False recall of 587,000 vehicles for the most Quebec-like reason possible
One of the most recent additions to Transport Canada's database of vehicle safety recalls startled us, because it concerns over 587,000 vehicles in the country, specifically from BMW, MINI and Rolls-Royce. Problems affecting half a million vehicles are, as you can imagine, quite rare, but they're worth paying attention to.
In this case, no. You see, some safety recalls issued by Transport Canada aren't recalls at all, but updates. The department makes this clear on its website: “This is not a recall” and “this minor error has no impact on the safety of the vehicle.”
What exactly is this all about? Well, believe it or not, the tire and load information label does not indicate in both official languages that there are no spare tires. The label reads “NONE” when it should read “NONE / AUCUN”. Canadian regulations require this information to be displayed on the label in both English and French.
Oui, monsieur. Yes, Sir!
The notice published by Transport Canada lists all BMW, MINI and Rolls-Royce models sold in Canada - 37 in all - covering the years 2009 to 2025. However, we learned that the manufacturer has corrected the tire and load information label on all new vehicles and that no further action is required.
As mentioned above, this kind of false recall is not unheard of, nor is it the first time a car company has been called to order for its failure to respect the French language.
For example, just over 5,000 Kia Sportages from the year 2000 had to be “recalled” because the vehicle type was not written in both official languages on the conformity label. Kia dealers therefore affixed a sticker showing the vehicle type in French and English on the label in question.
