Car recalls: Why they exist and what buyers should know
Why are cars recalled? Here’s what you need to know if your car has an open recall.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration issued several recalls last week, including notices for over 100,000 BMW vehicles due to overheating engines.
Want to know if your vehicle has had any recalls? If the car isn’t listed below, owners can search USA TODAY’s vehicle recall database or the NHTSA’s database for new recalls. The NHTSA’s website lets you search for recalls using your vehicle identification number, or VIN.
Here’s everything you need to know about the vehicle recalls announced by the NHTSA from August 4-10.
Tesla shares: Rising numbers as vehicle deliveries in Q2 exceed expectations for the first time this year
Chrysler recalls car seat due to improper locking
Chrysler is recalling 2,852 of its 2023 model year Dodge Challenger vehicles. The automaker said “the left rear seatback may not lock in the upright position.” An unlocked seatback could increase the risk of injury in an accident, the NHTSA report said.
The government agency stated that these vehicles did not meet the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 207, “Seat Systems.”
Dealers will inspect and adjust the seatback latch striker at no charge. Recall notices are expected to be delivered by August 15. Owners may contact FCA US, LLC Customer Service at 1-800-853-1403. The FCA US LLC number for this recall is 38B.
Recalled Chrysler vehicles:
Toyota dealer issues recall due to incorrect weight capacity on label
Gulf States Toyota, a private dealer of Toyota vehicles in the United States, is recalling 33,848 of its vehicles equipped with GST accessories. In the NHTSA report, the dealer stated that “the load capacity modification label may display incorrect values for the additional weight.” A vehicle with an incorrect maximum load capacity weight value may be overloaded, increasing the risk of an accident.
The government agency also stated that these vehicles did not meet the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 110, “Tire Selection and Wheels.”
Gulf States Toyota will mail new labels to affected car owners to correct the issue. Recall notices are expected to be delivered by September 16. Owners can contact GST Customer Service at 1-800-444-1074. The GST number for this recall is 24R2.
Recalled Toyota vehicles:
- 2023 GR-Supra
- 2024 4Runner
- Corolla 2024 – Model year
- 2024 Grand Highlander
- 2024 Grand Highlander
- Land Cruiser Hybrid (2024)
- 2024 Tacoma
- 2020 Toyota RAV4
- 2023-2024 BZ4X
- Corolla Cross Hybrid 2023-2024
- 2023-2024 GR Corolla
- 2023-2024 GR86
- 2023-2024 Highlander
- 2023-2024 Highlander Hybrid
- 2023-2024
- Prius-Prime 2023-2024
- 2023-2024 Sequoia Hybrid
- 2023-2024 Tundra
- 2023-2024 Tundra Hybrid
- 2023-2024 Venza Hybrid
- 2023-2025 Crown
- Camry Hybrid (2025)
BMW recall due to overheated starter
BMW is recalling 105,588 of its vehicles. In the NHTSA report, the luxury automaker stated, “If the starter motor fails, repeated starting attempts can cause the starter motor to overheat due to an electrical overload.” When a starter motor overheats, it can ignite flammable material near the engine compartment, which can increase the risk of fire.
To fix the problem, BMW dealers will update vehicle software. Recall notices are expected to be delivered by September 23. Owners can contact BMW Customer Service at 1-800-525-7417.
Recalled BMW vehicles:
- 2020 340Xi
- 2020-2021 740i
- 2020-2021 740Xi
- 2020 840i
- 2020 840Xi
- 2020 M340i
- 2019-2020 X5
- 2020 X6
- 2019-2020 X7
Ahjané Forbes is a reporter on USA TODAY’s National Trending Team. Ahjané covers breaking news, auto recalls, crime, health, lottery and public policy. Email her at [email protected]. Follow her on Instagram, Threads and X (Twitter) @forbesfineest.
