A significant number of vehicle recalls have been issued this week from manufacturers including Porsche, Lexus, Volkswagen, Audi, Subaru and Holden.
Porsche Boxster and Cayman 718 vehicles sold between February 23, 2016, and February 14, 2019, may have an issue with the lower longitudinal crash beam.
In the event of a frontal collision, the lower longitudinal crash beam which is located in the luggage compartment area may penetrate the bulkhead wall at the lower cross body component, which increases the risk of the fuel tank being damaged which could lead to a fire.
Known affected owners will be contacted by mail or can contact their Porsche dealer to arrange an inspection and repair if necessary. Affected VINs can be found here.
A recall notice was issued this week for MY18 Lexus IS300h (AVE30) supplied between October 23, 2017, and December 24 2018, MY18 Lexus LS500 (GVF50) supplied between February 28, 2018, and December 24, 2018, as well as MY18 Lexus LS500h (VXFA50) vehicles supplied between February 23, 2018 and February 26, 2019.
The vehicles in question would be equipped with run-flat tyres with a sidewall reinforcement layer inside the tyre. It appears that improper assembly processes may allow a crack to develop on the sidewall of the tyre which could expand over time and eventually lead to the tyre tread layer separating and increasing the risk of an accident.
Lexus Australia will be contacting known owners of affected vehicles to have them being their vehicle in for rectification free of charge. Lexus will also arrange alternative transport for the owner. A list of affected VINs can be found here.
A recall notice has also been issued for 2018 Audi A5 (F5) vehicles sold between September 10 and October 10, 2018.
The issue inflicting the A5 is in relation to individual bolted connections on the front axle potentially not being tightened to the specified torque. This could lead to them loosening over time and subsequently affecting the wheel control and increasing the risk of an accident.
Audi will be contacting known owners of affected vehicles which need to have the bolted connections checked and possibly have parts of the suspension replaced. Affected VINs are found here.
A multitude of 2018-2019 Volkswagen Golf vehicles, sold between July 21, 2018, and March 1, 2019, are being recalled due to a potential issue with the welded connection of the rear seat bench which may not have been correctly connected.
Should an accident occur the head restraint of the rear seat backrest may not be fully effective and increases the risk of an injury occurring.
Known owners of affected vehicles can expect to be contacted by Volkswagen advising that the vehicle needs to be inspected and repaired if necessary at the preferred dealer. Owners can use their VIN to see if their vehicle is affected here.
Subaru has issued two recall notices this week with the first being for 2018 Subaru Outback diesel models which may have had an oil pipe fitted which was smaller in diameter than required.
The rests of having the incorrect oil pipe fitted include insufficient oil supply to the turbocharger’s turbine bearing which may cause it to wear prematurely or even seize resulting in the turbine blade fracturing.
In the worst case scenario, if the turbine blade does fracture, the fragments could be ingested by the engine causing it to stall and not restart. This could lead to an increased risk of accident or injury to occupants and other road users.
Owners of affected vehicles will be contacted and requested to have their vehicle visit their preferred dealer for a free inspection and repair if necessary. VINs of affected vehicles can be found here.
Also recalled by Subaru this week were the following models which have the stop light switch affected by contaminants from outside the vehicle which could cause electrical contact points to malfunction:
Subaru Impreza MY2009-2016
Subaru XV MY2012-2015
Subaru WRX MY2009-2014
Subaru WRX STI MY2011-2014
Subaru Forester MY2013-2015
Subaru XV MY2012-2015
Subaru WRX MY2009-2014
Subaru WRX STI MY2011-2014
Subaru Forester MY2013-2015
Should the stop light switch fail the brakes will continue to work through the brake lights will not. The vehicle may also be unable to be restarted after the ignition is switched off which could increase the risk of an accident or injury to occupants and other road users.
Owners of affected vehicles will be contacted by Subaru to arrange a free inspection and repair if necessary at their preferred dealer. A list of affected vehicle’s VINs can be found here.
Finally this week Holden has issued two recall notices in relation to the ongoing Takata airbag issues. Vehicles recalled this week include:
Selected 2009 Holden AH Astra & HSV Astra VXR 3-door Hatch, 5-door Hatch and Wagon that are fitted with Single Stage Driver Airbags and that are located in either Queensland, Northern Territory or Western Australia (VINs here).
MY2005-2009 Holden AH Astra 3-door Hatch, 5-door Hatch, Wagon, Convertible and MY2006-2009 HSV Astra VXR (VINs here).
As with all Takata airbag recalls the sooner the airbags are replaced the better as the propellant used to inflate the airbag degrades with age, exposure to high temperatures and humidity which increases the risk of metal fragments being projected through the airbag cushion towards vehicle occupants from the metal inflator housing which could, and has, cause a fatality.
Holden will be attempting to contact registered vehicle owners to advise of the need to have the vehicle repaired with a follow-up notification when the parts are available to carry out the work.
All vehicle owners can also use the ‘Is My Airbag Safe’ website with their registration plate number to check if their vehicle is affected by the recall.
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