The National Consumer Commission (NCC) is in talks with car manufacturers following a surge in the number of vehicles that have been recalled for defects in SA.
The NCC told Sowetan Consumer that it had seen an increase in recalls of vehicles suspected of defects, with thousands already recalled this year for defects such as improperly fitted airbags and seatbelts and faulty fuel pumps, engines and gears. The defects were found across all manufacturers, with Ford, Toyota and Land Rover seeing most of the recalls this year.
During the 2023-24 financial year, the NCC received 25 vehicle recalls from manufactures who, by law, are required to inform the NCC of any vehicles with factory faults currently in circulation. The recalls come at a high cost to the manufacturers and also affect their reputations.
The NCC has released more than 10 alerts this year, with the most recent one released last Thursday in connection with Toyota SA recalling 78 Hino 700 Series trucks for fuel pump housings that had undergone an inappropriate surface treatment process during production. The NCC said cracks could develop on the trucks when repeated high load was applied to the supply pump, leading to fuel leaks. The Hino 700 series trucks were sold nationwide.
“We are noticing an increase in vehicles being recalled for various safety concerns. We are engaging with various manufacturers to establish the reasons for the recalls; however, this also indicates that consumer protection is alive,” NCC spokesperson Phetho Ntaba told Sowetan Consumer on Friday.
We are noticing an increase in vehicles being recalled for various safety concerns. We are engaging with various manufacturers to establish the reasons for the recalls
— Phetho Ntaba, NCC spokesperson
“Manufacturers take responsibility even beyond the manufacturer’s warranty. When a product [vehicle in this case] is being recalled, the consumer must ensure that they heed the call and approach the distributor or manufacturer.”
Ntaba said the NCC only takes action when it picks up prohibited conduct during the recalls. The only action taken has been against Ford, when the Ford Kuga was recalled, she said.
Ntaba said manufacturers have a responsibility to communicate with consumers directly, and when they are unable to do that they may communicate through the media.
“Once a supplier has notified the NCC about a recall, we expect periodic reports [about] the recall. They include information like units received( the number of vehicles returned by the consumers). This is to measure the success of the recall,” said Ntaba
Mikel Mabasa, CEO of NAAMSA, the Automotive Business Council, said vehicle recalls are not unusual in SA or around the world, and are part of standard operating procedure in the vehicle manufacturing process.
“In the South African context, recalls in the market indicate a robust Consumer Protection Act and a transparent coordination mechanism. Manufacturers voluntarily alert the NCC to recalls, and consumers are encouraged to bring their vehicles in for repairs. Consumers should not be concerned about their safety nor the efficacy of our overall vehicles, but they should vigilantly respond to the calls and bring their vehicles in for inspection and repairs where necessary,” said Mabasa.
He said generally, many recalls across brands were unrelated and that in most cases they were unique to a particular model of vehicle.
“However, there are instances where we have universal recalls, which are often caused in instances where manufacturers rely on extensive and deep global supply chains. In cases where there is a common supplier across different models and brands, a failure in one supplier’s product can impact multiple brands and manufacturers, as exemplified by the Takata airbag recall,” said Mabasa.
He said many vehicles currently impacted by recalls are not manufactured in SA.
“Consumers who drive newer models are very responsive and we are able to track them quicker because the service intervals of their vehicles is often at 15,000km milestone. We have challenges often with older models beyond five years and out of motor plans because many of those vehicles are serviced via an informal aftermarket ecosystem. We have also noted that safety-critical recalls tend to have better response rates,” said Mabasa.
SowetanLIVE
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.