Holden VF Commodore headlines latest recalls
BY ROBBIE WALLIS | 21st Dec 2018
HOLDEN’S final Australian-built Commodore and its related Caprice, HSV Clubsport and Maloo headline the latest round of product recalls from the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC), with 66,194 total vehicles called back over an electric power steering fault.
Affecting 58,731 Commodores, 1938 VN Caprices and 5525 examples of the Clubsport, Maloo and GTS models from the 2014-2016 model years, the fault stems from increased electrical resistance in a component in the electric power steering system.
This can lead to a loss of power steering and reduced steering control, posing a risk to drivers and other road users.
Mercedes-Benz has called back 641 examples of its E-Class large car fitted with the OM654 2.0-litre turbo-diesel engine – sold between May 2, 2016 to December 29, 2017 – due to the incorrect fitment of a diesel fuel line.
The line can chafe against other components, potentially causing a fuel leak, which may result in the vehicle stopping sporadically.
Certain examples of the E-Class and CLS sedan sold between October 2, 2017 and June 29, 2018 have also been called back due to a child seat installation issue.
Affecting 16 examples, the fault means that if a child seat is installed in the front passenger seat, the front passenger airbag may not be turned off and can be triggered in the event of a crash.
Hyundai has recalled its 129 examples of its iMax people-mover and 1044 iLoad vans sold between March 6 and April 20 this year, over a potentially defective locking mechanism on the rear sliding door.
When the vehicle is at a forward incline and the door is open, the door can inadvertently slide shut and potentially cause injury to a user.
Lexus’ LS500 upper-large luxury sedan has been recalled, with 73 examples built from January 15 to August 29 this year under scrutiny for a potentially malfunctioning idle-stop system.
Due to improper programming of the engine control computer, the engine may stall during acceleration when it restarts within a specific time range after switching off, leading to the increased risk of an accident.
HSV has issued recalls for 66 of its right-hand-drive-converted Chevrolet Camaro sportscars, due to fuel tanks potentially being damaged in the manufacturing process.
This can lead to a loss of fuel and potentially result in a fire.
Two separate recalls have been issued for incomplete owner’s manuals, the first being 32 examples of the Honda Civic Type R sold between July 13, 2017 and May 11 this year.
The manuals may not contain “all relevant information required by the mandatory standard”, relating to seatbelts, child anchorage systems, vehicle notifications and operations.
Infiniti’s mechanically related Q30 and QX30 pair have also been recalled due to an error in the owner’s manual, with 126 examples built between April 2016 and February 2017 affected.
In certain vehicles, the manual contains an error where the lock and unlock positions of the rear door child lock function are incorrectly displayed.
Finally, 151 examples of the Alfa Romeo Stevio SUV have been called back due to an incorrect labelling of the vehicle’s supplied jack, having missed some of the required information.
Owners looking to seek more information on affected vehicles including VIN numbers can visit the ACCC’s product safety website.
