The National Consumer Commission (NCC) in South Africa has issued 17 vehicle recall notices regarding 39,164 individual units since the start of the year.
This is an average of nearly three recalls per month, or one every week and a half, constituting somewhat of a quality-control crisis in South Africa, which had more than 50,000 vehicles recalled last year.
By the end of 2025, the Automobile Association (AA) of South Africa declared it a “road safety failure”.
“The scale of these recalls reveals a systemic failure and weakness in vehicle pre-market quality assurance, manufacturing oversight and regulatory verification,” the AA noted at the time.
“Although vehicle recalls currently serve an essential role in addressing latent safety defects, they are inherently reactive in their nature and therefore inadequate as a safeguard.”
The association has argued that the vehicle recall system has proven that most notices arrive too late, and only once defective vehicles are already in circulation, being driven by unsuspecting owners.
“The shortcomings of the recall model are further compounded by the absence of an independent automotive testing authority in the country to assess or test vehicle safety before market release,” the AA said.
“Without such a body, the system depends heavily on OEMs to identify, investigate and disclose faults.”
This model points towards lacklustre quality assurance measures, and each recall highlights an oversight failure to detect faults before these models are launched.
“Instead of preventing danger, the recall system responds to it, exposing drivers, passengers and pedestrians alike to avoidable risks,” the AA declared.
It must also be noted that these recalls pertain to a wide range of vehicle brands, including trusted legacy manufacturers.
Looking at the National Consumer Commission’s recalls throughout the first six months of the year, TopAuto compiled a list of every passenger vehicle recalled so far, and the reasons behind them.
Every passenger vehicle recalled in South Africa this year
The first recall issued in January 2026 was for 372 Volvo EX30 vehicles, with the electric car’s (EV’s) high-voltage battery potentially overheating and catching fire when charged to a high level.
In the same month, Chinese automaker MG recalled 209 MG3 hatchbacks due to a seat cushion frame fault, which could cause the seat adjustment unlocking mechanism to make contact with the frame, increasing the risk of injury.
Renault was next to issue a recall when it informed the NCC about 1,393 faulty five-seat Kwid models that would experience a dashboard warning light illuminating due to a speed calculation error.
At the start of March, VW issued the biggest recall notice of the year so far, when it issued a notice that affected 25,729 Polo Vivo models.
These models may experience their handbrakes not engaging properly, or in some cases, even disengaging unexpectedly, posing a severe safety risk.
Toyota issued a combined recall for 110 Lexus LX500D models and 1,846 Toyota Land Cruiser LC300 vehicles, which shared a faulty Transmission Electronic Control Unit (T-ECU) and the Engine ECU.
A third recall in March saw Ford issue a notice regarding 582 Transit and Tourneo vehicles whose batteries would produce an acidic smell inside the cabin, a hissing sound, or visible gas venting from the battery.
In April, several manufacturers issued combined recall notices, including Ford recalling 438 Ranger units alongside 26 Puma models, for Exhaust Gas Recirculation valve and Restraint Control Module software issues.
Following this was a Jaguar Land Rover recall of 60 Land Rover Defender vehicles, as well as 67 Jaguar I-Pace models for seat belt anchorage bracket and battery thermal overload faults.
Audi was the next carmaker to recall an electric vehicle this year, doing so for 40 e-tron GT vehicles for a severe brake failure concern.
Hyundai recalled 14 Hyundai i30 and Elantra vehicles that were distributed in South Africa as far back as 2011 for airbag problems.
Mercedes-Benz issued a recall for 5 G-Class models due to wheel-connection defects, and Lexus recalled RC-F vehicles due to a fuel pump-related defect.
Next on the list was a massive Jeep recall, with 354 Grand Cherokee models, 115 Wrangler models, and 920 Grand Cherokee WL vehicles for various warning indicator and upper control arm pinch bolt faults.
This month alone saw two recalls issued, including 337 Hyundai Tucson NX4 N-Line vehicles for an issue relating to the Forward Collision Avoidance (FCA) system.
The second was a major 6,525-vehicle recall by Toyota and Lexus, due to parking assist issues with 4,858 Toyota units and 1,667 from Lexus.
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