Vehicle recalls in 2023
SHAH ALAM - The automotive industry faced a bumpy ride in 2023, as various major car manufacturers issued recalls worldwide as well as suspension of production, prompting concerns about the overall safety of vehicles on the road.
Here is the list of vehicle safety recalls throughout the year:
Daihatsu
In the latest case, Japanese car maker Daihatsu was reported to have suspended all its domestic production until the end of January, next year as the Toyota-owned company faced a massive safety testing scandal.
A report by an international news agency stated that last week, the company admitted it had been manipulating safety tests since at least 1989, affecting 64 models.
Included in the 64 models were vehicles manufactured by Daihatsu under contract for Toyota, Mazda and Subaru.
It was reported that the decision to halt all shipments was also carried out in Indonesia and Malaysia. However, over the weekend, it was reported that the vehicle shipment in Indonesia had resumed.
This was after Indonesian authorities confirmed the safety of the cars.
In April, Daihatsu said it had been falsifying crash test results for four of its models, involving a total of 88,000 vehicles made in Thailand and Malaysia in 2022 and 2023.
It was reported that in May, it revealed that it would stop making two hybrid car models in Japan due to similar "irregularities".
This included the Toyota Raize SUV, produced for its parent company.
Volkswagen
This month, Volkswagen Passenger Cars Malaysia (VPCM) issued a recall for six car models produced between 2010 and 2014.
It issued a statement saying the recall would affect a total of 6,671 cars.
The car models affected were the sixth generation Golf GTI, Eos, Passat CC, Polo, Beetle and Vento.
VPCM said the concern was with the front driver airbag housing generator in those models caused by deterioration of the generator’s propellant due to high air humidity and temperature fluctuations over a long period of time.
This, it said could lead to potential injury on the driver and passenger.
Tesla
In the same month, Tesla recalled more than two million vehicles in the United States (US) over a glitch with the autopilot feature.
It was reported that the recall was to fix a defective system that was supposed to ensure drivers were paying attention when using the autopilot function.
The glitch in the function also prompted the US’ National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to scrutinise the feature control, emphasising the need for stringent safety measures in automated driving.
Toyota
It was also reported that Toyota will recall 1.12 million vehicles worldwide due to a short circuit in a sensor that could lead to airbags not deploying as designed.
Of the amount, one million vehicles recalled were in the US.
The recall included various Toyota and Lexus models from 2020 to 2022 including Avalon, Camry, Corolla, RAV4, Lexus ES250, ES300H, ES350, RX350 Highlander and Sienna Hybrid.
Vehicle owners who were affected will have the vehicles’ sensors inspected and replaced if needed, with notifications by mid-February, next year.
This was Toyota's third major recall in recent months, following earlier issues with the RAV4 SUVs and Toyota Highlanders.
Nissan
In August, Japanese car manufacturer Nissan said it was recalling more than 236,000 of its small cars in the US due to steering control issues.
It was reported that Nissan said in a statement that the issue was with the tie rods in the front suspension which can bend and break, possibly causing drivers to lose steering control and lead to potential accidents.
The recall involved certain Sentra compact car models from 2020 to 2022.
It said owners who noticed steering irregularities should contact a dealer immediately for an inspection and a free replacement.
Proton
In September, Proton Holdings Bhd announced a recall of its X90 model over a wiring defect that could lead to a "thermal incident".
In a statement, the carmaker said through an internal investigation of the sports utility vehicle model, the problem identified was with one of its grounding connections which could lead to potential overheating near the soundproofing material.
It said that owners will be individually contacted for rectification appointments.
In August, a video of a Proton X90 that caught fire circulated on social media, with speculations that it was caused by the vehicle’s 48V hybrid battery.
The X90 was launched in May.
Honda
It was reported that Honda will recall about 4.5 million vehicles worldwide over the fuel pump issue.
According to the company’s website, the recall included 2.54 million vehicles in the US and approximately 297,836 vehicles were affected in Canada.
The recall included various models including the 2018-2020 model year Honda Accord, Civic, CR-V, HR-V, Insight, Ridgeline, Odyssey, Passport and various Acura models, including the ILX, MDX, RDX, RLX, TLX and NSX vehicles.
