Largest Auto Recalls in History

[SAmadei]

See the story Here.

[SAmadei]

Posted this mainly because I'm generally calling BS on the infographic.

I like the way Honda had the foresight in 1972 to recall all their cars built 14-19 years in the future.

[Brougham-Holiday]

Ford recalled 1997/98 model year cars in 1996?

[SAmadei]

Ford recalled 1997/98 model year cars in 1996?

IIRC, they didn't... but they extended the earlier recall, either because the replacement parts didn't fix the problem or because there the problem was later found with a slightly different revision of the part.

Ford's problems with hot switches was a nasty one... but then again, I don't think one ever burst into flame while someone was driving the car.

[Croc]

IIRC, they didn't... but they extended the earlier recall, either because the replacement parts didn't fix the problem or because there the problem was later found with a slightly different revision of the part.

Ford's problems with hot switches was a nasty one... but then again, I don't think one ever burst into flame while someone was driving the car.

No, they waited until they were parked in attached garages to burst into flames.

Edited May 24, 2010 by Croc

[PurdueGuy]

Nice incomplete sentence in the VW recall...

[Drew Dowdell]

No, they waited until they were parked in attached garages to burst into flames.

I think that was the ignition system, not the cruise control switches....

[Sixty8panther]

Epic-Fail-a-graphic

[Croc]

I think that was the ignition system, not the cruise control switches....

Sure? Maybe I'm crossing them in my head, but I thought that it was that when the car was turned off, current was still supplied to a faulty cruise control switch which could overheat and catch on fire. I could be wrong, but that's what I'm thinking...I'd look it up, but I'm about to head out on errands.

[Drew Dowdell]

Well maybe both? I know the ignition recall was the one that caught fire in people's garages.... my other grandmother's Escort did that, but they caught it smoking and had it towed out. It didn't have cruise control.

[Robert Hall]

Sure? Maybe I'm crossing them in my head, but I thought that it was that when the car was turned off, current was still supplied to a faulty cruise control switch which could overheat and catch on fire. I could be wrong, but that's what I'm thinking...I'd look it up, but I'm about to head out on errands.

IIRC, the cruise control issue also involved the brake master cylinder, with hot brake fluid mixing with cruise control fluid and starting fires..

[balthazar]

cruise...control... fluid ??

-- -- -- -- --

WRT the Ford issue- I know my '94 F-150 was not affected- and I seem to recall it was because it didn't have cruise.

[SAmadei]

No, they waited until they were parked in attached garages to burst into flames.

While I'm not discounting the seriousness of one's family perishing in their sleep because your car caught fire in the attached garage, most people don't have to stop the garage from moving and/or have to escape from the house from the garage door.

In other words, I'm not sure that that recall is as serious as the Toyota one, because to my knowledge, no one died from the Ford ignition switch fires. Unfortunately, I can't let GM off the hook for the #2 and #3 recalls... they sound, well dangerous, and I wonder how many unrepaired cars still exist out there...

It astounds me that 17 years later, GM has the same problem with the full size vans... and tells people not to park them in garages... LOL. I've never been a great fan of attached garages... this is one of many reasons...

I think that was the ignition system, not the cruise control switches....

It was. The ignition switch, being hot all the time had parts that would fail, resulting in a short... that got smoking quite quickly.

I think the thread got crossed here because I was trying to compare a dangerous operational recall failure to a somewhat less dangerous non-operational failure. Again, granted, it could burn your house down and kill everybody... but that's a cascade failure... of either the fire detection or sprinkler systems. Garages are already known to harbor a higher fire danger than most of the rest of the house... Kitchen, excepted, of course.

IIRC, the cruise control issue also involved the brake master cylinder, with hot brake fluid mixing with cruise control fluid and starting fires..

Pulling our leg, right?

[SAmadei]

Well maybe both? I know the ignition recall was the one that caught fire in people's garages.... my other grandmother's Escort did that, but they caught it smoking and had it towed out. It didn't have cruise control.

IIRC, the cruise control recall problem only happened while the car was operational... turning the car off would have removed the source of the heat.

Of course, in the case of your grandmother's Escort, I would have removed a battery cable before calling a tow.

The plastics involved usually don't burn real fast and require a lot of heat to maintain the fire until the fire gets really going.

[Croc]

I think the parked Ford one is pretty serious...there are a LOT of split-level homes with bedrooms over attached garages, especially in regions with really high land values (space efficiency) or cold winter weather (Midwest). Whether or not anyone actually died is relevant, but really the property damage and displacement would be just as devastating in some cases. I also don't know of many single-family homes equipped with sprinkler systems...

[SAmadei]

I think the parked Ford one is pretty serious...there are a LOT of split-level homes with bedrooms over attached garages, especially in regions with really high land values (space efficiency) or cold winter weather (Midwest). Whether or not anyone actually died is relevant, but really the property damage and displacement would be just as devastating in some cases. I also don't know of many single-family homes equipped with sprinkler systems...

I did not say it was not serious... I said less serious.

Having an attached garage increases your homeowner's insurance... and thats what replaces your house, regardless of if your Ford causes it or a pile of oily rags.

If your owning a home without insurance, then I suppose parking anything more than a bicycle in your garage would be unwise.

Some of my relatives have sprinklers. Thats why I included and/or.

[Robert Hall]

In other words, I'm not sure that that recall is as serious as the Toyota one, because to my knowledge, no one died from the Ford ignition switch fires. Unfortunately, I can't let GM off the hook for the #2 and #3 recalls... they sound, well dangerous, and I wonder how many unrepaired cars still exist out there...

It astounds me that 17 years later, GM has the same problem with the full size vans... and tells people not to park them in garages... LOL. I've never been a great fan of attached garages... this is one of many reasons...

I wouldn't want a detached garage...it sucks trying to get groceries, etc from a car to the house in nasty weather..it's nice to be able to get in and out of the vehicle in a dry environment and go straight in the house.

Pulling our leg, right?

Typo...I meant overheated cruise control module..I saw on Dateline NBC or one of those shows...the problem had to do with hot brake fluid igniting the hot cruise control module.

Here's the description I found in one article:

Ford found that brake fluid could leak through the cruise deactivation switch into the cruise system's electrical components and cause corrosion. Corrosion can cause a short and keep the cruise control from working, but in some cases it can lead to a higher flow of current that can overheat and cause a fire at the switch.

Edited May 25, 2010 by Cubical-aka-Moltar

[Robert Hall]

cruise...control... fluid ??

-- -- -- -- --

WRT the Ford issue- I know my '94 F-150 was not affected- and I seem to recall it was because it didn't have cruise.

Typo...I meant overheated cruise control module..I saw on Dateline NBC or one of those shows...the problem had to do with hot brake fluid igniting the hot cruise control module.

Here's the description I found in one article:

Ford found that brake fluid could leak through the cruise deactivation switch into the cruise system's electrical components and cause corrosion. Corrosion can cause a short and keep the cruise control from working, but in some cases it can lead to a higher flow of current that can overheat and cause a fire at the switch.

[SAmadei]

I wouldn't want a detached garage...it sucks trying to get groceries, etc from a car to the house in nasty weather..it's nice to be able to get in and out of the vehicle in a dry environment and go straight in the house.

See, for me (and my love of large cars... especially large coupes), most attached garages are not very large... and getting out, unpacking and dragging a pile of groceries around the 18in around the car in the garage is not real appealing to me.

With my grandfather's detached garage , your groceries were right in the trunk... walk 10 feet from the trunk to the back door. Easy... yeah, you got wet if it was raining... but thats why you move quickly.

GF's attached garage... ugh... Corolla barely fits... have to drag groceries all the way around the car... down stairs... through two doors, up a narrow flight of stairs... another door, through a vestible, another door... sure, its dry... but you're sweating from the workout.

[Robert Hall]

See, for me (and my love of large cars... especially large coupes), most attached garages are not very large... and getting out, unpacking and dragging a pile of groceries around the 18in around the car in the garage is not real appealing to me.

Depends on the house...the attached garages I've seen on many modern houses swallow 2 full size SUVs and a 3rd car easily, with plenty of room to open the doors. I'm partial to modern suburban houses w/ 3 car garages, what I want in my next house (4 car garage if I can swing it).

[Croc]

A lot of attached garages built in the latter part of the 20th century through to the present include extra space for storage and/or a workbench, too.

I'd rather have one. Of course, anything that results in more square footage to the main dwelling increases insurance, so that's not a big disadvantage. So does having a pool, but those sure are nice.

[thedriver]

I notice no Chrysler. What recalls have they had? If not so much, why aren't they trumpeting this?

[Robert Hall]

A lot of attached garages built in the latter part of the 20th century through to the present include extra space for storage and/or a workbench, too.

I'd rather have one. Of course, anything that results in more square footage to the main dwelling increases insurance, so that's not a big disadvantage. So does having a pool, but those sure are nice.

Yes, I love having a pool...couldn't imagine not having one here...in other parts of the country, I'd be ok w/o out one. The lack of garage space and no basement are big turn offs where I am now. I need a finished basement to build a proper home theatre and hobby room.

[balthazar]

Depends on the house...the attached garages I've seen on many modern houses swallow 2 full size SUVs and a 3rd car easily, with plenty of room to open the doors. I'm partial to modern suburban houses w/ 3 car garages, what I want in my next house (4 car garage if I can swing it).

Modern houses never give you more than 20' depth (neither do vintage ones). While this is fine for a modern cramped sedan and a rake & shovel, if you have a lot of sh!t or machinery or ANYTHING else AND a larger vehicle, things get tight IMO.

This I've observed in some of my client's $3M houses. You'd think for money like that you'd get 25-ft depths and extra width, but no.

There are no vehicles in my attached 2-car, and the machinery in the one bay will keep everything this side of a smart out. I would love at least 24' depth- gives you room for a bench and parts storage.

My shop IS 24' deep, but with 18' vehicles and other stuff along the back wall, I could use more room.

I'm thinking a big garage with some sort of covered walkway between it & the house would be ideal. I always envied 'parking in the basement', but the fire issue is not something I contemplated before.

[Croc]

Modern houses never give you more than 20' depth

Trust me, you can have as large a garage as you could possibly dream of...it just costs $$$ in upgrades/customization.