Some time ago, Ford announced a massive recall involving around 12 million Ford, Lincoln and Mercury cars and trucks from model years 1992 through 2004. The vehicles had a faulty cruise-control switch that may cause a fire, no matter if they’re being driven or parked. Around 60 incidents were registered, but no accidents or injuries were reported. However, even though the repair is made very quick and doesn’t cost owners anything, NHTSA reports that there are still 5 million vehicles out there that haven’t been taken to the dealer and fixed, so they represent a danger for motorists.

So, if you own one of these cars, make sure you get it checked, or else you might be in trouble:

1. 1993 – 2004 F150
2. 1993 – 1999 F250 (gasoline engine)
3. 1993 – 1996 Bronco
4. 1994 – 1996 Econoline
5. 1997 – 2002 Ford Expedition
6. 1998 – 2002 Lincoln Navigator
7. 1998 – 2002 Ford Ranger
8. 1992 – 1998 Ford Crown Victoria, Mercury Grand Marquis and Lincoln Town Car
9. 1993 – 1998 Lincoln Mark VIII
10. 1993 – 1995 Ford Taurus SHO with automatic transmission
11. 1994 – Mercury Capri
12. 1998 – 2001 Ford Explorer and Mercury Mountaineer
13. 2001 – 2002 Ford Explorer Sport and Explorer Sport Trac
14. 1992 – 1993 and 1997 – 2003 Ford E-150-350 gasoline or natural gas vehicles
15. 2002 – E-550 gasoline engine vehicles
16. 1996 – 2003 E-450 gasoline or natural gas vehicles
17. 1994 – 2002 F-250 through F-550 super Duty trucks (gasoline engine)
18. 2000 – 2002 Ford Excursion (gasoline engine)
19. 2003 – F250 – F550 Super Duty, Ford Excursion
20. 1995 – 2002 Ford F53 Motor home chassis
21. 2002 – 2003 Lincoln Blackwood

Read More: "5 million faulty Fords still out there"

I’m sure that’s not good news for the recent lucky Jaguar XF owners. The car is only available for a short time and the first problems already started showing up. NHTSA announced that Jaguar will recall 7,918 Jaguar XF that have a flaw in the rear safety belt assembly. Although no incidents took place so far, in the event of a crash the rear seat belts might not work properly and cause injuries. Dealers will take a look at the faulty safety belt and fix it if neccessary. So, if you’re a lucky XF owner, you’d better talk to you dealer or call Jaguar at 1-800-452-4827.

Read More: "Almost 9,000 Jaguar XF’s recalled for seat belt problems"

Last month we reported that The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) was conducting a preliminary investigation about possible problems with the Hyundai Elantra’s fuel pump. Well, it seems that they were right, because Hyundai is now recalling about 65,000 Elantras that might have some problems with the fuel pump. The recall affects 2008 Elantras powered by the 2.0 liter Beta engine. According to Hyunida, “some fuel pumps installed from Nov. 5 to June 28 may lose pumping pressure as gasoline with ethanol produces a buildup of film on the units’ electrical contacts, leading to poor starting or engine hesitation.”

Read More: "Hyundai Elantras recalled for fuel pump issue"

So far, the weirdest recall we remember was the one involving the three SLRs, but I think this one tops that on a ‘weirdness’ scale. Smart USA announced that 43 Smart ForTwo’s will be recalled due to a…paint problem. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), the problem comes from the car’s unique construction methods and, because the paint is a delaminating risk, and if it comes apart near the portion where the windshield and roof are adhesive-mounted, they could separate from the rest of the car, which could cause a crash if the roof or windshield separated from the vehicle while in motion.

NHSTA announced that about 200,000 BMW vehicles in the U.S. will be recalled over a sensor problem that may cause the front passenger airbag not to deploy in the event of a crash. NHTSA says that if the front passenger seat is used often, that might cause small crack to develop in the seat detection mat. This deactivates the airbag and the airbag warning lamp and turns on the passenger airbag “on/off” lamp.

The recall, which is expected to begin during late September, affects the 2006 3-Series, the 2004-2005 5-Series and the 2004-2006 X3. BMW announced that the dealers will rework the front passenger seat sensor mat so that external force application to the seat does not cause a crack to the mat and also the warranty will be extended to 10 years from first registration without any mileage limit.

The Detroit News reports that the The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is currently conducting a preliminary investigation involving about 167,000 2007 and 2008 model year Hyundai Elantras. The investigation started after a number of reports of engines stalling, the problem possibly caused by the vehicle’s fuel pump. In one of the worst cases, a vehicle stalled on a three-lane highway and ending up causing a crash involving three cars. Most of the reports involve Elantras with 600 miles or less, so almost brand new.

Due to the rising gas price and the high demand for small fuel-efficient cars, Hyundai registered a 50% sales increase in June alone, with around 14,500 units sold. Don’t know if this investigation will have any influence in future sales and Hyundai says it’s too early to draq any conclusion or initiate a major recall. Anyways, if you recently bought an Elantra, you’d better be careful and go to a service to get it checked.
Read More: "NHTSA investigating 167,000 Hyundai Elantras"

What’s happening with all these luxury cars recalls? I mean, first it was Mercedes which recalled 3 McLaren SLRs and now Maserati announced it will recall 56 GranTurismo coupes due to a faulty in the supplemental restraint system (SRS) electronic control unit (ECU) software when the battery is not fully charged. In the event of a crash, this might cause the passenger seat-belt and airbag to malfunction. The recall will begin this month and dealers will replace the SRS ECU units.

Still, I think this guys should pay more attention next time to these errors because if I would pay a lot of money for my car, then I would expect it to be flawless.

Read More: "Maserati recalls 2008 GranTurismo"

This is funny. Mercedes Benz USA announced the recall of…3 SLR McLaren cars, due to some faulty windshield installation. The recall will begin this month and dealers will remove the windshields, cleaning and reinstalling them correctly with primer and activator. Now I don’t know about you, but I wouldn’t be too happy paying $500,000 on a car with problems. But hey, #$*& happens!

Read More: "Mercedes Benz recalls SLR McLarens"

GM announced today that in January they will recall about 57,100 vehicles due to some safety issues occurred. The cars affected by this recall are the 2007 Chevrolet Equinox and Pontiac Torrent which are not equipped with optional roof rail airbags or optional sunroof.

The safety problems showed up during NHTSA impact tests, which indicated a possibility of an increased risk of head injury in a crash. To fix the problem, dealers will install an energy absorbing foam piece to each of the a-pillar trim assemblies.

Read More: "GM recalls 57,100 Chevrolet and Pontiac SUVs"

Toyota announced that it will recall 264,000 Toyota and Lexus vehicles built between December 2003 and December 2005, due to some problems occurred at the fuel pipes which could cause fuel leaks. The problem affects 215,020 Toyota Crown and Mark X and about 49,000 Lexus GS and IS models. Most vehicles recalled were sold in Japan, United States, Britain and Canada. So, if you own one of these cars, you’d better go to your dealer once you receive Toyota’s notice.
Read More: "264,000 Toyota and Lexus vehicles recalled"

Volvo announced that they will recall about 56,000 vehicles, due to some problems found. The first one could set the engine on fire due to a fuel injector plants material fault and affects 38,000 diesel versions of the S60, V70/XC70 and XC90 made in 2006. The second problem affects 18,000 V70 and XC70 and involves an air bag problem in the side of the car. Most vehicles recalled were sold in US, UK and Sweden.
Read More: "Volvo recalls 56,000 vehicles"