Car recalls: Why they happen and what buyers should know
Why do car recalls happen? Here’s what to know if your car has an open recall.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration issued multiple recalls last week, including notices for over 290,000 BMW vehicles for an interior cargo rail that could detach in a crash.
Are you looking to see if any recalls were issued on your vehicle? If the car isn’t listed below, owners can check USA TODAY’s automotive recall database or search NHTSA’s database for new recalls. The NHTSA website allows you to search for recalls based on your vehicle identification number or VIN.
Here is what to know about the vehicle recalls published by NHTSA from July 21 to July 27.
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Maserati recall for incorrect weight capacity on label
Maserati is recalling 1,092 of its 2022-2024 MC20 and 2023-2024 MC20 Cielo vehicles. In the NHTSA report, the luxury vehicle company said the vehicle capacity weight on the tire label may contain incorrect information. If the car has the incorrect maximum capacity weight value listed, it may be overloaded. This can increase the risk of a crash.
The government agency also said that these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 110, “Tire Selection and Rims.”
Dealers will install the correct labels for free. Notification letters are expected to be delivered by Sept. 4. Owners may contact Maserati customer service at 1-877-969-2737. Maserati’s number for this recall is 730.
Recalled Maserati vehicles:
- 2022-2024 MC20
- 2023-2024 MC20 Ciel
Ford recall for a loss of power steering assist
Ford is recalling 1,902 of its 2023-2024 Transit vehicles that are equipped with a Transit Trail package. The automobile manufacturer said the electronic power assist steering ground eyelet joint may have corrosion. This defect can cause a loss of power steering assist. A loss of power steering assist can increase the risk of a crash, the NHTSA report said.
To fix the issue, dealers will install a new electronic power assist steering ground pigtail kit. This will be a free service. Recall notification letters are expected to be sent on Aug. 5. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford’s number for this recall is 24S46.
Recalled vehicles:
Chrysler recall for vehicle fire risk when parked
Chrysler is recalling 19,516 of its 2017-2021 Pacifica Plug-In Hybrid Electric vehicles that received a software update remedy under NHTSA recall 22V-077. The automobile manufacturer said the battery pack may cause a vehicle fire when parked. The fire can also occur even when the ignition is turned off. A vehicle’s fire can increase the risk of injury, the NHTSA report said.
The automobile manufacturer is advising its drivers not to charge their vehicles and to park away from any structures until the vehicle has been repaired. Dealers will update the high-voltage battery pack control module software and inspect and replace the battery pack assembly if necessary. All repairs will be completed for free. Notification letters are expected to be delivered by Sept. 6. Owners may contact FCA US LLC customer service at 1-800-853-1403. FCA US LLC’s number for this recall is 72B for 2019-2021 models and 73B for 2017-2018 models.
Recalled Chrysler vehicles:
- 2017-2018 Pacifica Plug-In Hybrid Electric (15,910 vehicles)
- 2019-2021 Pacifica Plug-In Hybrid Electric (3,606 vehicles)
BMW recall for interior cargo rail detachment
BMW is recalling 291,112 of its 2018-2023 X3 sDrive30i, X3 xDrive30i, X3 M40i, and X3 M vehicles. In the NHTSA report released on July 17, the luxury vehicle company said the attachment for the interior cargo rail may become damaged in a rear crash, causing the cargo rail to detach. When an interior cargo rail detaches during a crash, it can increase the risk of injury.
BMW dealers will replace the rear cargo rail attachment bolts to fix the issue. This service will be completed for free. Recall notification letters are expected to be delivered by Aug. 30. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.
Recalled BMW vehicles:
- 2018-2023 X3 sDrive30i
- 2018-2023 X3 xDrive30i
- 2018-2023 X3 M40i
- 2018-2023 X3 M
Ahjané Forbes is a reporter on the National Trending Team at USA TODAY. Ahjané covers breaking news, car recalls, crime, health, lottery and public policy stories. Email her at aforbes@gannett.com. Follow her on Instagram, Threads and X (Twitter) @forbesfineest.
