Watch Out For Runaway Aston Martins!

With so much power and performance capability on tap, you'd expect to see Aston Martins moving quickly. But you hope that when they do, they're doing it on purpose.

That may not be the case, however, for a wide array of the British automaker's twelve-cylinder models, which are being recalled for a rollaway risk.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has issued a recall notice for certain DB9, DBS, Virage, Vanquish, and Rapide models – specifically those equipped with the six-speed Touchtronic II automatic transmission, which may not engage the Park function properly. So if their drivers haven't applied the parking brake, they could roll away unexpectedly.

That could prove not only costly (given how much these vehicles typically sell for) but also rather dangerous. Fortunately, exotic as they are, the scope of the recall is relatively limited to just 3,493 vehicles (in the United States at least), and all they'll need is a Transmission Control Module software update.

In the meantime, if you are (otherwise) fortunate enough to own a twelve-cylinder Aston, better make sure you put on the parking brake before hopping out. And if you see one moving with no one behind the wheel, make sure to get out of the way.