Car Recall Center
What is a recall?
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) oversees safety recalls of motor vehicles as well as tires, child safety seats, and other items of motor vehicle equipment. When one of these products experiences a safety-related defect or is not compliant with a Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS), NHTSA is charged with ensuring public safety.
Although almost all recalls are undertaken voluntarily by manufacturers, they may be strongly encouraged by NHTSA as part of an ongoing safety defect investigation, or advocated for by individuals or consumer groups who can petition NHTSA to open an investigation into a particular defect. Rarely, NHTSA will order an automaker or other supplier to conduct a recall. For a weekly update of the newest recalls, follow our #RecallRoundup via Twitter or Facebook.
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Latest Auto Recall News
Takata Seat Belt Buckle
On May 23, 1995, during “Buckle Up America Week”, DOT Secretary Federico Pena and NHTSA Administrator Dr. Ricardo Martinez announced the second largest recall in the 30 year history of the Department of Transportation (DOT), affecting 8,428,402 predominantly Japanese vehicles made between 1986-91 with seat belts manufactured by the Takata Corporation of Japan. (NHTSA Recall No.
GM Side Saddle Gas Tank Fires
The side saddle fuel tank design installed in over 10 million trucks – all 1973-87 General Motors full-size pickups and cab-chassis trucks (pickups without beds) and some 1988-91 dual cab or RV chassis – is the worst auto crash fire defect in the history of the U.S. Department of Transportation. Based on data from the Fatality Analysis Reporting System (formerly known as the Fatal Accident Reporting System), over 2,000 people were killed in fire crashes involving these trucks from 1973 through 2009.
Mazda Follows Ford With Recall of Tributes
Mazda says it is recalling about 217,500 Tributes from the 2001-6 model years as well as some from 2008 to fix a problem with the cruise control cable that could lead to unintended acceleration.
The recall is related to Ford’s recall Thursday of about 421,000 Escapes from the model years 2001–4 with the 3-liter V-6 engine for the same problem. The Escape and Tribute are mechanical siblings.
Mazda informed the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration of its plan for a recall on Thursday evening, Tamara Mlynarczyka, a Mazda spokeswoman, wrote in an e-mail.
After Recalls, N.H.T.S.A. Keeps Its Investigation Open
In an unusual move, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said it planned to continue an investigation that led to two big recalls this week from Ford and Mazda.
Ford is recalling over 421,000 Escapes, while Mazda is recalling about 217,500 Tributes.
The issue involves a defect in the cruise control cables that could make the small crossover vehicles susceptible to unintended acceleration. They are mechanical siblings.
Typically, the safety agency concludes an investigation once a recall has been announced, but not this time.
Second major automaker takes action after ABC15 investigation into deadly Payson crash
Mazda is warning its dealers they could be making an incorrect repair after a recall involving more than 100,000 2002-2004 Tributes.