The National Consumer Commission (NCC) has announced three major vehicle recalls over defects – in VW Golfs, Volvo XC90 hybrids, and Hino 500s.
Consumers have been urged to contact their nearest approved dealership for a free inspection if they own any impacted vehicles.
For the VW Golf models, Volkswagen South Africa released a statement indicating that the recall was due to a front passenger seat belt defect.
Due to this, Volkswagen is recalling 159 Golf 8 vehicles, including R and GTI models, that were sold between 16 April and 30 June 2025.
The automaker clarified that it identified a manufacturing fault where the front passenger seatbelt may not be properly secured to its lower anchoring point due to errors in the sewing process.
This defect poses a major risk to passengers in the event of an accident, where the malfunction could lead to serious or fatal injuries.
The recall of the Volvo XC90 hybrid is for 26 vehicles from the 2025 and 2026 ranges due to a braking system failure.
This failure can occur when the vehicle uses ‘B’ mode (in plug-in hybrid cars) or One Pedal Drive (in pure electric vehicles) after coasting downhill for a period, resulting in a temporary loss of braking functionality.
The failure specifically occurs when drivers use regenerative braking modes for extended downhill travel, and poses a significant risk for causing collisions and loss of control.
Toyota South Africa has recalled 6,662 Hino 500 SKD series vehicles and 77 Hino 500 CBU series vehicles due to issues with the parking brake release mechanisms.
The recall for the SKD series is for vehicles manufactured between 11 May 2017 and 14 December 2023, and is due to a supplier issue that led to the vehicles receiving incorrect cage bolt spanners.
For the CBU series, the recall covers vehicles produced between 31 May 2018 and 25 December 2024, and is due to the series being sold without cage bolt spanners at all.
Industry standard concerns
These recalls are the latest in an increasingly common trend in South Africa, with the NCC expressing its concern over the growing frequency.
The NCC’s acting commissioner, Hardin Ratshisusu, stated they are engaging with suppliers to determine how to curb this worrying trend.
However, motorists must remain alert in the meantime, and those with affected vehicles must immediately book a free inspection at the nearest approved dealership.
The inspections and repairs will also be conducted through these dealerships, with manufacturers covering all associated costs.
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