JOHANNESBURG - South Africa is seeing a growing number of vehicle recalls, with the National Consumer Commissioner (NCC) warning that the trend is reaching levels of great concern.
In the latest, Chery has issued recalls that affect almost 24 000 vehicles, including the Chery Tiggo 4, Omoda C5 and Cherry Tiggo 8 Pro Max 2.0 vehicles.
The Tiggo 4 sold between October 2023 and March 2024 and Omoda C5 models sold between February 2023 and July 2026 may have faulty welding on the rear axle, which could cause the axle to dislodge and the rear suspension to collapse.
The Tiggo 8 Pro Max manufactured from May 2026 faces a different risk.
Its front brake pipe could wear against the turbocharger, potentially causing brake-fluid leaks and reduced braking performance.
READ | Major Chery and Omoda recall in SA
According to acting commissioner of NCC, Hardin Ratshisusu, said about 75 recalls were noted the previous year affecting over 100,000 vehicles.
In the past six to seven months, the NCC recorded around 50 recalls affecting approximately 60,000 vehicles.
Ratshisusu, who described the situation as reaching crisis level, said these cases are concerning given the potential risks to motorists.
Turning his attention to the recent recall by Cherry, Ratshisusu said the nature of the defect could easily be life-threatening.
“When the rear axle may collapse, that tells you that there is something that we need to seriously look at as the National Consumer Commission. So, I think we are reaching a crisis point”.
The same concerns were echoed by the CEO of the Automobile Association, Bobby Ramagwede.
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He acknowledged that a recall, in itself, is a good process to have because it ensures that the vehicles themselves have some rigour in identifying faults in these vehicles.
But in his statement, he cautioned that not all defects carry the same risk.
“Some recalls are benign; for instance, there's a clamp or something simple that needs to be replaced. But the severity of a recall of this nature, focusing my attention on the Chery group, is one that warrants more stringent action to be taken," Ramagwede said.
Ramagwebe said recalls in themselves are not unique to their territory as he pointed to developments in Malaysia, which has temporarily suspended the Vehicle Type Approval (VTA) for the Chery Omoda 5 pending investigations.
The announcement was made by the Road Transport Department Malaysia (JPJ) in October in response to a viral incident in Johor Bahru which raised public concerns regarding vehicle safety.
Ramagwebe believes South Africa should also consider a similar approach.
“No one should be buying these cars until we get to a point where we understand why it is that the error rates coming out of the Chery manufacturing plants are so high that they resemble that of the error rates during a research and development process. It's just not acceptable, "he said.
Meanwhile, Ratshisusu said the NCC continues its investigations into such issues and is also engaging with some Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs).
“I think it's also time for the industry to come out and explain to the public about this, because as the National Consumer Commission, we don't make cars,” he said.
In a statement on Thursday, Chery South Africa said they are undertaking a precautionary recall campaign involving selected Chery vehicles.
It further noted that while there have been no related incidents reported in South Africa, they are taking proactive steps to address the matter and support our customers.