seatback collapse, 15-passenger van accidents, car fires, window defects, trunk entrapment, sudden unintended acceleration, tire blowouts, conversion van defects, lift-gate failures, school bus accidents, and other related auto safety problems.
