Car Recalls due to Wiring Harness Quality

Product design issues and quality issues may eventually lead to car recalls. Although the wiring harness is small, there are indeed many recalls caused by wiring harness problems. According to statistics, there were 14 recalls caused by wiring harness problems in my country in 2020.
Summarizing the wiring harness recall in 2020, judging from the official reasons for the recall, the problems are concentrated in:
• Insufficient motion tensile testing when wiring harnesses are arranged: such as the wiring harness arrangement at the bottom of the seat (3 cases), the wiring harness arrangement at the gearbox (1 case), the wiring harness near the steering column (1 case), the door wiring harness layout (1 case) rise);
• The design of wire harness protection is not in place: such as the waterproof design of the ECU part (1 case), dustproof protection of the transmission accessory wiring harness (1 case)
• The reason for the recall involves components critical to driving safety: such as engine ECU, airbags, gearbox, electronic steering, etc.
We have also counted past car recalls before, and the wiring harness courses are as follows:
From 2002 to 2012, an inventory of automobile recalls caused by wiring harnesses and a summary of experiences and lessons learned
From 2013 to 2018, an inventory of automobile recalls caused by wiring harnesses and a summary of experiences and lessons learned
The following is a review of automotive recalls related to wiring harnesses in 2020:

1. The wiring harness of the rear seat belt is arranged incorrectly, and Beijing Benz recalls some GLB models.
Event review: According to the “Regulations on the Management of Recall of Defective Automobile Products” and the “Implementation Measures of the Regulations on the Management of Recall of Defective Automobile Products”, Beijing Benz recalled some GLB models produced from June 24, 2019 to November 21, 2019, a total of 545 vehicles.
Reason for recall: There may be a problem with the wiring harness arrangement under the second row of seats. When the second-row seats are moved to the front, the wiring harness may be damaged, affecting the normal operation of the second-row side airbags. At the same time, the warning for second-row passengers not wearing seat belts will also be disturbed. Additionally, if the second-row seats are moved without locking them properly, the driver will not receive a warning.
Corrective measures: After the recall, Beijing Benz will check the wiring harness under the second row of seats and make adjustments at the same time. If the wiring harness is damaged, it will be repaired.
Lessons learned: For the wiring harness arrangement in the sports area (seats), it should be considered that the wiring harness moves with the fixed components, and the length of the wiring harness should be reserved and fully fixed.

2. BMW will recall some M5 and M8 cars due to incorrect transmission wiring harness wiring
Event review: BMW (China) Automobile Trading Co., Ltd. filed a recall plan with the State Administration for Market Regulation. The vehicles covered by this recall are some imported BMW M5 and M8 cars produced from January 29, 2019 to October 15, 2019, a total of 81 vehicles.
Reason for recall: Due to the wiring problem of the gearbox wiring harness, it may cause interference and damage to the wiring harness and cause a short circuit in the wiring harness. As a result, the vehicle will enter the transmission emergency operation state and switch to the neutral position. When the vehicle is restarted from a standstill, the transmission switches to park. This phenomenon will cause the vehicle’s transmission power to be lost, thereby increasing the risk of accidents and posing safety hazards.
Corrective measures: The transmission wiring harness will be repaired free of charge for vehicles within the scope of this recall. If the wiring harness is damaged, the transmission wiring harness needs to be replaced to eliminate safety hazards.
Lessons learned: For the wiring harness arrangement in the moving area (gearbox), the wiring harness engineer should consider the motion envelope of the wiring harness and the moving structure (shifting) to avoid wiring harness interference.

3. Improper wiring of front door wiring harness. Mercedes-Benz recalls 1,656 big “G” vehicles
Event review: Mercedes-Benz (China) Automobile Sales Co., Ltd. filed a recall plan with the State Administration for Market Regulation in accordance with the requirements of the “Regulations on the Management of Recalls of Defective Automobile Products” and the “Implementation Measures of the Regulations on the Management of Recalls of Defective Automobile Products”. Recall 1,656 imported G-class models produced between May 25 and November 23, 2018.
Reason for recall: The wiring of the vehicle’s front door wiring harness is unreasonable, which may cause damage to the wiring harness when the door is opened and closed. Potential safety consequences depend on the specific wiring harness affected, for example, the performance of the side impact restraint system may be affected; automatic door unlocking in the event of a collision; vehicle position during emergency calls; door contact switch-related functions in the door locks; rearview mirror functions (Turn indicators, blind spot monitoring, rearview mirror adjustment and heating) etc. It will increase the risk of vehicle collision and personal injury, posing safety risks.
Corrective measures: Free rewiring of the front door wiring harness of vehicles within the scope of the recall. If the wiring harness is damaged, replace it to eliminate safety hazards.
Lessons learned: Door wiring harnesses are easily overlooked during the trial production process and require the attention of wiring harness engineers. When designing the door wire harness layout, full consideration should be given to the waterproofing, interference, assembly and other issues of the wire harness.

Batteries have safety hazards. Chongqing Lifan recalls 3,651 650EV300 pure electric vehicles
Event review: Chongqing Lifan Passenger Vehicle Co., Ltd. has decided to recall some Lifan 650EV300 pure electric vehicles produced from December 11, 2017 to December 31, 2018, starting from July 1, 2020, a total of 3,651 vehicles.
Reasons for the recall: 1. During the production and manufacturing process, there is interference in the distribution of high-voltage wiring harnesses inside the power battery pack, which may cause wear and tear of the insulation layer and short circuit during subsequent use;
2. There is a risk of loosening the connecting screws of the battery pack bus copper bars;
3. The charging temperature threshold of the power battery pack is set too high, which poses certain safety risks when fast charging is used for a long time. Due to the above reasons, the power battery pack may have the risk of thermal runaway and fire under extreme circumstances, posing safety risks.
Corrective measures:
1. Improve the fixing method of copper busbar bolts and add thread glue to prevent loosening;
2. Check the high-voltage wiring harness in the battery pack, replace aging and worn wiring harnesses and adjust the wiring harness layout;
3. Check the battery modules and replace modules with quality problems;
4. Upgrade the battery management system BMS software and improve the charging strategy;
5. Check the battery pack seal, and repair or replace the battery pack box with hidden dangers.
Lessons learned: There are really many reasons for this recall, and it is also a matter of wiring harness interference.5. Kawasaki Ninja 400 model ABS wiring harness has hidden dangers, domestic recall
Event review:
On June 30, Kawasaki officially released a recall information about the Ninja 400. The content is that some batches of vehicles have layout problems in the ABS wiring harness, which may cause the anti-lock braking system to not work properly. This vehicle involves the Ninja 400 model produced between August 24, 2018 and February 14, 2019.
Reason for recall: There is a possibility that the vehicle’s anti-lock braking system may not work properly due to layout problems in the ABS wiring harness.
Lessons Learned: Wire Harness Layout Issues

6. GAC Hino recalls 823 SS64 tractors due to potential wiring harness breakage
Event review:
GAC Hino Automobile Co., Ltd. complies with the requirements of the “Regulations on the Management of Recall of Defective Automobile Products” and the “Implementation Measures of the Regulations on the Management of Recalls of Defective Automobile Products”. A recall plan was filed with the State Administration for Market Regulation. It was decided to recall some SS64 tractor-trailer vehicles produced between September 11, 2015 and May 19, 2020, starting from July 1, 2020, a total of 823 vehicles.
Reason for recall: Due to poor fixation of the wiring harness and wiring harness connectors in the power switch box of the vehicle, vibrations occur as the vehicle travels, and the connector wiring harness repeatedly bends, which may cause poor connection between the wiring harness and connectors. In extreme cases, the wiring harness breaks due to fatigue, the power supply to the entire vehicle is cut off, and the engine stops working and cannot be started. It increases the risk of being rear-ended by the car behind you and poses a safety hazard.
Corrective measures: Replace the power switch bracket after the design change, and add clips to effectively fix the wiring harness and connectors to eliminate safety hazards.
Lessons learned: Failure to effectively fix the plug part during wiring harness layout resulted in a recall.

7. Due to possible deformation and contamination of the transmission main wiring harness terminals, Dongfeng Xiaokang recalled some Fengguang 580 1.5T CVT cars.
Event review: Dongfeng Xiaokang Automobile Co., Ltd. complied with the requirements of the “Regulations on the Management of Recall of Defective Automobile Products” and the “Implementation Measures of the Regulations on the Management of Recalls of Defective Automobile Products”. A recall plan was filed with the State Administration for Market Regulation. It was decided to recall 97,524 DXK6470AS2F Fengguang 580 1.5T CVT vehicles produced between August 24, 2016 and March 23, 2018, starting from July 3, 2020.
Reason for recall: Continuously variable transmission (CVT) main wiring harness terminals may be deformed and contaminated due to protection issues. In extreme cases, the low-voltage power supply ratio of the automatic transmission control unit (TCU) fluctuates beyond the TCU voltage threshold range, which may cause vehicle power interruption and pose safety risks.
Corrective measures: For vehicles within the recall scope, check the TCU fault codes, transmission main wiring harness external terminals and driving mode sensors, and upgrade the TCU software. The damaged external terminals of the transmission main wiring harness and the driving mode sensor will be replaced free of charge to eliminate potential safety hazards.
Lessons learned: When designing the wiring harness, dustproof and waterproof protection was not done.

8. Due to unreasonable wiring of the wiring harness under the right seat, Mercedes-Benz recalled some imported GLE SUV vehicles
Event review: Starting from July 17, 2020, a total of 929 imported GLE SUV vehicles with electric adjustment functions for the second row seats produced between December 3, 2018 and September 20, 2019 have been recalled. .
Reason for recall: Due to deviations in the assembly process, the wiring harness under the right seat of the second row may not be routed as required. If you move the second-row right-hand seat forward or backward, this harness may become worn. For vehicles equipped with rear side airbags, the side airbags for this seat may not operate as expected, increasing the risk of injury in the event of a vehicle collision. In addition, if the occupant in this seat does not fasten the seat belt, the driver may not be reminded, posing a safety hazard.
Corrective measures: For vehicles within the scope of the recall, check the wiring of the wiring harness under the right seat of the second row, correct and repair the damaged wiring harness if necessary to eliminate safety hazards.
Lessons learned: Wire harness layout issues also occur in the seating area.