In this week’s round of recalls: General Motors SUVs are being recalled due to a faulty seat belt buckle., a limited number of Nissan Armada sport-utes are having their second-row seat hinges repaired, and child restraint tether wires may need correcting in Nissan to a potentially faulty second-row seat hinge and child restraint tether wires were welded incorrectly in some Nissan Frontiers, prompting a recall.

2009 and 2010 Buick Enclave, Chevrolet Traverse, GMC Acadia, and Saturn Outlook

The Problem: Second-row seat belt buckles can become damaged after use. When second-row seats are returned to an upright position after being folded, the buckles’ covers can become loose and slide down, possibly depressing the release button. Should an accident occur, the seat belt may not hold passengers as intended.

The fix:  Dealers will modify the second-row seat trim and replace broken safety buckles free of charge. Owners will be contacted on or before August 31, and can contact General Motors at gmownercenter.com. The NHTSA-assigned campaign ID number is 10V375000.

Number of vehicles potentially affected: 207,210

2010 Nissan Armada

The Problem: Armadas produced between June 7 and 11, roughly 174 vehicles in total, may have been built with a faulty second-row center seat hinge. These hinges may contain a manufacturing defect that prevents them from securely locking in the upright position, reducing its integrity in a collision.

The Fix:  Dealers will inspect hinges for proper functionality and will replace the parts if discovered to be out of spec. Owners will be notified by August 30, and will receive the fix free of charge. The NHTSA-assigned campaign ID number is 10V371000. Owners can call Nissan at 800-647-7261 for more information.

Number of vehicles potentially affected: 174

2010 Nissan Frontier

The Problem: King Cab Frontier pickups built between June 10 and June 26, 2010 have been recalled for faulty child seat anchors. According to Nissan, the anchor wire may have been insufficiently welded to the seat gusset, possibly allowing it to detach during a collision.

The Fix:  Nissan will replace the seat gussets free of charge. Customers will be notified on or before September 1. The NHTSA-assigned campaign ID number is 10V372000, and Nissan can be reached at 800-647-7261.

The NHTSA can be reached at 888-327-4236 or on the Web at Safercar.gov.

Source: NHTSA

A problem with a manual transmission cable on the 2010 Honda Element has put the box-like sport-utility vehicle on ice. In all, up to 585 Elements with defective gear shifters may be recalled.

Per the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and Honda’s findings, the affected Elements were fitted with a shifter cable that may not be properly attached to the shift lever bracket. This could cause confusion as the Element may not be in the driver’s selected gear and could potentially cause operational problems and even an accident. A stop-sale has also been issued in light of the issue.

The NHTSA campaign ID number is 10V361000, while Honda’s recall campaign number is R45. Potentially affected owners may contact Honda at 800-999-1009. The NHTSA can be reached at 888-327-4236 or on the Web at Safercar.gov.

Source: NHTSA

Toyota has issued a recall and stop-sale for the 2010 Lexus HS 250h, citing an excessive fuel spillage concern in the event the hybrid vehicles are rear-ended. The recall affects 17,000 HS 250h models.

Unfortunately, Lexus hasn’t disclosed the exact issue with the fuel tank and is currently working on a remedy. The findings were unveiled during annual compliance crash testing conducted by the NHTSA, which discovered that the HS 250h was leaking a large amount of fuel after impact.

“Even though our own testing of the Lexus HS 250h shows full compliance with federal fuel system integrity standards, we are working intensely to duplicate the noncompliance issue that the NHTSA identified and to determine the reason behind the different test results,” said Steve St. Angelo, Toyota’s chief quality officer for North America.

Back in the 1970s, Ford experienced a similar nightmare with the subcompact Pinto.

The NHTSA campaign ID number is 10V285000. Potentially affected owners may contact Lexus at 800-255-3987 or at www.lexus.com/recall. The NHTSA can be reached at 888-327-4236 or on the Web at Safercar.gov.

Sources: Detroit Free Press, NHTSA, Toyota