new year's revelers watched the ball drop in new york during the countdown to 2019. now it's time for another countdown that's not a celebratory one — but it's one all motorists should pay attention to: our countdown of the five biggest recalls of 2018. is your car one of them?
here they are:
no. 5 ...
approximately 508,000 model-year 2010-13 kia forte sedans, forte koups, optima sedans, optima hybrids and sedona minivans. this recall from june was for a problem with the airbag control unit that could prevent the frontal airbags and seat belt pretensioners from deploying.
no. 4 ...
about 807,000 model-year 2010-14 toyota prius hybrid hatchbacks and wagons. this recall from october was for an issue that could lead to a loss of power and stalling.
no. 3 ...
roughly 1.3 million model-year 2012-18 ford focus cars. this recall from october was for a fuel-system defect that could cause a stall, necessitating that owners keep their fuel tanks at least halfway full until the fix is made.
no. 2 ...
approximately 1.3 million model-year 2014-18 ford fusion and lincoln mkz sedans. this recall from march was for a steering-wheel bolt that could loosen — resulting in the steering wheel detaching. two accidents and an injury were reported at the time of the recall alert.
related: recall recap: the 5 biggest recalls in december
and finally, the no. 1 biggest recall of 2018 ...
about 1.6 million model-year 2015-2018 ford f-150 pickup trucks. this recall from september was for a problem with seat belt pretensioners that could spark in a crash, increasing the risk of a fire in the vehicle's cabin. being that the f-150 is the top-selling vehicle in the u.s., this is one safety alert that didn't go unnoticed.
those may be the biggest recalls, but the one that matters most to each motorist is the one that affects you.
the national highway traffic safety administration sends vehicle owners a notice in the mail when their car is recalled. but you can double-check by going to nhtsa's website and using its vin lookup tool to determine if your car is under recall. just locate the 17-character vehicle identification number found on the lower left of your car's windshield or on your car's vehicle registration card, enter it into the search field and voila! peace of mind.
or, more importantly: the information you need to keep you, your passengers and your fellow motorists safe on the road.
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