8 Strangest Recalls In The Automotive World

Key Takeaways

• Spiders caused a Mazda recall when they nested inside fuel tank vent tubes, leading to pressurization issues in 65,000 vehicles.
• Subaru recalled 47,419 cars after key fob remote start system faults caused vehicles to start on their own until turned off.
• Honda faced a recall for 20,000 Odysseys due to badge installation software errors, relocating badges from wrong places for free.

Recalls have been the bane of automakers for almost as long as automobiles have existed. Basically, a recall happens when a part, component, or some other aspect of a vehicle is found to be faulty or defective on a large scale. Once the fault is discovered, the affected vehicles are “recalled” back to the manufacturer, so the fix can be implemented free of charge.

Most recalls throughout history have been for common reasons, such as engine problems, brake issues, or electronic malfunctions. However, there have also been some strange recalls. Let’s take a look at eight of the weirdest recalls in the automotive world.

Sources used in the creation of this list were taken from various news sites, including BBC.com and CNN.com. Specific information about the actual recalls was taken from NHTSA.gov.

1 The Mazda Spider Recall

Yes, spiders. The eight-legged arachnids prompted a recall for Mazda back in 2011. The problem was that spiders were getting into small fuel tank vent tubes and nesting, which caused fuel tank pressurization issues in some 65,000 vehicles. Initially, Mazda’s fix was to install a special spring into these tubes to prevent the spiders from crawling in. However, the spiders were tenacious enough to still get inside the tubes and clog them up anyway.

The pressure caused by the Yellow Sac spiders was so great that it could crack fuel tanks.

Because of this risk, Mazda had to come up with a better solution. They were finally able to concoct a PCM update that lowered the pressure seen in those tubes, meaning the spiders could nest, and the fuel tank wouldn’t crack from backed-up pressure.

As of 2014, some 42,000 Mazda 6 sedans were again recalled to have the software update installed.

2 Subarus Starting Themselves

Remote start is one of the most convenient features in the modern automotive world and is especially helpful for those of us who live in colder climates. However, its helpfulness fades rapidly when your car decides to start itself. In 2013, Subaru was notified of a fault in their key fob remote start system where the car would literally start itself and continue running until turned off manually, the key fob ran out of battery, or it ran out of gas.

All 2010–2013 Outbacks and select Imprezas, Crosstreks, and Legacys within those model years were affected. If you’d had a factory remote start installed, chances were your Subaru was one of the 47,419 units affected. Initially, Subaru advised owners to switch to the factory-supplied non-remote start key fobs until they could create a permanent fix. Eventually, Subaru provided all affected owners with new key fobs that didn’t possess the ghostly spirit of a car that wanted to start on its own.

3 The Honda Odyssey’s Badge Bungle

Something as simple as vehicular badging doesn’t usually get a second thought. However, in 2013, Honda faced some embarrassing criticism regarding a software error, causing some 20,000 Honda Odysseys to have their badges installed in the wrong place. Instead of the “Odyssey” badge being installed on the rear liftgate’s driver’s side, the badge was installed on the passenger side.

Honda swiftly implemented a voluntary recall and re-aligned the badges free of charge for anyone who took their affected 2013 Odyssey to a Honda dealer. Because some badges came apart upon removal, Honda also offered to install brand-new badges if needed.

4 The Volkswagen Jetta Hot Seat

Heated seats, like remote start, are another modern automotive feature that is universally loved. In colder climates, heated seats are a welcome addition to your vehicle and especially shine as you wait for your car to warm up. However, between the model years 2002 and 2004, some Canadian Volkswagen Jetta owners got a little more seat heat than you’d want. Seats equipped with heating elements could warm one specific spot on the cushion too much.

The defect caused four fires, 33 injuries, and even one death. Volkswagen acted swiftly, and roughly 94,000 Canadian Jettas were recalled in 2004 for the issue. The recalled units were treated to new heating elements in the seats. No wonder automakers are working on better methods to heat passengers.

5 Lincoln MKC Start Button Issue

Something as simple as a start/stop button wouldn’t warrant a second thought from anybody. However, Lincoln found themselves in a quandary regarding certain 2015 MKC SUVs and the positioning of the actual start/stop button. The issue, as outlined by the NHTSA, was the button was too close to the bottom left of the infotainment screen, and could potentially be pushed by drivers when attempting to interact with the touchscreen. Lincoln was putting their PRNDL buttons to the left of the screen back then, as well.

After some deliberation, Ford reluctantly agreed to recall 13,574 Lincoln MKCs equipped with a haphazardly placed start/stop button. The fix was simple: move the button. So, Ford and Lincoln dealers would install a new bezel around the infotainment screen that relocated the start/stop button to the top of the screen, making it harder to push mistakenly. The new button location also necessitated reprogramming of the Powertrain Module.

6 Ferrari 458 Entrapment

While it’s not as common, even luxury and specialty car brands face recalls from time to time. In 2014, Ferrari was notified of an issue pertaining to the 2010-2014 Ferrari 458 Italia and 458 Spider’s front trunk interior release latch. The citation stated the frunk could not be opened by someone trapped inside, as the safety release latch within the frunk only disengaged one latch, but there are two latches total to prevent the frunk lid from flying open at high speed.

Ferrari promptly recalled 3,082 458s produced from 2010 to 2014. Ultimately, Ferrari dealers installed a new interior latch release mechanism that worked on both front trunk latches. This recall was only for American models. Cars in other parts of the world are not required to have a latch inside the trunk. The NHTSA lobbied for such a latch for years, and in 2001 they finally found a powerful advocate for the cause named Janette Fennell. She was kidnapped and put in a car’s trunk. After the incident, she started a non-profit and made it happen. That’s why all vehicles sold in America after 2002 have a trunk release latch inside.

7 Hyundai Sonata Turn Signal Mix-Up

The 2015-2017 Hyundai Sonata, Sonata Hybrid, and Sonata PHEV suffered from an issue that’s straight out of a comedy skit. When drivers use their turn signal, sometimes the Sonata will activate the opposite signal. So, indicating left activated the right turn signal, and vice versa. However, what’s not so funny is the risk of accidents and injuries this error caused.

The problem was rooted in the Sonata’s ECU, which was responsible for reading the turn signal stalk’s position. A software error reversed this reading, indicating the unintended direction. Hyundai swiftly took action and recalled about 466,109 Sonatas from model years 2015 to 2017. The fix was a simple software update.

8 Citroën, Peugeot, And Renault Passenger Brake

While none of these three French automakers are sold in the US, it’s still worth discussing a bizarre issue some of their models face. According to BBC Watchdog, certain models these three companies make contain a left-sided brake master cylinder. While this is normal, due to some models being built to match England’s right-hand drive requirement, the brake pedal is on the opposite side of the master cylinder in this instance.

The French companies’ shortcut was to install a crossbar to depress the master cylinder from across the car without having to relocate it. This crossbar can potentially be depressed by passengers in left-hand drive models thanks to only being covered by a thin piece of felt, posing a serious safety issue.

Despite more than 500,000 units being possibly affected by this problem, we do know that at least 20,000 Citroën C3 units were affected and recalled. The fix was to install additional padding over the exposed brake crossbar, making it harder for passengers to depress. As for the other 480,000 potentially affected cars, they’ve all had the same crossbar installed, so why the French automakers didn’t recall them all, we’re unsure.

Sources: NHTSA.gov, BBC.com, CNN.com