DETROIT — Owners of roughly 310,000 Kestrel compact crossovers will begin receiving letters this month warning that a wiring connector behind the rear lamps can corrode and cause the brake lights to stop working. Ashford Motor Co., the maker of the Kestrel, says it is aware of 46 minor rear-end collisions that may be linked to the problem and no injuries.
The recall, filed with federal safety regulators last week, covers vehicles from three model years built at the company’s plant in Ohio. Dealers will replace the connector and add a sealed harness at no charge, a job the company estimates takes about an hour.
Recalls of this size are common. Hundreds are issued every year in the United States, covering tens of millions of vehicles. Yet surveys consistently show that about one in four recalled vehicles never gets fixed. Here is how the process works and what owners should do.
How a recall happens
Under federal law, automakers must notify regulators within five business days of determining that a vehicle has a safety-related defect or fails to meet a federal safety standard. In practice, recalls are often triggered by a mix of warranty claims, dealer reports and complaints that owners file directly with regulators.
Once a recall is filed, the manufacturer must notify registered owners by first-class mail, typically within 60 days, and provide a free remedy. Increasingly, companies also send text messages and in-car alerts on connected vehicles.
The letter is not junk mail. If your car is on the list, the repair is free, and in a case like this one it is the difference between the driver behind you seeing you stop or not.
Jolene Marsh, director of vehicle safety research, Roadwise Consumer Alliance
What Kestrel owners should do
- Check your VIN: the 17-character vehicle identification number is on the driver-side dashboard and the registration card; enter it on the federal recall lookup site or the automaker’s owner portal.
- Test the lights: until the fix is done, have someone stand behind the car while you press the brake, or back up to a garage door at night.
- Watch for warnings: a “check brake lamp” message or a rapidly flashing turn signal can indicate the fault.
- Book early: Ashford says parts will arrive in waves, with older vehicles prioritized.
- Ask about reimbursement: owners who already paid for the same repair may be eligible for a refund with receipts.
Ashford said in a statement that it discovered the issue after a supplier changed the plastic used in the connector housing, allowing road salt and moisture to seep in. Vehicles in northern states, where roads are heavily salted, account for most of the reported failures.
Some safety advocates say the company moved too slowly. Marsh’s group said complaints about the brake lights began appearing on owner forums more than a year ago. “Eighteen months is a long time to have a known pattern on cars that are driving on the interstate every day,” she said.
Ashford disputed that characterization, saying engineers needed time to separate the connector failures from unrelated bulb and switch issues. “We launched an investigation as soon as warranty data showed a trend, and we acted as soon as we confirmed the root cause,” said Owen Pritchard, the company’s vice president of product safety.
Used-car buyers should pay particular attention. Dealers that sell new vehicles are generally barred from selling new cars with open recalls, but rules for used vehicles vary by state, and private sellers face few requirements. A free VIN check before purchase takes less than a minute.
Owners with questions can contact Ashford’s customer line at (212) 555-0142 or email recalls@ashfordmotor.example.
