US EditionSweeping SA Vehicle Recalls — Airbag Ruptures, Brake Failures, Battery Fires
- Several South African automotive brands initiated recalls addressing defects in vehicles including airbags, brakes, seatbelts, and batteries as of May 2025.
- These recalls arise from legacy Takata airbag failures, high-voltage battery risks in EVs, and component faults such as defective brake hoses and seatbelt latch plates.
- Affected vehicles include Mercedes-Benz CLA models with rear brake hose issues, Audi e-tron GT EVs recalled for battery overheating risks, and Volkswagen Polo Sedans with seatbelt hardness defects sold nationwide.
- Specifically, Audi recalled 46 e-tron GTs from October 2021 due to battery modules prone to overheating or fire, and Stellantis recalled Jeep Wrangler and Chrysler 300C models with Takata airbags risking "serious injury or death."
- These recalls impact over 7,000 South African vehicles and highlight ongoing safety challenges from both older and new technologies amid growing EV adoption and tightening regulatory scrutiny.
11 Articles
11 Articles
Four Major Car Manufacturers Are Denounced in France for Using Defective Airbags
The French consumer association 'UFC-Que choisir' denounced to the courts the car manufacturers BMW, Volkswagen, Mercedes-Benz and Toyota for still using defective airbags of the Japanese brand Takata. This denunciation spread this Monday joins the one that 'UFC-Que choisir' has already presented against another great builder, Stellantis, last January for the same reasons.Why do they ask for the withdrawal of airbags?The Takata airbags have, on …
Airbags Takata: UFC-Que Choix Brings a Complaint Against BMW, Mercedes, Toyota and Volkswagen
After a first complaint against Stellantis, the consumer association targets four new manufacturers, to whom it blames their too late management of recalls of vehicles equipped with defective air cushions.
Airbags Takata Defective: UFC-Que Choisir Complains Against BMW, Volkswagen, Mercedes-Benz and Toyota
The consumer association filed a new complaint against these four manufacturers, complaining that they were too late to act on the problem of these airbags, which can explode and injure the driver, sometimes fatally.
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