The world's strangest car recall reasons
Car recalls are issued for a variety of reasons, but these are some of the strangest that many people find hard to believe.
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.
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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 position of engine start/stop button
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.
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About 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.
Incorrect 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. In 2013, for example, Honda recalled the Odyssey for misplaced badging.
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The silver emblem is mounted on the rear tailgate, not the driver's side. Honda is concerned that this issue could affect its resale value.
Airbag activating drinks
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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 Prizms from the 1993-1995 model years because of a faulty airbag sensor.
Whenever a spilled beverage finds its way into the Corolla's center console, the airbag sensors are somehow compromised, 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
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A Bugatti Chiron was recalled in the US due to loose screws. It was also the only one with the problem out of 500 Chirons worldwide.
The supercar was assembled on November 16, 2017. Bugatti filed a report with 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 hazard to the owner of the $3 million car, so the recall was necessary to tighten the screws.
Engine number mislabeled
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Suzuki recalled just one Cappuccino in 1996 because some engine parts were missing. 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 cause unnecessary trouble for the owner. Suzuki’s solution to the problem was to replace the entire engine with a well-labeled one.
Floor mat problem
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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 may 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.