Volkswagen is recalling a small number of 2012 Routan minivans for a problem with the right hand rear hub and bearing assemblies. According to VW, the vehicles affected were built between November 15 to November 21, 2011, and were installed with a hub and bearing assembly that was not fully machined by the manufacturer. The assemblies could wear out prematurely, leading to wheel separation and an increased risk of an accident. Owners wanting more information on the problem can contact Volkswagen at 1-800-822-8987. Last week, Chrysler issued a similar recall involving certain 2012 Chrysler Town and Country and 2012 Dodge Grand Caravan minivans.

An recent investigation into side curtain airbags not deploying properly in some Toyota, Honda, Nissan, Accura, and Subaru vehicles has the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) concerned about how wide spread the problem could be. The investigation started after Swedish automobile parts manufacturer, Autoliv, reported that one of their airbags failed to deploy under cold weather conditions as a result of the wrong mixture of inflation gasses being used. The company also manufactures airbags for General Motors and Ford, but say that a different design is used. Approximately 11,000 of the potentially defective parts have been shipped to various manufacturers, and concerns over the problem has already lead to the recall of several vehicle models. The recall includes:

General Motors is recalling certain GMC and Chevrolet trucks because the steering gear pitman shaft may not have been manufactured properly. According to the recall report filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) the shaft may have not been allowed to harden properly and could fracture while driving. If this happens, the driver could experience complete loss of steering. GM will be notifying customers starting in April, and will inspect and replace the steering gear pitman shaft as necessary. Owners wanting more information on the recall can contact Chevrolet at 1-800-630-2438, GMC at 1-866-996-9463, or go to the owner center at www.gmownercenter.com. The vehicles involved in the recall include:

Nissan is recalling certain 2003-2004 Infiniti M45 vehicles for an electrical problem that could leave drivers stranded. Because of a circuit board failure, the fuel gauge may read at a higher level than actually exists in the tank. Owners could run out of fuel without warning leaving them stranded and increasing the risk of an accident. For more information on the problem, contact Nissan customer service at 1-800-647-7261.

Toyota is recalling certain 2009 Camry sedans and 2009-2011 Venza mid size crossover SUV (CUV) vehicles over a manufacturing defect that could leave drivers with inoperative brake lights. According to the recall report filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), silicon grease may have gotten on the contacts of the stop lamp switch increasing the resistance of the switch. This problem with the brake lights could lead to a no start condition, and the driver may not be able to shift out of the “park” position. Toyota will be notifying and replacing the stop lamp switch starting in April. Owners wanting more information about the problem can contact Toyota at 1-800-331-4331.

Nissan is recalling certain Nissan and Infiniti vehicles for a fuel pressure sensor that may not have been tightened to the correct manufacturers specifications. The sensor may loosen as a result of heat and vibration, causing fuel to leak and increasing the risk of fire. Nissan will inspect and replace the the fuel pressure sensor as necessary. Owners can contact Nissan customer service at 615-725-1000 for more information. The vehicles involved in this recall include:

Porsche has announced a recall on certain 2011-2012 Cayenne sport utility vehicles (SUV) because the headlamps could become loose and detach from the fender. The driver of the vehicle may experience loss of visibility, and/or the detached headlight could become a road hazard. The vehicles affected by the recall were manufactured between March 08, 2010 to January 31, 2012 and include:

Porsche has already started notifying customers and will replace the headlamp locking assemblies free of charge. Owners wanting more information on the problem can contact Porsche at 1-800-767-7243.

Honda is recalling certain 2012 Honda Pilot and 2012 Acura MDX vehicles for fuel leaks that could increase the risk of fire. According to the recall report filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), the vent shut float (VSF) valve case in the fuel tank was not manufactured to the proper specification. Honda will inspect the VSF assembly date and will replace the fuel tank assembly accordingly. The recall is expected to affect almost 9,000 vehicles. Owners wanting more information on the recall can contact Honda customer services at 1-800-999-1009.