Aston Martin has announced a "precautionary" recall of 440 DB9 and Rapide S vehicles in North America due to potentially faulty transmissions in the 2014 models.
Dealers have been ordered to stop selling the affected DB9 coupes and Rapide S sedans, which were produced from June 2013 to July 2014, until they have been repaired, Edmunds.com reported.
The problematic transmission can shift to neutral without warning.
"Due to a faulty circuit board, the transmissions in the affected vehicles may inadvertently shift to neutral without input from the driver," the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said in a statement quoted by Edmunds. "If the transmission shifts to neutral, the driver will not be able to maintain speed or move the vehicle out of traffic, increasing the risk of a crash."
The recall will involve replacing the faulty circuit boards in the recalled vehicles.
"Aston Martin's commitment to safety and customer satisfaction is paramount, which is why the company is taking this precautionary action," Aston Martin spokesman Matthew Clarke told Edmunds in an email.
No accidents, injuries or fatalities have been reported in connection with the problem, Clarke said.
"The transmission control switch exchange and associated work takes approximately 30 minutes to complete and will be carried out with no charge to the customer by their local Aston Martin dealer," he told Edmunds.
Affected owners can call (888) 923-9988 to contact Aston Martin.
Earlier this year, the luxury brand recalled around 5,000 vehicles in the U.S. because a Chinese supplier had reportedly used counterfeit materials during production, affecting the throttle pedal arm.
The recall included the 2008-'14 DB9 and V8 Vantage; 2009-'12 Aston Martin DBS; 2010-'12 Rapide; 2014 Rapide S; 2011-'12 V12 Vantage; 2011-'14 V8 Vantage S; and 2012 Virage.
"If the accelerator pedal arm breaks, the engine will return to idle and the driver will be unable to maintain or increase engine speed, increasing the risk of a crash," the NHTSA described in a summary of the issue.
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