20,193 Chery and Omoda cars recalled over rear axle fault in South Africa

Chery Group South Africa has announced a precautionary recall for two SUVs sold in the country since 2022.

The Chinese automaker stated that it was launching a recall campaign for select units of the Chery Tiggo 4 Pro and Omoda C5.

This recall stems from concerns sparked by viral incidents in which the rear axles of the Tiggo 4 Pro and C5 detached while in motion.

Most of the recorded incidents occurred in Malaysia, though one high-profile case occurred in South Africa in 2024.

Chery stated this new recall campaign involves 17,508 Tiggo 4 Pro and 2,685 C5 models, for a total of 20,193 units. The affected units were produced between 6 June 2022 and 31 December 2023.

“The campaign relates to a rear axle manufacturing issue that may affect the weld between the rear axle trailing arm and sleeve on some vehicles,” said the company.

“In extreme and rare circumstances, the weld could fail and separate, which could affect wheel control and increase the risk of an accident.”

Chery stressed that the affected models are no longer being produced and that the current models on sale in South Africa are not part of the affected batch of units.

It reiterated that this recall is a precautionary measure, emphasising that a model’s inclusion in this recall does not automatically mean it has a defective rear axle.

“The campaign covers vehicles that may have been fitted with an axle from the identified production batch and is being undertaken as a precautionary measure to ensure that all potentially affected vehicles are checked,” said the automaker.

All cars included in the campaign should be taken to an authorised dealer as soon as possible. The dealer will perform an inspection and, if necessary, address the fault.

In some cases, this may result in the entire rear axle being replaced. Importantly, this service will be done at no cost to the consumer.

Chery owners are encouraged to check whether their vehicle is included in the campaign by entering their Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) through the recall checker in the Chery South Africa Owners Area at https://www.chery.co.za/owners-area.

Similarly, Omoda owners can use their VIN number to check the status of their car via https://www.omoda.co.za/owners/active-care.

“Owners whose vehicles are identified as potentially affected will also receive a message advising them to contact or visit their nearest authorised dealer to arrange an inspection,” said Chery.

“Replacement parts are available in South Africa, and repairs will be prioritised.”