VW is looking for these 291 Amarok bakkies in South Africa

The National Consumer Commission (NCC) has notified motorists of a new vehicle safety recall affecting the VW Amarok sold in South Africa.

The recall, issued by Volkswagen Group Africa, applies to certain Amarok bakkie models manufactured during a limited production period.

All of the affected units were sold nationwide between 2 June 2026 and 15 September 2026.

This recall applies to 291 Amarok models and concerns a possible safety issue with the vehicles’ airbags.

“According to the supplier, in the event of a front or side impact, the curtain airbag may not fully deploy,” said the NCC.

“This is due to contact with a component in the vehicle interior. Sharp-edged plastic components may also come loose or remain in the airbag.”

The commission warned that this fault may lead to reduced protection for the driver and front passenger.

“Sharp-edged parts of the guide element could also separate or remain in the head or neck contact area, resulting in an increased risk of injury in the event of an accident,” it said.

Owners of the affected bakkies are urged to take their cars to an approved Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles dealership.

The dealer will inspect the affected components and replace them if needed. This process will be carried out at no cost to the consumer.

Queries relating to this recall can be directed to the NCC at [email protected] or on 082 809 2031, or 012 065 2040.

Another vehicle recall in South Africa

The VW Amarok is the latest in a long list of vehicles that have been recalled in South Africa so far this year.

Last month, Mercedes-Benz recalled 3,520 vehicles, comprising Mercedes-Benz Arocs, Actros, Atego, eActros, model 2445 buses, Fuso Fighter, FJ, and Canter models, sold from 2022 onwards.

Issues identified in these commercial vehicles ranged from loose screws securing the leaf spring assembly to defective axle bearing brackets and accelerator pedals with incorrectly soldered components.

In August, Toyota recalled 518 cars sold from 2022 onwards, affecting the Corolla hatchback, Crown, GR Corolla, Corolla Cross, and RAV4 PHEV.

“Due to improper programming of the combination meter, unnecessary data may be repeatedly written to a memory device while the meter is operating,” the NCC said.

“This may cause the memory device to deteriorate earlier than intended. If this occurs, the monitor may fail to display information when the vehicle is started.”

It added that a malfunction could cause safety warning indicators to not display correctly, increasing the risk of an accident.