- Ford and General Motors issued recalls Wednesday for the Lincoln Continental and Chevrolet Spark/Spark EV, respectively.
- Up to 13,119 2017 – 2020 Lincoln Continental models could have defective antireflective coatings on their rearview cameras.
- Up to 120,688 Chevrolet Spark models could have corroded hood latches.
Ford Motor Company and General Motors both initiated recall campaigns, according to reports published by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) Wednesday. These two recalls affect nearly 400,000 vehicles in total in the U.S.
Of the two recalls, Ford’s is the largest overall.
In total, Ford’s campaign covers 277,040 Lincoln Continental passenger cars and Ford F-Series Super Duty trucks equipped with 360-degree camera systems. These vehicles could have defective antireflective coatings on their rearview cameras. However, the population of Lincoln Continentals is a small proportion of that total, with an affected population of 13,119 vehicles.
According to the defect report, the antireflective coating could degrade over time due to ultraviolet radiation exposure. If that happens, the internal lens on the rearview camera can exhibit “a foggy or cloudy image that will progressively deteriorate…potentially resulting in inability to distinguish the rearview camera image.” These cameras were manufactured by Magna Electronics in Holly, Michigan.
The problem affects Lincoln Continentals built between November 30, 2015 and March 10, 2020. Ford notified dealers on Monday, and will sent out notifications to owners between September 12 and September 16, 2022. No accidents or injuries related to defective cameras were reported.
To remedy the issue, dealers will replace the rearview camera with a different model that will not degrade through UV exposure. Those cameras entered into Ford’s production lines on March 10, 2020, so vehicles built after that date are not affected by this recall campaign.
Ford’s number for this recall is 22S51. Owners can call Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332 for more information. The NHTSA’s recall number for this campaign is 22V644.
GM’s recall affects older 2013 – 2015 Chevrolet Spark models.
The second of today’s recalls is GM’s expansion of an earlier 2014 campaign covering Spark and Spark EV models. Now, the scope covers nearly 121,000 vehicles because the hoods could fly open while driving, increasing the risk of a crash.
Specifically, the report mentions 116,223 Chevrolet Spark models built between September 19, 2011 and September 9, 2015. A further 4,465 Chevrolet Spark EVs built between August 28, 2012 and November 11, 2015 are affected.
This issue has to do with the cars’ hood latch and striker assemblies. The troublesome units, built by Shivani Locks in India, could corrode prematurely. GM told the NHTSA it received 276 global field reports for the problem. Of those, it noted 22 crash allegations and one minor injury reported between January 2, 2015 and May 25, 2022.
Dealers were notified on August 25, and the automaker will send notices to owners on October 10. As for the fix, dealers will replace the latch assembly free of charge with one that has a protective coating to prevent corrosion.
GM’s number for this recall campaign is A222359300. The NHTSA’s number is 22V640, and this campaign supersedes the old number (14V-593). Cars previously repaired under the old recall will need to have the new remedy performed. Owners can call Chevrolet’s customer service at 1-800-222-1020 for more information.
