Stellantis made it through the week without any recalls, but competitors were not so lucky.
There’s an old joke that the most dangerous part of the car is the loose nut behind the wheel, but 2023 Camrys (including the Camry Hybrid) actually has loose nuts holding the wheel on. Well, in any case, the wheels may come off due to loose lug nuts.
Volkswagen wins the funniest sounding recall of the week with its 2023 Golf R and GTI—“deformation of the strut mount.” Only around 60 cars are affected in the US, but it’s not really a funny recall, since the deformed strut mount can cause a crash. Dealers are replacing them as needed.
We continue with the brand new and much-advertised 2024 Mazda CX-90, the company’s new three-row tall-wagon (SUV/crossover)—possibly the busiest segment at the moment for new launches, with the Grand Cherokee L and Wagoneer L among the many vehicles there. In the US, only 18 cars are affected by the problem—improperly tightened bolts which can cause a steering shaft, control arms, or ABS speed sensor harness to fall off. This may be the smallest recall of the season.
2023 Hondas and Acuras on the same platform (Integra, RDX, Accord, Civic) can start rolling due to a brake fluid leak; in addition, much bigger Hondas (2018-23 Odyssey, 2019-23 Passport, 2019-22 Pilots) may have a broken rear-view image (along with 2022 Volkswagen ID.4s).
Finally, we have Tesla’s 2023 3 and Y have defective battery disconnecters; these activate in a crash to prevent electrocution of rescuers (and passengers). Given how many crashes Tesla’s “full self driving” has been causing, this may be a serious flaw.
