Automobile Safety Recalls Keep Coming, Even During Pandemic

With so much happening in the world in 2020, many mundane developments are understandably passing under the radar for many people. To be sure, a global pandemic and impassioned protests against systemic racism demand and deserve our attention.  In the meantime, though, important day-to-day safety issues continue to pop up, just as they did before.

In the last 30 days, at least four automakers have issued recalls involving safety issues:

• In May, Ford issued three recalls involving 2014-17 Transit Connect vans (panoramic roof issue), 2019-20 Mustangs and Expeditions (faulty “transmission not in park” warning) , and 2020 Expeditions and Lincoln Navigators (pre-collision assist features);
• Honda is recalling 1.4 million vehicles worldwide for defective fuel pumps;
• A hood latch issue, in which the hood may open while driving, is prompting Nissan to recall 1.8 million older Altima models; and
• The Chevrolet Silverado medium-duty truck is being recalled for a non-working ABS warning light.

This list is not exhaustive.  Many recalls do not receive much publicity, even in quiet news cycles.  To see of there are any recalls on your vehicle, check https://www.nhtsa.gov/recalls.

Automobile manufacturers should do the right thing when it comes to safety and consumer protection.  While not every recall deals with a major life-threatening defect, problems like the Toyota sudden acceleration issue and GM’s ignition switch failure do pose a grave risk to the public and were compounded by cover ups or failure to appreciate the extent of the problems.