Most recalls are about brakes, air bags and wiring. Some are not. These 16 are real, taken from the authorities' own registers, and each one links to the official notice. Every one of them was fixed for free.
Spiders in the fuel system
A particular type of spider could weave a web in the evaporative canister vent line and block it. With the line restricted, the pressure in the fuel tank could drop too low when the emissions system purged its vapours. Mazda had to recall the Mazda6 for it twice, in 2011 and again in 2014.
Mazda6 (2009 to 2012) and Suzuki Kizashi (2010 to 2012) · first notice 28 February 2011 · Transport Canada · Mazda, 2011 · Mazda, 2014 · Suzuki, 2014
The Boombox that drowned out the pedestrian warning
The "Boombox" feature let owners play sounds through the external speaker while the car was moving. That could mask the warning sound an electric car must make so pedestrians hear it coming. It was recalled in February 2022 and again in April 2022.
Tesla Model 3, Model S, Model X and Model Y · first notice 4 February 2022 · 22V063 · 22V235
The rolling stop
A "rolling stop" setting in the Full Self-Driving (Beta) software could let the car travel through an all-way stop junction without coming to a complete stop.
Tesla Model S, Model X, Model 3 and Model Y · first notice 27 January 2022 · 22V037
A recall for a font size
The letters on the brake, park and anti-lock brake warning lights were displayed in a font smaller than the federal safety standard requires. The fix was a software update.
Tesla Model S, Model X, Model 3, Model Y and Cybertruck · first notice 30 January 2024 · 24V051
The accelerator pedal pad that came loose
The pad on the accelerator pedal could come off, and the pedal could then get trapped by the interior trim.
Tesla Cybertruck (2024) · first notice 17 April 2024 · 24V276
The horn that would not honk
Some cars were fitted with an air bag that carried the wrong horn pad, so pressing it did not sound the horn.
Tesla Model S and Model X · first notice 20 March 2025 · 25V172
The horn that honked by itself
Damaged relays in the engine fuse box could switch on the horn, or even the engine starter, without anyone touching anything.
Volkswagen Atlas and Atlas Cross Sport (2021) · first notice 6 August 2021 · 21V616
A spilled drink in the back seat
Liquid spilled on the rear seat could seep through and shut down the gateway control module, the computer that links the car’s other computers.
Audi A6, A7, S6, S7, RS6 and RS7 · first notice 21 November 2022 · 22V861
The logo that could fly off the air bag
The emblem on the driver’s air bag cover might not have been welded properly, so it could break away when the air bag went off.
Hyundai Elantra and Elantra N (2022 to 2023) · first notice 18 August 2022 · 22V632
The sunroof that closed without the key
The roof control unit could be programmed wrongly, letting the sunroof close when the key was not inside the car, which breaks the federal standard for power-operated windows and roofs.
BMW 4 Series Gran Coupe and other BMW models · first notice 20 April 2022 · 22V267
A seat belt part that could set the carpet on fire
After a crash that fired the seat belt pretensioner, its hot exhaust gas could ignite carpet fibres near the door pillar.
Chevrolet Bolt EV (2017 to 2023) · first notice 15 December 2022 · 22V930
Recalled for the wrong owner’s manual
Some cars left the factory with the wrong owner’s manual in the glove box. Others had no manual at all, and in 2026 some cars’ radios were not set to download the electronic one. Owner’s manuals carry safety instructions the law requires, so a wrong or missing one breaks a federal safety standard.
Cadillac XT4 and Chevrolet Malibu (2024), Chevrolet Silverado (2026), and more · first notice 1 August 2024 · 24V575 · 25V815 · 26V114
The wrong symbol for the child seat anchors
The sleeves marking the child seat anchor points carried a different symbol from the one shown in the owner’s manual.
Audi A3 and S3 Sedan (2022) · first notice 6 April 2022 · 22V224
The wrong grease in the brakes
The rear brake calipers could have been assembled with the wrong lubricant, which can make the rubber seals swell and the brakes drag.
Chevrolet Equinox (2020) · first notice 3 October 2019 · 19V704
Sources: the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's recalls register and Transport Canada's recall database, read on 6 November 2026. The headlines are ours; the descriptions follow the notices' own words. CarsMultiverse is an independent site published by A.I.T. Multiverse Consulting Ltd, Nicosia, Cyprus.