Bankrupt Suzuki Motor Corp. Will Recall 19,000 Suzuki Kizashi Cars And The Reason Will Baffle You

As far as car recalls are concerned, the year 2014 is shaping up to be the biggest one. Now, bankrupt Suzuki Motor Corp. has announced it will recall 19,000 Suzuki Kizashi cars.

Having filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in November 2012, American Suzuki Motor Corp. had stopped selling vehicles in the United States. However, it will have to still offer service to the cars sold in the U.S. Accordingly, the company is recalling 19,000 Suzuki Kizashi cars. Interestingly, there is nothing wrong with the vehicle, but they lack a simple filter. This filter isn’t meant to clean the air or the fuel, but to keep insects away from the vents.

Suzuki has recalled the mid-size sedans in the U.S. because spiders drawn to gasoline vapors weave webs that can block a hose to vent those gases, reported CNBC. Confirming the risk and the recall, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said,

“Air flow blocked in the cars’ evaporative emissions system can cause negative pressure in the fuel tank, which can lead to cracks and leaks that increase the risk of a fire.”

The automaker says spider webs can clog a fuel vapor vent hose in some 2010 to 2013 Kizashi cars, restricting or completely cutting off air flow, reported NBC News. Such clogs, if undetected, can cause the gas tank to deform. The deformed tanks may subsequently develop cracks and leak fuel increasing the risk of fire.

Incidentally, unlike other car makers who didn’t wait for consumer complaints, the recall was prompted by seven reports of the problem. Fortunately, the problem hasn’t caused any accidents or injuries in the U.S, so far.

How will Suzuki tackle the problem? Service centres across the U.S will replace the entire vent line with one that has a special filter on the end. They’ll also replace gas tanks if necessary. Owners are advised to inspect their vehicles and check if their gas tanks have deformed. Those who qualify for a recall will be notified this month. Owners of the Kizashi cars can also call Suzuki customer service at (800) 934-0934.

Interestingly, this isn’t the first instance where spiders have been responsible for a recall. A few months back, Mazda recalled 42,000 Mazda6 midsize cars in the U.S. with 2.5-liter engines for a similar problem. The recalled cars were from the 2010 through 2012 model years.

Suzuki had been one of the most respected car makers in the United States for 30 years before they decided to go out of business.

[Image Credit | Aneekr via Wikipedia]