by Gabrielle DeSantis

If you’re a frequent MotorBiscuit reader, you probably know about every vehicle-related recall as it happens. A good example is the recent Ford Explorer recall that affected 2016 to 2019 SUVs. In all car safety recall cases, a particular vehicle no longer meets federal safety standards.

However, if you don’t keep up with automotive news regularly, how do you know if there’s a recall on your vehicle? Moreover, is there a way to anticipate these issues before they happen?

What are car recalls for?

Another good example involves 2018 to 2019 BMW vehicles. There’s the risk of an occupant classification system malfunction. That means a deactivated front airbag might not deploy when it’s supposed to. This serious problem is on par with the Kia recall in Australia, both of which are issues nobody could’ve anticipated.

However, some recalls are far less critical. Although they affect the operation of the vehicle somewhat, they do not necessarily pose an immediate risk. A good example is the Mercedes-Benz recall for headlights that did not have the correct adjustment.

Not surprisingly, recalls are quite frequent. They occur for a wide variety of reasons. Most important, some recalls are relatively minor, but others are big problems that need immediate attention.

Which cars have been ordered back most for critical issues?

Is your car less likely to be part of a recall because it’s cheap, expensive, gas-powered, or electric? The dirty little secret is that no vehicle is immune to these issues. The Drive notes that no car manufacturer is without recalls. Because of the ways automakers produce vehicles, there are chances for human error, production problems, or material failure.

Similarly, because the government sets the bar low, it’s easy to have one car or thousands that are part of a recall effort. By the way, it’s a common misconception that newer cars are more susceptible to these orders. It might look like that because many have original owners who receive communication from the manufacturer directly. Second and subsequent owners do not usually get those.

How to check if your vehicle has an active recall and what to do next

The most important agency to watch for car recalls is the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). It’s a library for manufacturer-issued orders and customer complaints. The agency allows you to enter your car’s 17-character VIN to see if the vehicle is part of one or more open recalls.

The NHTSA’s data goes back 15 years, which is great news for used-car owners. If the vehicle’s last owner took the car to have the repair done, the VIN will not bring up any results. The system then considers your car to no longer be a part of the recall.

Another way to check is through Kelley Blue Book. You can search by VIN, license plate, or make and model. This information comes from the NHTSA.

It matters what you do next. After you learn that your vehicle is part of a recall, such as the recent Hyundai Santa Fe Sport issue, you should contact your local dealership. Because the manufacturer acknowledges fault, repairs will be free of charge. In fact, if you receive a manufacturer’s notice, it specifies what the company will do to fix the problem.

Keep in mind that the dealership will fix only the recall issue for free. If you allowed the problem to persist and it caused secondary problems, you’ll probably have to pay for those repairs out of pocket. And though taking your car in for repairs is a hassle, it’s certainly worth it to drive a vehicle that runs the best it can.

RELATED: Ford Recall Fixes Could Get Easier Thanks to Google Partnership

The post How Do You Know if Your Car Is Scheduled for a Recall? appeared first on MotorBiscuit.

by Gabrielle DeSantis

The new 2022 Porsche Cayenne GT is the talk of the town. And while the 2002 Cayenne became the first four-door Porsche, there was another car that almost came out first. Based on the 900 platform, the 989 is the closest Porsche ever came to making a four-door 911.

The 989 was Porsche’s ticket into the luxury market

First conjured up in 1988, the 898 was Porsche’s answer to the expanding luxury performance market. It’d be a thoroughbred sports car with seating for four and plenty of comfort features. On top of that, it was poised to be the automaker’s very first four-door, allowing the company to break into the passenger car market.

While very little is known about the features of the 989, information on the engine is abundant and impressive. The exterior design was clearly inspired by the 911, and originally the inner workings were as well. While the 989 was never destined to have a flat six-cylinder engine like a traditional 911, the engine was supposed to be mounted in the rear.

That engine was originally a 3.6L V8, which was to be naturally aspirated like most Porsches were, that made nearly 300 horsepower. For reference, a 911 Carerra from 1988 made 214 horsepower from its 3.1L six-cylinder boxer engine. But after careful consideration, they deemed that a rear-mounted layout wasn’t luxurious enough. After all, the only other air-cooled engine of that size was fitted in a Tatra, which wasn’t the market segment they were going for.

Porsche also decided to make the engine bigger, developing a water-cooled 4.2L V8 that bumped the horsepower up to 350. In short, the 989 wasn’t joking around, and neither was Porsche when it came to making this four-door beast an actual production car.

The Porsche 989 was meant to be a full-production car

Because the body was designed for a rear-mounted engine, the V8 was slipped into a Mercedes W124 for testing purposes. The main reason for selecting the Merc is that the engine would fit. But more so, they had some prior familiarity with the design.

Had the 989 made it to production, it would’ve dominated the BMW M5 and Mercedes 500E, two of the biggest names in performance sedans. In terms of power and performance, the 989 weighed 200 lbs less and had a higher top speed of 178 miles per hour.

Not only would the 989 have been Porsche’s first four-door car, but it would’ve also been their first water-cooled engine. With the promise of being revolutionary and power figures that dominated rivals, it’s surprising and disappointing that the whole project fell apart.

What happened to the 989?

The development process of the 989 was going just fine, and some even made it into showrooms. But a large part of the 989s demise was the poor sales of the 928. When the 928 first came out in 1977 it was a smash hit. But by the 90s it was burning a hole in Porsche’s wallet. The company needed a hit, and the 928 wasn’t carrying sales as expected.

Strapped for cash, and fearing that the 989 would succumb to a similar fate, the four-door was scrapped in 1993. Instead, Porsche devoted all R&D to the next generation Porsche Carerra and upcoming Porsche Boxster. And after those two models got the company back on its feet, only then could the company take a risk. And in 2002, they created the somewhat gawky first-generation Porsche Cayenne.

The idea behind a four-door Porsche 911 has been around since 1968. And while the 989 came close to achieving that dream, it’s was left behind in favor of the safer SUV approach. It’s disappointing that the 989 never saw the light of day, but some styling cues carried over to the Panamera.

RELATED: Why Are Air-Cooled Porsche 911s so Valuable?

The post Before the Porsche Cayenne, There Was the Concept 989 appeared first on MotorBiscuit.