VW building a new SUV at its factory in South Africa, and delivery riders working 84-hour weeks

The National Consumer Commission (NCC) said it initiated a probe into Chery last month over allegations that certain vehicles were recalled without informing the NCC.

This comes after Chery issued a recall for roughly 24,000 cars sold in South Africa, including the Tiggo 4 Pro, Omoda C5, and Tiggo 8 Pro Max

The Tiggo 4 and C5 are being recalled over a fault with the vehicles’ rear axle welding, posing a major safety risk.

“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.”

The Tiggo 8, meanwhile, is being recalled over an issue where the front brake pipe may contact the turbocharger assembly, causing wear and potential brake fluid leakage.

“This could reduce braking performance and increase stopping distances, potentially resulting in a collision, serious injury or death,” said the NCC.

In other news, oil prices rose today after President Donald Trump said the US could forgo a deal with Iran, dimming prospects for a breakthrough to end the war that has roiled Middle East supplies.

“We don’t need a deal with Iran,” the president wrote in a post on Truth Social on Thursday.

“Those days have long since passed. We’ve got their money, hundreds of billions of dollars, and we’ve got their strait!”

Brent Crude is now trading at $96 per barrel despite hopes that the Democrats’ victory in the midterm elections would hasten an end to the Middle East conflict, according to Bloomberg.

There were 36 confirmed reports of attacks on commercial ships in the Persian Gulf, the Strait of Hormuz, and the Gulf of Oman in October, the highest monthly total since the war began.

5 important things

New VW SUV being built in South Africa: Volkswagen Group Africa has started production on the Tengo crossover at its factory in Kariega in the Eastern Cape. The Tengo is a new budget model that will compete in the country’s entry-level segment, slotting below the T-Cross. [TopAuto].

Checker’s Sixty60 riders work up to 84 hours per week: On-demand delivery riders in South Africa work up to 84 hours per week and sometimes clear only R1,000 per month. Riders are paid per order and not for the time spent on the job or waiting for orders [MyBroadband].

BYD teaches Audi a lesson: BYD has a higher online media sentiment ranking than its German rivals in South Africa, particularly Audi, which had the lowest score of the automotive brands measured [BusinessTech].

Jaguar Land Rover ordered to destroy BYD files or face $553,850 in penalties: A Dutch court has ordered JLR to destroy files it seized from BYD over allegations that the Chinese company copied the Defender SUV. The judge also rejected JLR’s demand for 500,000 euros in penalty payments. [CarNewsChina].

Casualties in store for South Africa’s car market: Ford South Africa President Neale Hill warned that the influx of Chinese car brands is unsustainable and that some carmakers will not survive for more than a few years. [Cars.co.za].