Some interesting news about recalls has reached my ears.

There are, of course, two ways to look at recalls.

On the one hand it's obviously an embarrassment for a manufacturer to have to recall some of its products. On the other hand, when a manufacturer voluntarily issues a recall to rectify a fault, it speaks of integrity and accountability.

Manufacturers, wishing to give the second impression and bypss the first, will therefore often claim that a recall is voluntary.

However, since US federal regulations require a manufacturer to inform the authorities within five business days of its plans for a recall after becoming aware of a safety problem, it's like voluntarily handing over your wallet when a gun is pointing at your head.

Salient figures from a report released for 2011 by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) in the US on January 6 include the following:

About 15.5 million vehicles were recalled.

Honda recalled about 3.9 million vehicles, the highest number for any manufacturer.

Toyota had the second highest total (3.5 million vehicles), followed by Ford (3.3 million). GM recalled "only" 500000 vehicles.

Almost 447000 tyres were recalled in three separate actions, as well as 794000 child safety seats in one action.

It's not clear how many of these recalls affect vehicles sold in South Africa, but once a recall is issued overseas, companies operating locally will normally inform all owners of affected vehicles to bring in their vehicles for the necessary replacements or modifications.

Almost simultaneous with the release of the recall figures, came the rankings of the annual auto reliability survey of Consumer Reports magazine which show Japanese brands, including Honda, outperforming all others on the American market over the period 2002-2011.

One also has to bear in mind that not all recalls are for safety issues.

Speaking of recalls, 2012 did not start well for the Mini. Its parent company, BMW, announced in mid-January that it was recalling almost 389000 turbocharged Mini Cooper S models from the years 2007-2011, after an investigation by the NHTSA revealed that they can catch fire while the engine is off.

The auxiliary water pump, designed to dissipate heat from the turbocharger, was the cause of the hazard.

The pump's circuit board may malfunction, allowing the board to overheat and the water pump to fail.

South African Cooper S models (including the Clubman and Convertible) are also affected.

A dealer near me confirmed that BMW had started sending out letters to owners, asking them to bring in their cars.

Apparently it's a quick, "in and out" job. If you are unsure whether your Mini is affected or not, contact BMW. Don't just ignore it and hope for the best.

Eight American owners have reported that engine fires started while the car was parked and the ignition turned off - not something you want to witness, especially if there's a child or pet in the car.