Wheels: Aston Martin and Dodge to Recall Cars

Aston Martin The 2014 Aston Martin V8 Vantage Coupe is one of the models affected by a recall issued for faulty accelerator pedal parts.

Aston Martin will recall about 689 of its 2012-14 models in the United States and another 2,100 globally because the accelerator pedal may break, according to a report the automaker filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

Chrysler has also issued a recall of nearly 13,000 2013 Dodge Darts because of a temperature-related stalling problem.

It was a case of unfortunate timing for Aston. The report says the first failure occurred at an event for journalists. The automaker investigated and discovered that a supplier had used parts the report described as “a plastic material that was not in accordance with the Aston Martin design specification” in some models’ pedal assemblies. Aston Martin also said it suspected “the broken parts had been subjected to heavy use.”

The models affected are the DB9, DBS, Rapide, V12 Vantage Coupe, V8 Vantage Coupe and Virage. Aston Martin said if the pedal broke the engine would return to idle.

The company described the recall as voluntary but once a manufacturer is aware of a safety problem it has no choice but – within five business days – to inform N.H.T.S.A. of its plan for a recall or face a civil fine.

Dodge, via Associated Press Nearly 13,000 Dodge Darts have been recalled due to a computer-related stalling problem.

In other recall-related news, Chrysler will recall about 12,900 of its 2013 Dodge Dart models in the United States – and 1,900 in Canada – because of a stalling problem, the automaker said in a news release. The recall covers models with the 1.4-liter 4-cylinder engine and dual-clutch automatic transmission.

Chrysler said it discovered the problem after a vehicle had been parked for eight hours in a climate-controlled chamber with its temperature set at 20 degrees Fahrenheit. The automaker later learned that some dealers had received complaints from owners about the same issue. Chrysler says it is not aware of any accidents linked to the problem and that it will reprogram the powertrain modules.