The world's strangest car recall reasons

Recalled due to spider attack

Mazda had to recall more than 50,000 Mazda 6s in North America after discovering yellow sac spiders could live inside the fuel system.

Because these spiders are attracted to gasoline fumes, they can create a web inside the fuel system, causing the Mazda 6's fuel tank to crack.

Toyota has also recalled more than 870,000 vehicles due to spider-related issues. Affected vehicles are the 2012-2013 Avalon, Camry and Venza models.

Incorrect engine start/stop button position

Ford's luxury brand, the Lincoln MKC, introduced a push-button transmission for the 2015 MKC, and the engine stop/start button was placed under a stack of buttons. The location of the engine stop/start button made it easy for drivers to accidentally turn off the engine while driving.

Approximately 13,574 MKCs are affected by the recall. Fortunately, no accidents or injuries have been reported due to misuse of the button. To fix the problem, Lincoln moved the engine stop/start button to a different location and reprogrammed the powertrain control module.

Wrong badge

Car recalls are usually issued to fix problems that pose a serious threat to vehicle owners, passengers, and other road users. But sometimes, recalls are issued to fix silly mistakes. For example, in 2013, Honda recalled the Odyssey for misplaced badging.

The silver emblem is mounted on the rear tailgate, not the driver's side. Honda is concerned this could affect its resale value.

Airbag activating drinks

Drinking and driving are two activities that should not go together because they can be dangerous. There is also a less obvious reason why spilled drinks can cause airbags to deploy unexpectedly. In 1995, Toyota recalled more than 625,000 Corollas and Geo Prizm from the 1993-1995 model years because of a faulty airbag sensor.

Whenever a spilled drink finds its way into the Corolla's center console, the airbag sensors are somehow affected, triggering the airbag warning light or deploying the airbags without warning. Toyota has asked affected owners to go to a dealer to have a protective cover placed over the airbag sensors.

Loose screw

A Bugatti Chiron was recalled in the US for a loose screw. It was the only one of 500 Chirons worldwide to have the problem.

The supercar was assembled on November 16, 2017. Bugatti sent a report to NHTSA, saying that the two screws holding the front support frame of the car had a tightening torque of 9 Nm, instead of the recommended minimum of 19 Nm. This problem could pose a safety risk to the owner of the $3 million car, so the recall was necessary to tighten the screws.

Mislabeled engine number

Suzuki issued a recall for just one Cappuccino in 1996 because of missing engine parts. The recall notice issued by the Japanese automaker stated that the cylinder block on the 658cc engine did not have the “K6A” main engine stamping. This could lead to unnecessary trouble for the owner. Suzuki’s solution to the problem was to replace the entire engine with a brand new one.

Floor mat problem

In 2009, floor mats caused Toyota to recall more than 3.8 million vehicles including the 2004-2009 Prius, 2005-2010 Avalon, 2007-2010 Camry, 2007-2010 Tundra, as well as the 2006-2010 IS 250 and IS350.

The driver's-side floor mat can trap the accelerator pedal, causing the Toyota to lose control. NHTSA recommends that owners of affected vehicles remove the floor mat and not replace it with any other mat.