List of manufacturer recalls for November 2016

With the Takata airbag fever starting to subside, the number of recalls has decreased slightly. There hasn’t been a ton of recalls in the past month, but here is the list of the ones that did happen in November 2016.

Toyota has been dealing with a lawsuit filed against them by the owners of trucks that were prone to severe rusting. Now they have come to a settlement. Toyota has agreed to settle for US $3.4 billion that will be spent on inspecting and rectifying the complaint. The vehicles involved include 1.5 million 2005-2010 Toyota Tacomas, 2005-2008 Sequoias, and 2007-2008 Tundras. The owners of the affected examples will be intimated via mail, publications and internet, but only in North America it seems. In the past, Toyota has dealt with rust in pickups. About 800,000 1995-2000 Tacomas were recalled to repair their rusty frames. Toyota also extended their rust perforation warranty. Later, 2001-2003 model Tundras were recalled for rust issues as well.

And now, recall news from Fiat-Chrysler Automobiles. The vehicles involved in the latest recall include 34,633 2016 Dodge Durangos and Jeep Grand Cherokees which are recalled for faulty fuel rails. 54,255 2016 Dodge Darts are also recalled for rectifying a niggle with the windshield wiper system. The number of vehicles adds up to 88,888 cars. The fault in the fuel rail can cause the rails to come into contact with the fasteners in the intake manifold. This can lead to a fuel leak and possibly a fire hazard. In the Dart’s case, the windshield washer pump may short-circuit. This can disable the wipers. FCA will rectify the problem for free if affected. Notifications will be sent to the owners soon.

It hasn’t been that long since Bentley introduced their luxury SUV, the Bentayga. Now, 88 examples of the Bentayga are being recalled for loose screws, with 378 of them under the radar. Plainly speaking, there are a few improperly-tightened screws in these Bentaygas that can work themselves free over time. A few screws that held the seat and instrument panels were found to be tightened improperly as caught by a routine check. Bentley will notify the owners of the cars and then they can take it to the nearest Bentley service centre where adjustments will be made.

Mazda has recalled 70,000 RX-8 sports cars from the model years 2004-2008 for clearing an issue with the fuel pump sealing rings in these cars. The sealing rings may leak over time and can lead to a fire. No injuries are reported yet. Mazda will notify customers soon, but the only RX-8s in the GCC are a few grey-import ones, so they’re out of luck.

About 71,700 Kia Sportage SUVs from the model years 2008-2009 are also recalled in North America to prevent a problem from causing short-circuits in the car. These short circuits are known to be quite damaging, as 9 customers have already complained about engine fires. Kia themselves have admitted that there is a clear risk of engine fire. Improper sealing of the wire harness cover can cause corrosion to the wire-harness connector pins in the hydraulic electronic unit assembly. The salt water from road salt gets into the circuit and shorts it, posing a fire hazard. The recall is scheduled to begin on 28 November 2016, free of cost. Customers who already had to pay to get this problem fixed can qualify for a refund under Kia’s reimbursement plan. The recall is unlikely to be conducted in the GCC.

If your vehicle is found to be affected, get in touch with your dealer.