[{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"BlogPosting","@id":"https:\/\/smart-motoring.com\/latest-news\/the-most-dangerous-car-faults-that-lead-to-recalls\/#BlogPosting","mainEntityOfPage":"https:\/\/smart-motoring.com\/latest-news\/the-most-dangerous-car-faults-that-lead-to-recalls\/","headline":"The Most Dangerous Car Faults That Lead To Recalls","name":"The Most Dangerous Car Faults That Lead To Recalls","description":"Count yourself lucky if you\u2019ve never owned any of these fault-ridden cars From cars that exploded when they were involved in a crash, to faulty hand brakes that resulted in parked cars rolling down hills, car faults can be incredibly dangerous. Unfortunately, there\u2019s been plenty of them in recent motoring history and with manufacturing giants only looking out for their bottom line, they weren\u2019t often addressed immediately. However, eventually these severe faults were addressed and lead to a recall, resulting […]","datePublished":"2020-01-09","dateModified":"2020-01-09","author":{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/smart-motoring.com\/author\/isabelle-lawrence\/#Person","name":"Isabelle Lawrence","url":"https:\/\/smart-motoring.com\/author\/isabelle-lawrence\/","identifier":30,"description":"Max Wheeler is a leading motoring journalist and classic car specialist at Smart Motoring, renowned for his sharp insight and infectious passion for all things automotive. With years of experience covering motoring news, supercars, and the enduring legacy of classic cars, Max brings stories to life with style and authority. Whether it\u2019s the roar of a Lamborghini, the elegance of an Aston Martin DB5, or the cultural impact of vintage motoring icons, he delivers expert commentary that inspires enthusiasts and collectors alike. Dedicated to celebrating the heritage and future of driving, Max Wheeler is your trusted voice for classic car news and beyond.","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/8d331506e3c530b5ec4930c30a01ed8cc29b0537227573ae5da98f559e681401?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/8d331506e3c530b5ec4930c30a01ed8cc29b0537227573ae5da98f559e681401?s=96&d=mm&r=g","height":96,"width":96}},"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Smart Motoring","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/smart-motoring.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/smart-motoring_news_logo_g-e1765846726493.webp","url":"https:\/\/smart-motoring.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/smart-motoring_news_logo_g-e1765846726493.webp","width":600,"height":60}},"image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/smart-motoring.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/The-Most-Dangerous-Car-Faults-That-Lead-To-Recalls-feature.jpg","url":"https:\/\/smart-motoring.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/The-Most-Dangerous-Car-Faults-That-Lead-To-Recalls-feature.jpg","height":520,"width":1200},"url":"https:\/\/smart-motoring.com\/latest-news\/the-most-dangerous-car-faults-that-lead-to-recalls\/","about":["BLOG","Cars","LATEST CAR NEWS"],"wordCount":731,"keywords":["car faults","Car Recalls","Dangerous car faults"],"articleBody":"Count yourself lucky if you\u2019ve never owned any of these fault-ridden carsFrom cars that exploded when they were involved in a crash, to faulty hand brakes that resulted in parked cars rolling down hills, car faults can be incredibly dangerous. Unfortunately, there\u2019s been plenty of them in recent motoring history and with manufacturing giants only looking out for their bottom line, they weren\u2019t often addressed immediately. However, eventually these severe faults wereaddressed and lead to a recall, resulting in hundreds of thousands, sometimesmillions, of cars being recalled. So, here are some of the worst:Toyota\u2019s Phantom AccelerationOne of the most famous recalls consisted of around 9,300,000 Toyota vehicles being sent back to the manufacturer. In the 2000s, a wide range of Toyota vehicles were being reported of having a fault that made the car accelerate on its own accord. Whether you\u2019re sitting in traffic, goingaround a bend or coming to a stop, random and uncontrollable acceleration isnever a good thing. It is reported that 89 deaths can be attributed to thisfault and Toyota seemed to palm the blame off by saying it was either faultyfloor mats, sticky accelerator pedals or user error that caused thousands ofcases of sudden unintended acceleration. General Motors\u2019 Faulty IgnitionOver the pond in the US of A, General Motorswere forced to recall almost 5 million vehicles to be recalled. The reason why?The engines were cutting out whilst driving, leaving drivers without powersteering, braking, airbags and basically every other function you need todrive. 303 deaths have been attributed to the millionsof GM cars that had faulty ignition switches installed in them. Thismalfunctioning part was installed in GM cars from 2003 to 2011 and only 2.6million were successfully recalled, with a notice being put out for a total ofover 5 million affected cars.Renault\u2019s self-applying handbrakeAlthough it didn\u2019t affect millions ofvehicles, this particular defect is just as deadly as the others. RenaultScenic II models produced between 2003 and 2005 had a defective handbrake thathad the potential to randomly activate. Now, whilst driving at speed, this canbe very dangerous as sudden application of the rear wheels will almostdefinitely lead you to spin out if it happened whilst you were turning. This impromptu drift mode was taken veryseriously by Renault and just under 67,000 Scenic II\u2019s were recalled. Theproblem was also found to not be with the handbrake itself, but rather it camedown to battery cables that were fitted incorrectly to the vehicle’s ECU. Thiscaused the automatic, electronic handbrake to activate randomly in error. BMW diesel firesNow, diesel fuel is actually a lot lessflammable than petrol is. That being said, BMW had to recall around 295,000 oftheir diesel cars due to risk of fire.BMW feared that glycol leakage from theengine\u2019s exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) cooler could result in burning sootdeposits when combined with the high temperatures inside the EGR system. Inlayman’s terms, there was something burning inside of the car that shouldn\u2019t beburning. Not good. The problem was being dealt with in 2017 butthe recall is still ongoing, with BMW extending their recall in October 2019 toinclude 27,000 more vehicles.Even the Ford GT isn\u2019t perfectAlthough it\u2019s not all that strange for supercars to catch fire, you still wouldn\u2019t want it to be known fault in yours. The Ford GT may be known for its exclusivity, sheer power and ridiculously optimised aerodynamics but one thing Ford didn\u2019t want their flagship supercar to be known for was catching fire.Fluid from the wing actuator was reportedlyleaking and dripping the exhaust. When running hot, the fluid is superheatedand has a chance of setting the car on fire, basically. One case of a GT inGermany being engulfed in flames was reported back in June of 2018 and sincethen, Ford\u2019s been on the case with the recalls, recalling 194 GTs. This may notsound like a lot, but less than 700 have been produced to date. Have you ever had a recall for your car? Ifyou\u2019re unsure about your current vehicle, you can checkfor recalls on the government website here.If you enjoyed this, we bet you\u2019d also like toread about Jeep\u2019s kind of awful safety ratings."},{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Latest News","item":"https:\/\/smart-motoring.com\/latest-news\/#breadcrumbitem"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"The Most Dangerous Car Faults That Lead To Recalls","item":"https:\/\/smart-motoring.com\/latest-news\/the-most-dangerous-car-faults-that-lead-to-recalls\/#breadcrumbitem"}]}]