Weekly Automobile & Motorcycle Safety Recalls | Aug 10, 2026

(PUBLISHED AUGUST 10, 2026)

Last week’s theme was vehicles and parts that move when nobody’s touching them. This week it’s the reverse: the parts that are supposed to hold you in place, and the parts that are supposed to hold still.

More than 1.3 million vehicles were recalled this week over seat belts. A Ram 1500 rear buckle anchor that may never have been bolted to the truck. A Dodge and Alfa Romeo rear belt that can twist and stop doing its job. And for riders, a single handlebar screw that can fall out and jam your steering — a recall Honda first filed in March and just more than doubled.

Here’s the number that gives all of it weight. In 2024, 9,758 people died in passenger vehicles without a seat belt on — roughly one every 54 minutes. And the back seat is the worse story, not the safer one: 58% of back-seat occupants killed in crashes that year were unrestrained, compared with 47% up front. A seat belt is the single piece of safety equipment you interact with on every trip. When the anchor behind it was never tightened, you don’t get a warning light. You get a normal-feeling click and a belt that can’t manage a crash load.

Every week we read the filings at the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and translate them into plain English: what’s broken, who’s affected, and what you have to do about it. The Ram VINs went live August 6. The Honda VINs went live August 4. You don’t have to wait for a letter that won’t arrive until late September.

Whether you’re running the Spaghetti Bowl at 5 p.m., hauling out I-15 toward Primm, riding the Red Rock loop on a Sunday morning, climbing US-95 north of Reno, or sitting on the 91 through Corona, here’s this week’s list.

---

The Week’s Biggest: 1,271,294 Ram 1500 Pickups With Rear Seat Belt Anchors That May Never Have Been Attached

2019–2026 Ram 1500: Improperly Installed Second-Row Seat Belt Buckle Anchor / FMVSS 210 (NHTSA #26V495 / Mopar 67D)

Chrysler (FCA US) is recalling 1,271,294 Ram 1500 pickups from the 2019 through 2026 model years because the second-row center and/or driver-side seat belt buckle anchors may not have been properly attached to the truck’s body structure. That makes the affected trucks noncompliant with Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 210, “Seat Belt Assembly Anchorages” (NHTSA acknowledgment letter, 26V495).

Read what that actually means. The buckle is the half of the belt that’s bolted to the vehicle. In a crash, that anchor is what transfers the load from your body into the structure of the truck. FCA’s own filing says a buckle anchor that isn’t properly fastened “may reduce load management capability and occupant restraint effectiveness” (Part 573 Safety Recall Report 26V495).

This is not a bad part. It’s a bad build. There’s no defective component to swap out — the hardware is a standard M12 hex head bolt. On some trucks, it simply wasn’t secured. The suspect period runs from February 17, 2018, the day the first 2019 model year truck was built, through April 27, 2026 — eight model years and eight years of production (Part 573 Report).

There is no warning. The Part 573 report lists the identification of any warning to the driver as a single word: none. The belt latches. It looks right. It feels right. You would find out in the one moment you can’t afford to.

Chrysler estimates only about 0.1% of the population actually carries the defect — roughly 1,300 trucks out of 1.27 million. That’s exactly why every one of them gets inspected. Nobody can tell you which 1,300.

Southern Nevada and Inland Empire owners, note the vehicle type. NHTSA’s 2024 data shows 59% of pickup truck occupants killed in crashes were not buckled, versus 47% of passenger car occupants — the highest unrestrained rate of any vehicle class, and it has been for years. A truck this common on Nevada and California roads, with a rear-seat restraint defect, is not an abstraction.

One detail from the paperwork worth knowing. When NHTSA acknowledged the filing on August 3, it sent Chrysler back to do more work — the agency required an amended Part 573 report because the description of which seating positions are affected wasn’t supplied as federal regulation requires (NHTSA acknowledgment, 26V495). Until that amendment posts, run your VIN and let the dealer inspect both positions.

What to do:

1. Run your VIN now at NHTSA.gov/recalls or at recalls.mopar.com. VINs became searchable August 6, 2026.
2. Book the inspection. Dealers were notified August 6 and can work now. Dealers will inspect the second-row buckle anchors and attach them to the body structure as necessary, free of charge.
3. Don’t wait on the mail. Owner letters mail on a phased schedule from August 18 through September 24, 2026.
4. Questions: Chrysler customer service at 1-800-853-1403, recall number 67D.

Chronology, for the record. Transport Canada notified FCA Canada of a customer concern on a 2025 Ram 1500 on January 20, 2026. FCA US opened an investigation February 26. Engineering, manufacturing and safety staff worked the failure mode from February through July. On July 15 the company recognized the build issue; on July 23 its Vehicle Regulations Committee determined a noncompliance existed; the recall was filed July 30 (Part 573 Report 26V495).

---

Seat Belt Week, Part Two: 48,777 Dodge Hornets & Alfa Romeo Tonales With Rear Belts That Can Twist

2023–2025 Dodge Hornet & 2023–2026 Alfa Romeo Tonale: Seat Belt May Twist and Fail to Retract Properly (NHTSA #26V510 / Mopar 84D)

Chrysler is also recalling 48,777 crossovers — 40,386 Dodge Hornets built between August 31, 2022 and September 18, 2025, and 8,391 Alfa Romeo Tonales built between February 9, 2023 and November 26, 2025 — because the rear outboard seat belts can become twisted (autoevolution).

A twisted belt can fail to retract freely or to hold proper tension against the occupant. Either way it can’t restrain the way it was designed to. Both companies changed to a new retractor after those build dates (Autoblog).

There is no dashboard warning here either. If you have kids riding in the back of a Hornet, look at the belt itself the next time you buckle them in. A belt that lies flat, retracts smoothly, and pulls snug is doing its job. One that stays slack or hangs up on the way back into the pillar is telling you something.

Both nameplates have been discontinued in the U.S., which matters for a practical reason: discontinued models tend to post the worst recall completion rates in the country. Nobody’s coming back to the dealer for an oil change to remind them.

There’s also a companion Mopar equipment recall covering 1,458 rear seat belt assemblies sold over the counter, prone to the same twisting. If you replaced a rear belt yourself, ask about that one specifically.

What to do: Run your VIN, then contact Chrysler customer service at 1-800-853-1403 and reference recall 84D. Repairs are free.

---

Small Recall, Serious Defect: GM Pulls Full Battery Packs on 2026 Electric Trucks and SUVs

2026 Cadillac Escalade IQ & IQL, Chevrolet Silverado EV, GMC Sierra EV: Improperly Secured Module May Damage High-Voltage Battery (NHTSA #26V494 / GM N262562600)

This one is tiny by population and loud by remedy.

GM says the high-voltage batteries in the affected vehicles may contain an internal module component that isn’t fully secured. A component that isn’t properly secured can move, cause internal damage to the battery, and increase the risk of a fire (GM Authority).

The fix tells you how seriously GM is taking it. Dealers are not opening the pack or replacing the module. They are replacing the entire high-voltage battery assembly, free of charge, and only technicians who have completed GM’s BT1 and Ultium EV service training are permitted to do the work. GM has also ordered dealers to hold affected inventory — no sale, no lease, no demo, no dealer trade — until the replacement is done (GM Authority; autoevolution).

The dealer bulletin identifies a handful of trucks — four Silverado EVs and one Sierra EV among the pickups — plus affected Escalade IQ and IQL units. If your VIN is one of them, you are not a statistic in a spreadsheet. You are one of a very small number of people driving a specific vehicle GM has decided needs a new battery.

Owners are unlikely to spot this one. The defect lives inside a sealed pack. There’s no symptom to watch for.

What to do: Affected VINs are loaded in NHTSA’s portal — check yours at NHTSA.gov/recalls. Customer notification letters begin mailing September 14, 2026. Chevrolet Customer Assistance: 1-800-222-1020. GMC Customer Assistance: 1-800-462-8782. GM’s recall number is N262562600.

---

The Spare You’ve Never Looked At: Cracked Steel Wheels on 2026 Silverado EV & Sierra EV

2026 Chevrolet Silverado EV & GMC Sierra EV: Steel Wheels May Crack (NHTSA #26V496 / GM N262556920, N262556921)

GM is recalling 2026 Silverado EV and Sierra EV pickups built between October 24, 2025 and March 13, 2026 that carry RT3 steel road wheels or SG8 spare steel wheels. Supplier Topy America found hairline cracks during fatigue testing and traced them to the piercing and coining processes used to form the disc vent holes (autoevolution).

GM’s language on the consequence is direct: a cracked wheel that goes undetected could lead to disc separation, reducing the driver’s ability to steer (GM Authority).

Why this one is easy to shrug off and shouldn’t be. For most owners it’s the spare, so the risk only shows up if you actually mount it. That is precisely the problem. You put a spare on at the worst moment — shoulder of I-15 in August heat, half a mile of traffic going past your left shoulder at 80 — and then you drive on it to a tire shop. That is not the day for a wheel to separate.

The recall also covers over-the-counter replacement wheels under part numbers 85535663 and 85162242. If you bought a bare steel wheel from a GM parts counter, that’s yours too.

GM says it isn’t aware of any field complaints or warranty claims tied to the defect. The chronology shows a GM engineer filed a Speak Up For Safety report on April 9, 2026 after the supplier disclosed wheels that may have shipped without meeting fatigue testing requirements (autoevolution).

What to do: Dealers will inspect the spare wheel for suspect disc lot dates and replace affected wheels free of charge. Vehicles that pass need nothing further. Chevrolet: 1-800-222-1020. GMC: 1-800-462-8782. GM recall number N262556920.

---

This Week’s Recall for Motorcycle Riders

2017–2023 & 2025 Honda CMX500, 2017–2023 & 2025–2026 CMX300, 2025 SCL500: Handlebar Lock Screw May Detach and Interfere With Steering (NHTSA #26V500 / Honda KUO)

American Honda is recalling 43,913 motorcycles because the handlebar lock screw may loosen and detach. A detached screw can lodge between the frame and the steering stem, interfering with steering (Motor Sports NewsWire). Honda estimates 100% of the recall population carries the defect (ABC27).

This is an expansion, and the expansion is the story. Honda filed this defect in March 2026 as campaign 26V146, covering 19,406 bikes across the 2023–2025 model years. On July 30 it filed 26V500, which pulls in model years going back to 2017 and more than doubles the population (Yahoo Autos). The defect didn’t change. Honda’s understanding of how far back it goes did.

The root cause, from the earlier filing, is a tightening process that drifted: after a change in the process trainer, the instruction to apply axial force with both hands was omitted and the tightening was performed with the tool tilted rather than perpendicular to the screw, so the screw may not have reached specified torque (AOL). Honda reported one warranty claim involving a fall in that earlier filing, with no injuries or deaths linked in the U.S.

Who rides these bikes matters. The CMX300 and CMX500 are the Rebel 300 and Rebel 500 — light, low-seat cruisers that Honda built to be first motorcycles, and that dealers and rider-training programs across the valley use for exactly that. Steering that binds mid-U-turn is a manageable surprise for someone with twenty years of seat time. For a rider four months off their endorsement test, on Charleston Boulevard, in traffic, it is not.

Watch for the tell. If the bars feel notchy, resist input, or don’t return to center after a turn, stop riding and get it inspected. That’s not a fork adjustment. That could be the screw.

What to do:

1. VINs became searchable August 4, 2026. Check yours at NHTSA.gov/recalls.
2. Interim letters mail September 21, 2026. The final remedy is anticipated in Winter 2026, with a second letter when it’s ready.
3. The repair, when available: dealers replace the lock screw and apply thread lock, free of charge.
4. Honda Powersports Customer Relations: 1-866-784-1870, recall number KUO.
5. If you already had 26V146 performed, still run your VIN. This is a broader campaign, not a duplicate.

Older Rider Campaigns Still Open and Unrepaired for Most Owners

• 2020–2026 BMW S 1000 RR — Ignition Lock May Fail and Cause a Stall (NHTSA #26V478). 16,736 bikes; stalling plus loss of dash, lighting and ABS. Remedy under development; owner notification expected on or about September 14, 2026. BMW of North America: 1-800-525-7417.
• 2025 Yamaha Ténéré 700 — “DO NOT RIDE” (recall 990190). 4,173 bikes with turn signals that can fail. Yamaha: 1-800-962-7926.
• 2022–2024 Husqvarna FE 501S/FE 350S & 2024 GasGas ES 500/ES 350 — Rear Brake Caliper May Crack (NHTSA #26V443). 6,257 dual-sports. KTM/Husqvarna/GasGas: 1-888-985-6090.
• 2024–2026 Harley-Davidson Touring, Softail & Trike — Oil May Eject From the Fill Spout (NHTSA #26V270). 88,039 motorcycles. Harley-Davidson: 1-800-258-2464.
• 2024–2026 Honda CBR600RR — Rod Bearing May Seize (NHTSA #25V891). 1,253 sportbikes. Honda: 1-866-784-1870.

---

Also Filed This Week & Worth a VIN Check

From the official NHTSA detailed recall summary of August 10, 2026. Verify your specific vehicle at NHTSA.gov/recalls.

RVs & trailers (RVBusiness):

• 2024–2025 Winnebago Ekko — “Park Outside” (NHTSA #26V498). 96 motorhomes. The touchscreen display may register phantom inputs and start the generator without the operator’s knowledge. Park outside until it’s fixed — a generator running in an enclosed space is a carbon monoxide hazard. Winnebago will push an over-the-air software update, free. Letters mail August 24, 2026. Winnebago: 1-641-585-6939 or 1-800-537-1885, recall 208. Note: this follows Winnebago recall 205 in May, which covered 1,537 Ekkos for the same failure mode. A completed repair on that campaign does not cover you for this one.
• 2027 Brinkley Model I — Exterior Ladder May Detach (#26V499). 28 trailers. Letters mailed August 7. Brinkley: 1-574-501-4280, recall REC-2603.
• 2027 Forest River Leprechaun & Freelander — House Battery May Lack Overcurrent Protection (#26V503). 21 units; a battery-post-mounted breaker may not be installed. Forest River: 1-574-825-8602, recall 210-2085.
• 2025–2026 Escape E13 F1 — Carbon Monoxide May Build Up in the Cabin (#26V505). 25 trailers; insufficient ventilation around the refrigerator. Dealers will install a ventilation fan and insulation. Escape: 1-855-703-1650.

Commercial, fleet & towing equipment:

• 2025 Mack TerraPro (TE) — #26V509. Steering gearbox fasteners may loosen.
• 2027 Wabash Van Trailer — #26V506. Antilock malfunction indicator light not labeled / FMVSS 121.
• 2024–2025 Rosenbauer Commander & 2026 Commercial HV507 / M2-106 — #26V504. Touch screen display may fail. If your department runs these, flag it now.
• 2022–2026 Royal Truck & Equipment Traffic Control Vehicle (Alamo Group) — #26V502. Solar panel may partially detach.
• 2027 Yamaha Boat Trailer (Midwest Industries) — #26V480. Trailer tongue may fail. If you tow to Lake Mead or Havasu, this one is not optional.
• 2025–2026 Wanco Compact Light Tower — #26V497. Fuel tank may crack and leak.

---

Critical Recalls Still Open

Covered in recent weeks and still open for most owners:

• Jeep Wrangler & Gladiator, 2021–2025 — “Park Outside” Fire (NHTSA #26V363). 1,076,999 vehicles. Power-steering pump wiring can overheat and ignite with the ignition off. NHTSA is aware of 51 fires and one injury likely tied to the issue. FCA: 1-800-853-1403. (NHTSA)
• Mercedes-Benz A-Class, C-Class, CLA, CLE, GLA, GLB & GLC, 2019–2026 — Rollaway Risk From Door Lock Failure (NHTSA #26V481). 310,667 vehicles. If the radio or lights stay on after you exit, the switch that runs your parking brake may be failing. Mercedes-Benz: 1-800-367-6372.
• Ford Bronco & Bronco Raptor, 2021–2026 — Engine Bay Wiring Fire (NHTSA #26V468). 565,691 SUVs. Ford: 1-866-436-7332.
• Ford Expedition, Navigator, Explorer, Aviator & F-150 — Rollaway Risk (NHTSA #26V402). 741,195 vehicles. Set the parking brake every time.
• Kia Telluride, 2020–2024 — “Park Outside” Seat Fire (NHTSA #26V430). 462,869 SUVs. Kia: 1-800-333-4542. (NHTSA)
• Ford Explorer & Lincoln Aviator, 2020–2027 — Second-Row Seat May Move (NHTSA #26V451). 387,911 SUVs.
• Ford Explorer & Lincoln Aviator, 2026–2027 — Driver’s Seat May Recline Unexpectedly (NHTSA #26V470). 79,579 vehicles. Remedy still under development. Keep the seat behind the driver empty.
• BMW X3, X4, 2/3/4/5 Series, Z4 & Toyota Supra — Starter Fire (NHTSA #26V438). 318,495 vehicles. BMW: 1-800-525-7417.
• Ford Mustang Mach-E, 2023–2025 — Rear Quarter Window Trim May Detach (NHTSA #26V487). 86,543 SUVs.
• Volkswagen Atlas & Atlas Cross Sport, 2024–2026 — Rearview Camera May Not Display (NHTSA #26V473). 57,851 SUVs. VW: 800-893-5298.
• Nissan Armada & Infiniti QX80/QX56 — Wrong Axle Weight Rating (NHTSA #26V455). 168,149 SUVs. Don’t tow to the door-jamb number until it’s corrected.

---

How to Check If Your Vehicle Has an Open Recall

This week’s two biggest campaigns already have searchable VINs. You are not waiting on anything.

1. NHTSA.gov/recalls — enter your VIN or license plate. Free, instant, official.
2. Call 1-888-327-4236 — NHTSA’s Vehicle Safety Hotline.
3. Download the SaferCar app — it pushes an alert when a recall hits a vehicle on your profile.
4. Call the dealer directly with your VIN if NHTSA hasn’t loaded the campaign yet. As with the Ram and Honda campaigns, dealers are often notified — and authorized to work — weeks before owner letters mail.

Your 17-character VIN is on the lower-left of your windshield, on your registration, and usually on your insurance card.

And then actually go. Manufacturers recalled more than 23 million vehicles in the first half of 2026 alone — more than double the same period in 2025 — and at least 94.7% of the vehicles recalled in Q2 needed a dealer to touch them. Software can’t fix a bolt that was never tightened. Meanwhile, the average recall completion rate across all manufacturers in 2025 was 45 percent (AutoInsurance.com analysis of NHTSA data), and NHTSA told Congress this spring that reaching owners of unrepaired vehicles remains the core problem (NHTSA Report to Congress, April 2026).

The repair is free. Recalls never expire. The appointment is the only hard part.

Frequently Asked Questions

What If a Defective Vehicle Caused Your Accident?

Look at the Ram 1500 filing and one thing stands out.

The problem didn’t come from a broken part. It came from a bolt that was never tightened, on a line that built trucks that way from February 2018 to April 2026. Chrysler didn’t hide it — the chronology shows the company opened an investigation in February and filed in July, which is how the process is supposed to work. But when NHTSA acknowledged the report on August 3, it had to send the filing back and require an amendment, because the description of which seating positions were affected wasn’t there (NHTSA acknowledgment, 26V495).

That’s what makes these documents matter. A Part 573 filing is a written, dated record of what a company knew, when it knew it, what it called the problem, and — sometimes — what it left out. It’s the rare piece of evidence a manufacturer creates about itself. It doesn’t go away because an adjuster would rather talk about your following distance.

If a defect caused or contributed to your crash — a belt that didn’t hold, a steering input that didn’t take, a rollaway, a camera that showed you nothing — you may have a claim against the manufacturer on top of any insurance claim. Insurers count on you not knowing that. They count on a fast offer while you’re still sore and the bills are stacking up.

At Sam & Ash Injury Law, we don’t let that happen. Whether you were in a car, a truck, an SUV, or on a motorcycle, we fight for people hurt by defective vehicles across Nevada and California — from Las Vegas and Henderson to Reno, Tahoe, Carson City, Newport Beach, the Inland Empire, and all of Southern California.

The consultation is free, 24/7. There’s no fee unless we win. Check your VIN tonight — it takes less time than reading this paragraph. Buckle up out there. And if a defective vehicle already hurt you, we’ll make them answer for it.

Visit samandashlaw.com or call us:

• Nevada Car Accident Lawyer — 702-857-6566
• California Car Accident Lawyer — 949-694-3120
• Free Case Review — anytime: 1 (877) 658-9951

---

We post updated recall blogs weekly. Sources: the official NHTSA detailed recall summary of August 10, 2026; NHTSA Part 573 Safety Recall Report and acknowledgment letter for campaign 26V495; NHTSA’s April 2026 Report to Congress on Improving Vehicle Safety Recall Completion Rates; NHTSA/Traffic Safety Marketing 2024 seat belt data; NHTSA consumer alert on campaign 26V363; autoevolution; Autoblog; GM Authority; AutoGuide; Motor Sports NewsWire; ABC27; Yahoo Autos; RVBusiness; BizzyCar’s Q2 2026 Recall Report; and AutoInsurance.com’s analysis of NHTSA recall data. Always verify your specific vehicle’s recall status at NHTSA.gov/recalls. This content is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice.