The tally rises to 36 MILLION cars recalled due to the Takata Airbag Scandal, when will it end ?

The global Takata airbag recall expanded by millions more vehicles for the second time in as many days today, with Honda Motor Co. and Daihatsu calling back more inflators.

The latest recalls affect some 4.89 million vehicles at Honda and about 260,000 at Daihatsu, the mini vehicle subsidiary of Toyota Motor Corp. The safety campaigns came just a day after Toyota and Nissan Motor Co. announced a similar recall of more than 6.5 million cars globally.

The Honda recall doesn’t affect vehicles in the United States or Canada. Vehicles sold in those markets weren’t equipped with the possibly faulty inflators targeted in the latest action.

Honda’s recall covers 1.72 million vehicles in Japan that were manufactured from 2002 to 2008. Those 17 nameplates were made in Japan, Thailand and the United States. The remainder of the recalls falls in other regions. Honda said it will announce the regional breakdowns locally.

Daihatsu’s recall affects cars only in Japan.

Including the latest actions, about 36 million vehicles have been recalled worldwide since 2008 over Takata inflators, according to Reuters estimates. That includes 19.6 million from Honda alone, some 8.2 million of which are in the United States, Honda spokeswoman Yuka Abe said.

Honda and Daihatsu said they aren’t aware of any injuries or deaths linked to the latest recalls.

Carmakers are calling back more cars after investigations showed that certain inflators were susceptible to moisture damage over time and possibly prone to rupture. Honda said it is acting based on the results of a study provide in March by Takata Corp., the Japanese supplier that has produced millions of airbag inflators that may explode, showering occupants with metal shards.

Mazda Motor Corp. said it was investigating whether the current findings warrant a similar recall of its vehicles. A Mitsubishi Motors Corp. spokesman said the company couldn’t comment on whether it plans a recall before officially notifying transportation authorities. A spokesperson for Subaru-maker Fuji Heavy Industries was not immediately available for comment.

That study, conducted independently by Takata, showed that moisture intrusion can cause the inflator’s propellant to lose density over time, raising the risk of rupture, Honda’s Abe said.

Honda said engineers have yet to determine the root cause of the problem.

Honda is acting in May, even though it received the study’s results in March, because it took time to determine how many cars were affected and where those cars were sold, Abe said.

Honda said it will replace the Takata-made driver-side inflators with inflators made by Autoliv and Daicel. Takata inflators on the passenger-side will be swapped for ones from Daicel and Takata. Abe said Honda opted to source from companies that can supply replacement quickly, and did not opt for Takata’s competitors because of concerns about Takata quality.

Daihatsu is replacing the Takata inflators with new inflators from Takata.

Toyota said Wednesday, while announcing its recall of about 5 million vehicles that it would opt for new inflators from Daicel on the driver-side because it could deliver the needed volume more quickly. Toyota will used Takata replacements for the passenger-side.

Toyota’s recall involved 35 models, including 1.36 million cars in Japan, 1.27 million in Europe, 637,000 in the U.S. and 18,000 in Canada, the company said in an email.

U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration spokesman Gordon Trowbridge said Toyota and Nissan as well as Japanese government officials have been in contact with the U.S. safety agency over the last few days, and NHTSA will soon announce "significant new steps" related to accelerating Takata recalls.

Nissan said it was recalling about 1.56 million cars globally over the same issue, adding that no accidents or injuries had been reported. Nissan's recall includes 563,000 cars in Europe, 326,000 in North America, 288,000 in Japan and 274,000 in China.

In the U.S., the Nissan recall affects 12,725 units of the 2004 Pathfinder and about 251,000 Sentra compact cars from the 2004-06 model years from all 50 U.S. states. The company's latest move expands earlier recalls that were limited to regions with high humidity, a Nissan spokesman said.

Nissan will begin notifying customers in June, the spokesman said.

Six fatalities in Honda cars, including five in the U.S. and one in Malaysia, have been blamed on shrapnel from Takata airbags. At least 105 injuries are connected to the flaw, U.S. Senator Bill Nelson said last month.

Regulators in Japan and the U.S. are investigating Takata airbag inflators that may malfunction, deploying them with so much force that the part breaks and hurls metal shrapnel at the car's occupants.

A group of 10 automakers hired aerospace and defense company Orbital ATK to test potentially faulty Takata airbag inflators. The Japanese component maker has also commissioned German research group Fraunhofer Society to investigate the cause of airbag ruptures.

Takata, which has forecast a return to profit this fiscal year, has said it's unable to estimate the penalties from the lawsuits associated with the airbags and hasn't set aside any amount to cover them as the cause of the defect is still being investigated.

Ryan Beene 

Hans Greimel

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USA recall number tops 60.5 MILLION, yes thats right 60,500,000 and still rising for the year.

U.S. automobile recalls surpassed the 60 million mark for the first time in a single year, largely because of the rush to prevent more deaths from defective General Motors ignition switches and Takata Corp. airbags.

The tally of 60.5 million through today is almost double the previous annual record of 30.8 million recalled vehicles set in 2004, according to an analysis of data on the website of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. The number will rise further as recent recalls that have been announced by automakers are recorded in the database.

“I don’t think we’re going to see a year like this for a long time,” said Neil Steinkamp, a managing director at Stout Risius Ross who studies warranty and recall issues.

Recalls may remain above historical levels for a while, he said. The Takata airbag crisis continues to grow, and following its slow response to GM’s ignition-switch defect, NHTSA has been pressuring automakers to recall cars more quickly when evidence of a flaw is discovered, using subpoena power and the threat of $35 million fines as motivation.

“Automakers do not want to be accused of dragging their feet, so they’re very quick to issue a recall” now, said Michelle Krebs, a senior analyst at Autotrader.com. “We’re going to see lots of recalls because cars have gotten so complex and there’s so much sharing of parts by all automakers.”

The flood of recalls hasn’t deterred buyers this year. Light-vehicle sales in the U.S. rose 5.5 percent to 15 million vehicles through November, according to the Automotive News Data Center, and are heading for their biggest total since 2006.

GM, Honda 

GM alone has recalled almost 27 million cars and trucks in the U.S. this year, a record for any single automaker. The company has issued 10 safety actions of more than 1 million vehicles each, according to the NHTSA database. Defective GM ignition switches in small cars have been linked to at least 42 deaths and 58 injuries.

Honda Motor Co., the third-largest Japanese automaker, has recalled 5.4 million vehicles to replace Takata airbags. Exploding Takata airbags have been tied to at least four fatalities in the U.S. and more than 100 injuries caused by shrapnel.

Other recalls of more than 1 million vehicles this year included those related to steering, cruise control, engines and seat belts, according to the NHTSA data, which is compiled from automaker filings to the agency. NHTSA plans to release its official recall numbers for 2014 next year.

The Takata airbag flaw investigation led to the recall of more than 8 million vehicles. Unstable propellant in airbag inflators can cause the devices to explode with too much force and spread shrapnel through the car in a crash. Takata on Nov. 6 widened an annual loss forecast and said it can’t estimate the full financial liability of the defect.

Fiat Chrysler 

Fiat Chrysler Automobiles NV said Dec. 19 that it would accede to a NHTSA request and expand an existing airbag recall from hot, humid areas of the U.S., where most failures have occurred, to the entire nation. That will add 2.89 million vehicles to the recall total for the U.S. when reflected in the government database.

GM has said its ignition-switch recalls have cost about $2.7 billion through the first three quarters of this year. GM has said the switches, which it knew were defective for more than a decade, can shut off when bumped, disabling the vehicle air bag and increasing the risk of death or injury in a crash.

With the focus on more and quicker recalls, 2014 will probably signify a period of elevated safety fixes, Steinkamp said. The average number of recalled vehicles per year from the 2004 through last year was 16.1 million, according to NHTSA data.

“It’s a landmark year; it’s the start of a new era,” he said.

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USA - After GM, now it is Toyota (AGAIN) Pontiac, and Honda that issues recalls, will it ever end ?

On top of a new batch of GM recalls announced today, Toyota and Honda have issued recalls of their own. Toyota is recalling certain 2002-2004 Toyota Sequoia and Lexus SC models as well as 2003-2004 Toyota Corolla, Toyota Corolla Matrix, Toyota Tundra, and Pontiac Vibe vehicles. 

In almost 844,000 of these cars, the airbag inflator may rupture when the airbag deploys in a crash, releasing metal fragments that can strike passengers. The recall applies to the original airbags installed in the vehicle as well as any replacement airbags that may have been put in. 

Toyota will notify owners of recalled vehicles to come in for repairs, but so far it has not yet scheduled a date for the recall to begin. A smaller recall involves around 1,000 Honda Fit subcompacts for a driveshaft failure. In these cars, the driveshaft may break because of a heat treatment manufacturing error in the factory. This problem may cause the vehicle to lose power and coast to a stop if already in motion. But if the vehicle is parked without the parking brake activated, the vehicle could move unexpectedly. 

Only 2013 model year Fits equipped with manual transmissions are affected by this recall. The recall is expected to start June 15. All repairs for the Honda and Toyota recalls will be conducted free of charge. Consumers can contact Toyota customer service at (800) 331-4331 while Honda owners can call the automaker at (800) 999-1009. Pontiac Vibe owners can call GM at (800) 521-7300. For more information on all vehicle recalls in the U.S., visit www.safercar.gov

And yet MORE recalls from the General, Saab, Buick and Chevy, when will it all end ?

General Motors will recall all current generation Chevrolet Camaros because a driver’s knee can bump the key FOB and cause the key to inadvertently move out of the “run” position, with a corresponding reduction or loss of power. 

The issue, which may primarily affect drivers sitting close to the steering column, was discovered by GM during internal testing following the ignition switch recall earlier this year.

“Discovering and acting on this issue quickly is an example of the new norm for product safety at GM,” said Jeff Boyer, vice president of GM Global Safety. 

The Camaro ignition system meets all GM engineering specifications and is unrelated to the ignition system used in Chevrolet Cobalts and other small cars included in the ignition switch recall.

GM is aware of three crashes that resulted in four minor injuries that it believes may be attributed to this condition.

The company will change the Camaro key to a standard design from one in which the key is concealed in the FOB and is opened by pushing a button. The change will make the ignition key and FOB independent of each other, so that inadvertent contact with the FOB won’t move the key from the “run” position.  There are 464,712 Camaros from the 2010-2014 model years in the U.S. included in the recall. Including Canada, Mexico and exports, the total recall population is 511,528.

Separately, GM also announced two safety recalls and one non-compliance recall involving a total of 65,121 cars in the U.S. all three of which were reported to the NHTSA on Wednesday, June 11, 2014. Including Canada, Mexico and exports, the total recall population is 69,839.

In all cases, customers will receive letters from GM letting them know when they can bring their vehicles into a dealership, where the recall repairs will be performed free of charge and courtesy transportation would be provided as needed.

The recalls:

28,789 Saab 9-3 convertibles from the 2004-2011 model years for an automatic tensioning system cable in the driver’s side front seat belt retractor that could break. If the cable were to break, seat belt webbing spooled out by the driver would not retract. The convertibles and sedans were investigated at the same time, but the convertible parts were not identical to the sedan parts. GM has since learned of customer complaints to the NHTSA for the convertibles. Dealers will replace the driver’s side retractor in the recalled vehicles. In addition, GM has issued a special coverage, so that if the same repair is required to the passenger side retractor it will be covered for the life of the vehicle. GM also extended the special coverage for passenger side belt retractors on the 2004 Saab 9-3 sedan from the original 10-year coverage to the life of the vehicle, like the convertibles. GM is unaware of any crashes, injuries or fatalities due to this condition.

21,567 Chevrolet Sonic 2012 model year compacts equipped with a six-speed automatic transmission and a 1.8-liter four-cylinder engine for a condition in which the transmission turbine shaft may fracture as a result of a supplier quality issue. If this were to occur in first or second gear, the vehicle could not upshift into third through sixth gears. If the turbine shift fractured while in one of the higher gears, the vehicle would coast until it was moving slow enough to downshift into first or second gear. In both instances, a malfunction indicator lamp may illuminate. If driven in this condition for a long period of time, all forward gears may become inoperable. The engine would continue to run and all power accessories would function. Dealers will replace the transmission turbine shaft. GM is unaware of any crashes, injuries or fatalities related to this condition.

14,765 model year 2014 Buick LaCrosse sedans because a wiring splice in the driver’s door may corrode and break. That may communicate incorrect information to circuits that control the door chime and allow passenger windows, rear windows and the sunroof to function when the vehicle is turned off and the driver is not in the vehicle.  In addition, a chime will not sound when the driver’s door is opened if the key is in the ignition.

Dealers will inspect the driver door window motor harness and, if necessary, replace an electrical splice. GM is unaware of any thefts, crashes, injuries or fatalities related to this condition.

USA - Now it is Ford's turn to recall some cars, 1.39 million in fact **SHAKESHEAD**

Ford Motor Co. said today it is recalling nearly 1.39 million SUVs and sedans in North America, most for the possible loss of power steering.

Ford said it will recall 195,527 Explorer SUVs in North America from the 2011 to 2013 model years and 915,216 Ford Escape and Mercury Mariner SUVs from model years 2008 to 2011 on power steering issues.

Also, Ford said it will recall nearly 200,000 Taurus sedans in North America from the 2010 to 2014 model years on a corrosion issue.

Finally, the company also said it is recalling 82,576 sedans with floor mats that may interfere with the operation of accelerator pedals. The floor mats were put in 2006 to 2011 model year Ford Fusion and Mercury Milan and Lincoln Zephyr and MKZ sedans.

The loss of power steering can increase the risk of a crash when vehicles are traveling at lower rates of speed.

U.S. regulators have received consumer reports of six injuries and five crashes related to the Escape and Mariner models, Ford said.

As of mid-April, Ford said it was aware of 15 accidents including two minor injuries believed to be related to the loss of power steering in Explorer SUVs. The accidents all involved vehicles moving at lower speeds, Ford said.

Ford adds to the almost 23 million cars recalled in the U.S. this year, exceeding last year’s total and approaching the 31 million high-mark set in 2004. General Motors Co. accounts for more than half the recalls this year, about 14 million, mostly because of an ignition-switch defect linked to 13 deaths.

Analyst Karl Brauer of Kelley Blue Book said Ford's spate of recalls on may be "driven by the heightened sense of concern all automakers are feeling right now, though we'll likely never know for sure."

Brauer added that there have been so many recalls since February when GM issued its first ignition-switch recall that the actions have become "sort of background white noise for consumers."

About 1.186 million of the vehicles Ford said it is recalling are in the United States. That figure is only 2,200 shy of the total number of vehicles that Ford recalled in the United States during all of last year.

Ford did not say how much the recall campaigns are expected to cost the automaker. For the Mercury Mariner and Ford Escape recalls, dealers are to be notified today and letters to all affected U.S. owners will be sent by July 25, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said.

The corrosion issue in the Taurus stems from cold-weather U.S. states and Canadian provinces where road salt is used. Corrosion can affect license plate lamps which in turn may cause a short circuit that could start a fire, Ford said. A Ford spokeswoman said the company is aware of 18 consumer reports of fires believed to be associated with this condition.

There may be additional vehicles included in the recall campaigns outside of North America, Ford said.

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USA - 79 lawsuits filed for a total of $10 Billion against GM in Ignition switch recall.

Consumers have filed 79 lawsuits for a total of $10 billion for the lost value of their old GM cars due to the ignition switch recalls. According to a report from The Detroit News, in a U.S. Bankruptcy Court filing, GM has said it has been sued in an additional 20 ignition switch class-action lawsuits since April 30. Many of the lawsuits claim GM failed to properly warn owners that their cars were unsafe. 

Some of the lawsuits suggest the "old GM" knowingly withheld that information, and that the "new GM," which bought and operated the old GM, should be liable as it is a post-bankruptcy successor.

The GM ignition recalls involve Chevrolet Cobalts, Saturn Ions, and other models produced before the automaker's 2009 bankruptcy. GM has asked a judge to rule that it isn't liable for claims prior to its 2009 bankruptcy filing. Meanwhile, a panel of judges is likely to decide next week which courts should handle the lawsuits, and if they should be combined into one. 

This week U.S. Senators Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., and Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., introduced a bipartisan bill requiring federal judges to consider public health and safety before allowing court records to be sealed per a party's request. GM had previously sealed cases tied to the ignition switches which prevented the public from knowing the dangers tied to the faulty vehicles.

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USA - And the recalls keep coming, Lexus, Toyota and Suzuki.

With General Motors recalling nearly every car it has built in the last decade, or so it seems, it's easy to miss what other recalls are currently going on. Toyota announced a recall on both the 2013 Lexus GS 350 and the 2004-2011 Toyota Sienna, while Suzuki is recalling select 2004-2008 Forenza and 2005-2008 Reno models. 

Over 10,500 Lexus GS 350 models are affected by a recall for a potentially faulty brake pedal load sensing switch. This system, which allows the brake system to detect brake pedal force application, may activate without driver input and activate the rear brake lights, resulting in unexpected moderate deceleration and an increased risk of an accident. The Toyota Sienna, however, has been recalled for a spare tire carrier that may erode prematurely. 

Sienna models feature a foam water splash protector in front of the spare tyre carrier, and because of its varied placement, water splashed rearward with road salt can reach the carrier and corrode the carrier assembly cable. The cable may break, causing the spare tyre to detach from the vehicle. For the Suzuki Forenza and Reno, heat from within the headlamp switch or DRL module may become excessive and melt the parts. 

Located on the left side of the steering column, these parts could melt, which would greatly increase the risk of fire. Both Toyota Motor Corp. and Suzuki Motor of America, Inc. will notify owners about the above recalls.

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