A host of recent recalls are affecting hundreds of thousands of automobiles in the United States. By far the largest safety campaign is actually an extension of a previous effort by Honda to deal with an airbag deployment problem on several of its passenger cars and SUVs. The issue is related to an 'airbag inflator' for the driver's side forward airbag, which has displayed a propensity to expand too aggressively during an accident and potentially cause an injury instead of prevent one. The recall specifically affects the 2001-2003 Honda Civic, the 2001-2002 Honda Accord, the 2002-2003 Honda CR-V, the 2003 Honda Pilot and two Acura models - the 2002-2003 Acura TL and the 2003 Acura CL. In total, another 273,000 vehicles have been added to the original airbag recall.
Subaru Impreza Brake IssuesSeveral brand new automobiles from different automakers are being called back to the factory to deal with brake-related issues. The 2012 Subaru Impreza, a completely redesigned edition of the brand's entry-level compact car has only been on sale for a few short weeks but a recall has been issued due to excessive brake pedal travel. Examples of the 2012 Subaru Legacy and the 2012 Subaru Outback - built during the same period as the affected Impreza models - are also included in the recall, which will replace the vehicle's master cylinder in order to improve braking feel.
Dodge Journey and Fiat 500Separately, Dodge is recalling a very small number of 2012 Dodge Journey crossovers and Fiat is calling back an equally short list of 2012 Fiat 500 models, each of which were built over a specific two-day period in October. The braking systems in these vehicles (340 in total) were exposed to contaminated brake fluid and must have all of their fluid-containing hardware replaced as a result. The two vehicles are assembled at the same plant.
Cadillac CTS BrakesCadillac is calling back 624 2012 Cadillac CTS models for a serious problem involving braking components that could give way over time, leading to a loss of stopping ability in the sedan. The parts in question are those that are retained by a retention nut found on the vacuum brake boost system that was not tightened properly at the factory.
Mid-Size Issues: Chevy Colorado and GMC CanyonA larger recall affecting the 2012 Chevrolet Colorado and 2012 GMC Canyon mid-size trucks is tied to a seat belt buckle problem that does not adequately warn drivers when the safety device is improperly latched. 5,220 pickups must have the electric connector terminals attached to the belt buckle replaced in order to fix a problem that is preventing the truck's safety system from determining whether the safety belt is actually attached or not.
Nissan and Infiniti SPorts Coupe WindowsNissan and Infiniti sports coupe owners are facing a seemingly innocuous safety campaign, with 1,788 vehicles implicated. Certain Nissan 370Z and Infiniti G37 automobiles were sold with an automatic window anti-pinch feature that doesn't stop the glass from reversing its upward motion in time to prevent injury. Nissan will be replacing the window switches in order to take care of the problem.
Lotus SignalsThis week's recall roundup wraps up with a very low-volume safety issue on the part of Lotus. Lotus has recalled 52 examples of its low-volume 2011 Lotus Elise sports car in order to replace a turn signal module that does not properly activate the vehicle's LED signals when the hazard switch is used. The British automaker states that there is no warning to drivers that their hazard lights are flashing erratically in the vehicles involved.
