Vehicle Safety Recalls Week: Is Your Car Included?

As Vehicle Safety Recalls Week comes to a close, Top Class Actions is reflecting on the more than 880 recalls concerning safety issues affecting 55 million vehicles reported in 2020 alone. Owners and lessees are encouraged to be aware of any recalls affecting their vehicle to avoid serious safety issues, including spontaneous fires, faulty airbags, and other problems. 

In case you missed them, here are some of the recent vehicle safety recalls issued as well as why researchers say automakers strategically wait to publicly make recall announcements.

Infiniti SUVs Face Another Recall Over Airbags

A third recall has reportedly been issued over replacement airbags, addressing the notorious and deadly Takata airbag defect in Infiniti SUVs. 

More than 300,000 Nissan and Infiniti vehicles were recalled in January of 2020 in order to replace passenger airbag inflators. The airbag inflators, used to replace defective Takata airbags, were meant to be temporary and could explode after long-term exposure to extreme elements, according to Consumer Reports. 

Now the permanent replacement airbag inflators are being rolled out in model year 2006 through 2008 Infiniti FX35 and FX45 SUVs, according to the recently announced recall by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). 

“The air bag cushion was folded incorrectly, which could increase internal pressure and tear the air bag cushion during deployment,” states the recall notice. 

The recall is set to begin on April 18, 2021. Affected owners will be notified to bring their vehicle into a dealership for a free replacement. 

Multiple Recalls on Kia and Hyundai Vehicles Over Fire Risk

Earlier this week, Kia announced a recall of nearly 380,000 late model Kia Sportage SUVs and Cadenza sedans over a potential fire risk. Owners were told to park their Kias away from structures because of problems in the braking system that could spark a spontaneous vehicle fire. 

The recall was only the latest concerning fire risks in vehicles made by Kia and a related company, Hyundai. 

In December of 2020, Kia recalled nearly 300,000 Optima Hybrids, Sportages, Souls, and Fortes over a problem with the Theta II engine that could result in a vehicle fire. At the same time, Hyundai recalled about 130,000 vehicles after more than 3,000 reports of engine fires were made, including 103 injuries and one death. 

Study: AutoMakers Delay Recalls

This year, researchers took a closer look at vehicle safety recalls and concluded that automakers time their recall announcements to mitigate the impact on their stock prices — perhaps at the cost of consumer safety. 

Five U.S. universities worked together to research vehicle safety recalls. They studied the frequency of “clusters” in 3,117 auto recalls over 48 years. 

The study concludes that nearly three-quarters, 73 percent, of vehicle recalls occurred in these clusters. Researchers surmised that clustering recall announcements allowed automakers to “hide in the herd” and avoid hits to their stock prices.  

Consumers can check to see if their vehicle has been recalled on the NHTSA website.

Do you own or lease any of the vehicles in these recalls or others issued in the past 12 months? Tell us about your experience in the comment section below!

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