Porsche and Jeep recalls

PORSCHE Cars Australia this week issued a recall notice for its $440,000 Panamera Turbo S, but it only affects three customer cars.

Jeep has also issued a recall notice that is more wide-ranging, involving more than a thousand Wrangler off-roaders.

The 2012 model year Panamera S recall involves replacing the twin turbochargers, which requires a two-day spell in an authorised Porsche service centre.

In extreme cases, according to the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC), a turbo not conforming to quality standards could fail and lead to an engine bay fire.

Although the Porsche recall notice issued by the ACCC also mentions the Cayenne Turbo S, Porsche Cars Australia public relations manager Paul Ellis told GoAuto the luxury SUV was not affected.

Chrysler Australia said in a statement issued today that the voluntary safety recall of the 2010 model year Jeep Wrangler involved 1156 vehicles in Australia.

It is part of a global recall of 87,000 Wranglers announced in May by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) in the US.

“The transmission skid plate may allow debris to collect in the undercarriage of the vehicle under certain driving conditions,” said the Chrysler Australia statement.

“If an excessive amount of debris collects in the undercarriage, the catalytic converter could ignite the debris, causing an underbody fire without warning. It is applicable to off-road driving.”

The voluntary fix involves replacing the transmission skid bar, which for 2010 was slightly different to other model years.

Chrysler in the US said it knows of at least 14 complaints of fires, but the local operation says there have been no reported incidences in Australia.