Various recall notices have been issued this week from manufacturers including Mercedes-Benz, Ram, Mazda and Honda.

 

Owners of 2019 Mercedes-Benz GLC220 and E300 vehicles sold between April 1 and May 31, 2019 (VINs found here), will need to contact their preferred Mercedes-Benz dealer to arrange a free repair of their vehicle which may have surface damage on the engine crankshaft due to a manufacturing error.

 

In affected vehicles, the crankshaft may fail which will cause sudden engine damage as the engine stops functioning. This may also increase the risk of an accident and injury occurring to vehicle occupants and other road users.

 

A number of 2019 Ram 1500 and 2500 trucks sold between June 1, 2018, and July 31, 2019 (VINs found here) have been recalled due to the master cylinder pushrod clip not being secured correctly.

 

In affected vehicles the master cylinder pushrod, which is connected to the brake pedal pin, may dislodge and cause the brake pedal to become difficult to operate or fail, resulting in the brake pedal becoming inoperable.

 

Known affected owners will receive a letter advising them to make contact with their preferred Ram dealer for a free repair.

 

Also recalled this week were 2019 Mazda 3 (BP) Pure variants sold between April 10 and August 2, 2019 (VINs found here) due to the possibility of the interior rear-view mirror glass detaching from the mirror housing due to a manufacturing error.

 

Should the interior rear-view mirror glass detach from the mirror housing, the driver may have reduced rearward visibility which may increase the risk of an accident and injury occurring to vehicle occupants and other road users.

 

Mazda Australia will be contacting known affected owners to advise them to arrange to have their rear-view mirror replaced for free by their preferred Mazda dealer.

 

Finally, more vehicles have been added to the list to have their faulty Takata airbags replaced. These include:

 

2003 Honda Accord (VINs found here)

2003 Honda MDX (VINs found here)

2004-2009 Dodge Ram pick-up 1500, 2500, 3500, 4500 or 5500, 2WD or 4WD (VINs found here)

 

As with all Takata airbags, as they age, are exposed to high temperatures or humidity, the risk of the airbag inflator propellant degrading increases. This can result in the metal inflator housing rupturing and expelling metal fragments into the vehicle potentially causing serious injury or death. They need to be replaced as soon as possible.

 

Owners who are unsure whether their vehicle needs an airbag replaced can visit the industry-supported website established to combat the Takata scandal. Replacement airbags can be arranged via the corresponding dealership free of charge.