Seven manufacturers have seen fit to recall vehicles this week with a variety of potential issues identified which may risk the life and limb of occupants.
First cab off the rank this week is Lexus. A number of flashy new LC500h vehicles built between March 2017 and July 2018 could have an issue with the hybrid vehicle control ECU. Improper programming may see gear shifting be affected if the accelerator pedal is depressed too quickly (which is likely to happen in a sports car).
Should the car be afflicted with the problem, warning lights will come on and the hybrid system will shut down causing a loss of motive power. Power steering and braking assist will not be affected but the loss of motive power, particularly at high speeds, could increase the risk of an accident.
Known owners will be contacted by Lexus Australia either by SMS, email, phone or mail requesting the vehicle visit the dealership. Owners can check here using their VIN to see if their vehicle is affected by the recall.
Ford this week are recalling particular Ford EcoSport vehicles which could have an issue with engine vibration causing the timing belt tensioner spring to fail. This would result in a loss of engine timing which can lead the engine to shut down or be damaged.
If the engine were to shut down the sudden deceleration from the loss of power could result in an accident. To rectify the problem Ford is writing to known owners of affect vehicles to advise them to take their vehicle to their nearest Ford dealer for inspection and repair if necessary. A list of affected VINs can be found here.
It wouldn’t be a proper weekly recall without a problem with a Mercedes Benz and this week AMG GT and GTS vehicles sold between December 1, 2016, and February 28, 2017, are on the chopping block so to speak.
It appears a software problem, which is responsible for determining who or what is in the front passenger seat, may result in a child seat being identified as a person or lightweight person being identified as a child seat.
This could mean that in the event of an accident the front passenger airbag may not function correctly. It may deploy when a child seat is fitted or not deploy when a small person is occupying the seat, due to being misidentified, which could result in injury in both cases.
Concerned customers can contact their nearest Mercedes Benz dealership to arrange an inspection and free repair of the vehicle if necessary. A list of affected VINs can be found here also.
A number of MY17 and MY18 Kia Rio and Stinger vehicles have been recalled in relation to the towbar label incorrectly stating load ratings. This could mean objects above the maximum tow weight may be towed. If the towbar is overloaded it could detach from the vehicle and cause an accident.
Kia will be contacting known owners of affected vehicles by mail and advising them to take their vehicle to the nearest dealership to have the correct labelling attached. A list of affected VINs can be found here.
More cars have been added to the Takata airbag recall saga, Audi is looking to replace the faulty airbag inflators on TT (FV) and R8 (4S) vehicles sold between February 1, 2016, and December 31, 2017, and October 1, 2014, and December 31, 2017, respectively.
As the faulty airbags age the risk of potential injury increases as the inflator propellant degrades and can explode without warning. Concerned owners have a number of options to determine if their vehicle is a potential hazard including contacting Audi or their nearest dealership, visiting the airbag recall website, checking the Audi recall website or checking here using their VIN.
Also affected by the Takata airbag recall were a number of Mitsubishi Delica and Lancer vehicles sold in Queensland between March 1, 2016, and March 31, 2017.
Owners of these vehicles can contact Platinum Import Garage on 07 3601 7103 to arrange to have their airbags replaced and check if their vehicle is affected by the recall here.
Lastly, a selection of BMW E53 X5 models sold between March 1, 2001, and February 28, 2002, have been recalled due to potential software and hardware problems.
The airbags may be deploy without warning when the vehicle is being parked and cause an injury.
Affected vehicles will need the airbag control unit reprogrammed. Known owners will be contacted by BMW Group Australia or a BMW dealer to arrange an inspection and repair. A list of VINs can also be found here.
That’s all for this week folks, stay tuned next week for another round of ‘which car might kill you!’
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