The NHTSA announced orders made in consent with Hyundai and Kia to pay a recent penalty. The Kia and Hyundai NHTSA fines correspond with more than 1.6 million recalls of affected vehicles that are equipped with the Theta II engine.

Kia & Hyundai NHTSA Fines

This NHTSA settlement comes after many years of investigation into issues with the Theta II four-cylinder engine. The engine comes with several models, including 2011-2014:

• Sonata
• Santa Fe
• Sportage
• Optima
• Sorento

So, what’s the issue with this engine? The NHTSA contends that Kia and Hyundai acted too slowly when attempting to resolve an engine recall.

Hyundai/Kia Engine Recall

Initially, Hyundai had to recall nearly 500,000 vehicles back in 2015 because manufacturing debris in the engine was restricting airflow. This defect causes excessive wear on the engine bearings and could lead to a stall or car fire. At first, Hyundai limited the recall to engines made before April 2012, stating that the problem has been corrected after that time.

However, Kia chose not to issue a recall. The automaker stated its version of the engine had been produced at a different manufacturing plant. Yet, 18 months later, both companies had to issue an additional recall that covered 1.2 million more vehicles.

In 2016, Kim Gwang-ho, a South Korean whistleblower, came to the United States and offered testimony that directly contradicted what Hyundai claimed. Because of this testimony, the NHTSA was able to determine that the brands didn’t issue recalls soon enough and not enough information was adequately reported.

Hyundai & Kia Fines

Hyundai must pay $54 million in penalty fines, while also investing $40 million into enhanced safety technology. This money will also go towards a new United States-based safety/testing facility.

The NHTSA agreed to defer $46 million in additional penalties, as long as the company meets the rest of the agreement.

Kia must pay $27 million in penalty fines while making an investment of $16 million toward more improvements. Again, the NHTSA agreed to defer $27 million in additional penalties, as long as the company meets the rest of the agreement.

Of course, NHTSA suits are nothing new as the agency is always looking to defend the consumer. Additionally, this won’t be the end of Hyundai recalls, but it might change how the company handles issues.

What is a frunk, you might ask? It is the trunk space that is located at the front of the car. It is seen with many electric cars, but also mid-engine sports cars. However, the 2020 Chevrolet Corvette is facing some trouble with this small space. It turns out that there is a new Corvette recall related to the frunk.

2020 Chevrolet Corvette Recall

The 2020 Corvette has just been recalled because of a malfunction occurring with the emergency hood release. Because the Corvette is a mid-engine vehicle, there is a front trunk space. This area is large enough to fit a small adult or child, not that it’s recommended. To counteract any potential problems, the car comes with a glow-in-the-dark emergency release button, which is also a requirement by law.

The Chevy sports car feature goes into a sleep mode after ten minutes. When this happens, the button can’t be woken up, making it completely inoperable. So, what causes this to occur. It turns out the malfunction comes from the Body Control Module software, thereby requiring an update.

Thankfully, this recall can be fixed with an over-the-air update because the Corvette has a sophisticated electrical architecture. If customers prefer, they can still drive to the dealership to have it repaired.

While we don’t know yet how many cars are affected, it is known that Chevy sold about 6,000 Corvettes in the first half of 2020. However, many of those still had the front-engine design, so this wouldn’t be an issue.

Does the Corvette Still Impress?

It’s likely that this recall won’t change the way enthusiasts look at the new Corvette. Whether it is for the performance or the advanced Driver Mode Selector, people will still want to own this Chevy sports car. Still, we would love to hear your thoughts about the “frunk” recall. Let us know how this affects your view of the Corvette.

Today’s automotive technology continues to add benefits, but also comes with some consequences. For example, Hyundai’s remote smart parking assistant, which was featured in a Super Bowl commercial starring John Krasinski, Rachel Dratch and Chris Evans, was just recalled. The automaker’s testing showed that the system could allow the vehicle to move after there has been a system malfunction.

Let’s look at what this Hyundai recall means for owners in the United States.

Why Was Remote Smart Parking Assistant Recalled?

The system, which was formerly known as Remote Parking Assistant is available on newer Nexo and Sonata models. This feature is designed to use sensors to pull an unoccupied Hyundai vehicle into a parking space when the driver holds a button on the key fob.

The feature stops the vehicle if the button is released by the driver/owner. It will also stop if an obstacle is seen by the sensors. The system can also go into a “fail-safe” mode if a malfunction is present. 

However, it’s possible for the Remote Parking feature to malfunction and not stop as expected. The manufacturer saw the issue when testing was done. Hyundai also received a report from a person living in South Korea. There are no reported accidents or malfunctions related to the U.S glitch yet.

What’s the Solution?

Starting in June, Hyundai will start replacing the systems in the 11,870 vehicles under recall with newly developed software. If your vehicle is under recall, schedule an appointment with your local Hyundai dealer to have the software replaced. It’s also smart to check for vehicle recalls through the NHTSA website.

Are you ready for a new Hyundai vehicle? You want one that runs on the new software or doesn’t come with this system at all. Maybe it’s time to consider purchasing a new 2021 Hyundai Elantra. 

Over the years, we have dealt with massive airbag recalls, which helped to bring the Takata name to the forefront. Just when the previous recall news started to wear off, another automotive blow was released. This time the defects reside in the cabins of Toyota and Honda vehicles. These two automakers are recalling 6 million vehicles worldwide because of airbag malfunctions.

Honda & Toyota Airbag Recalls

Toyota stated that the recall includes model years 2011-2019 Avalon, Corolla, Avalon Hybrid and Matrix. This issue also stops the seatbelt pretensioners from operating correctly.

Honda, on the other hand, said that 2.7 million of their vehicles have defective inflators that can cause the airbags to pop during a crash. 2.4 million of these reside in the USA. Another 300,000 drive the streets in Canada. This recall affects Acura and Honda cars from 1996-2003. There were so many models that we could not list them all. Check your VIN if you think your vehicle was recalled.

The defective inflators come from Takata. If you don’t know who Takata is by now, you haven’t been paying attention. This Japanese manufacturer has produced a lot of defective airbags recently.

Honda and Toyota have agreed to notify owners of the affected vehicles by mail. They will gladly fix the issue at no charge.

What to Do Next

If you own one of the vehicles listed above and have received a recall from the automaker, then you should call your local Honda or Toyota dealer as soon as possible. You don’t want to be a victim of a rupturing airbag inflator during a crash.

As airbags continue to become more sophisticated, it shall be interesting to see if the quality gets better. After all, who is going to want baseball airbag mitts that malfunction?

Leave a comment below if you have a vehicle that is recalled. Tell us how about your experience with the dealer.

Nissan recalled 450,00 cars worldwide because of an apparent fire risk. The Japanese carmaker already has enough problems to deal with besides this one. In fact, Nissan has been struggling to handle the fierce competition from other companies. This massive Nissan recall will harm the brand further because their cars were believed to be reliable.

What Caused the Massive Nissan Recall?

The Nissan vehicle recall states that some of the latest models of SUVs and cars might catch fire unexpectedly. If your vehicle’s antilock brake light stays on for more than a few seconds, Nissan recommends parking it outside to minimize the risk.

According to the NHTSA (Nation Highway Traffic Safety Administration), in sporadic cases, the actuator pump for the antilock brakes leaks fluid. This causes a short on the circuit board and may create a fire.

There have been no injuries or accidents reported for this recall. Sadly though, Nissan recalled vehicles for this problem before.

The first recall for Nissan appeared in 2016 when a Maxima sedan caught fire. Then, Nissan had to take back 120,000 cars and fix the actuator pumps if they were leaking. The automaker repaired an additional 215,000 vehicles in 2018 and has now recalled a total of 450,000 worldwide.

At first, the company started replacing the pumps that were necessary. However, Nissan has now decided to fix every vehicle. Due to a shortage of parts, they are going to replace the ones that pose the most risk first. Others will have to wait until next summer when more actuators arrive.

Affected Nissan Vehicles

The recall affects the following models:

• 2017-2019 Infinity QX90s
• 2015-2018 Nissan Muranos
• 2004-2019 Nissan Pathfinders
• 2016-2018 Nissan Maximas

If you own one of these, you should have the pump replaced as soon as possible.

If you are still a fan of Nissan, you might be interested in seeing the 2021 Nissan Ariya.

Even though the 2019 Subaru Legacy & Outback are both listed as an IIHS 2019 Top Safety Pick+, they are both involved in a new recall. Still, just because there’s a Legacy or Outback recall doesn’t automatically mean there’s a significant safety issue. Let’s take a closer look to gain more insight.

Legacy & Outback Recall

The recall affects specific models of the 2019 Subaru Legacy and 2019 Subaru Outback. What’s most alarming about this particular recall is that the automaker is willing to buy back the vehicles. That doesn’t happen often.

It turns out, some welds found under some ducting located beneath the cowl panel aren’t correct. The automaker says it could lead to “long-term reduction in body strength.” Hmmm – not sounding good so far.

Understanding that this impacts people during a crash, it’s interesting to see the safety designation from the IIHS. For the benefit of the doubt, let’s assume this only applies to a few vehicles. Let’s go deeper.

Turns out, the spot-welder tip used at a supplier’s factory didn’t receive proper cleaning and reshaping. This led to a weak weld. The notice calls out potentially just 142 Legacy models and 1,965 Outback cars that might experience trouble. That’s not that many when you take it all into consideration. In fact, many of these still sit on lots. Subaru estimates that 20 or less might be on the road.

Graciously, Subaru plans to provide affected owners with a new car replacement – hopefully, one that has strong welds. So, if you just bought a new car, you get another new car.

Recall Issues

In all fairness, Subaru is one of the automakers that has the least amount of recalls. Plus, the promptness and generosity is above and beyond. While we wish every car company responded this way, it merely doesn’t typically happen. If you have a new Subaru, make sure you check for a recall.

You pull into a slightly slanted parking spot. You throw it in park and get out. When you start to walk away, you hear a big piece of machinery rolling behind you. Turns out that machinery is your car! Usually, this would be the driver’s fault. Depending on what you drive, a 2013 – 2016 Ford Fusion Recall might be to blame.

Let’s take a closer look at what’s going on and what you need to do about it.

2013 – 2016 Ford Fusion Recall

270,000 Ford Fusions are now recalled due to a shifter cable issue. This could cause the car to be in drive when it says it’s in park or vise versa.

The scenario above is the biggest concern, but Ford is still working on how to solve this issue. Once they figure it out, your local dealer or Ford plan to contact you directly.

In the meantime, Ford urges everyone to use their parking brake whenever parked. This issue involves Ford Fusions between 2013 – 2016 with the 2.5L engine.

This recall will affect owners from the USA, but other countries that will be affected are Canada and Mexico. If you have a Ford Fusion that meets these specs, you must assume the recall applies to you.

Goodbye Fusion

Ford Fusions along with all “regular cars” will be discontinued after this year. However, Ford will continue to service these cars for the years to come.

This may be a pain for the company, but this is the responsibility the automakers must take on, especially when dealing with a recall.

There are some reports of accidents due to the Fusion recall. The longer these are on the road, that number will continue to rise.

So act like your car is a manual and throw that parking brake up. Or, you could save a half a second of your time and risk it. Just kidding…don’t do that.

The company has seen its share of recalls lately. Other recent Ford recalls included that massive pickup recall we told you about. Stay safe out there!