Ford heads recent recall spike

Almost 18,000 Australian-made Ford vehicles will need to be inspected for an ignition fault that can cause the cars to stop functioning.

In total, 17,875 Falcon sedans, utes and Territory SUVs built between November 2013 and October 2014, are potentially affected by the ignition issue.

The federal government's official recall notice states that "on some vehicles there is potential for the ignition switch electrical connector to disengage.

"If the connector disengages while driving, the engine will stall, electrical functions will be lost and the vehicle will be unable to be re-started. This poses a potential accident hazard to the driver and other road users."

General Motors faced harsh criticism for a massive recall for a similar problem that allegedly led to the deaths of several drivers in the US after ignition switch failures shut down cars while in operation.

Although Ford Australia says it is unaware of any reports of vehicle shutdowns leading to traffic accidents here, there have been two reports of drivers being unable to start their vehicles.

As per all vehicle recalls, owners of the affected vehicles will be notified by via e/mail, at which point they will be advised to contact their nearest authorised dealership to have the vehicle inspected and fixed if necessary.

Ford states that "until the safety recall service is completed it is recommended that the steering column 'tilt' or 'reach' positions are not adjusted as this may reduce the engagement of the electrical connector". It also suggests owners call the Ford Customer Relationship Centre on 1800 503 672 for more details.

Another major safety recall announced in Australia this month involves the Holden Malibu, more than 3000 versions of which are affected.

Holden's imported medium sedan could suffer from a similar fault experienced by the Commodore and Caprice in May 2014, in which seat belt buckle assemblies can fail.

According to the recall notice vehicles built between October 10, 2012 and November 13, 2014 are fitted with a "pivot pin inside the twin buckle assembly for the right-hand rear and centre rear seatbelts" that "may not have been assembled correctly and may slide sideways".

The potential fault could lead to either of the rear seatbelts buckles detaching from their anchor plate. "This may render the affected seatbelt unable to restrain an occupant, posing an increased risk of injury during a crash event," states the recall notice.

In total 3066 Holden Malibus are affected and Holden insists the recall is a "precautionary measure" and that there are no confirmed reports of the alleged fault in Australia.

Another vehicle recall notice filed in the last month in Australia details bonnet latch issues on the R52 Nissan Pathfinder. A total of 4200 of the 4WDs have been affected and owners will be contacted to arrange an inspection.

In worst-case scenarios, Nissan say the bonnet of 2013 Pathfinder models swing open while the vehicle is being driven.

Another popular large 4WD, the Mitsubishi Pajero diesel, is being recalled for inspection after it was discovered the engine timing chain tensioner can generate "abnormal noise" and in the worst cases can break, stopping the engine and potentially causing extensive damage.

A total of 42,399 vehicles spanning nine years of manufacture (NS, NT, NW and NX Pajero diesel vehicles built between October 10, 2006 and March 10, 2014) are being recalled.

Mitsubishi Motors Australia says "a very small percentage, less than one per cent" of vehicles sold here have experienced the problem and that no injuries have resulted.

Meantime, a total of 4497 Chrysler 300 LE models built between 2005 and 2007 have been recalled after it was discovered the driver airbag inflator housing "may rupture, due to excessive internal pressure, during normal airbag deployment events".

In the worst-case scenario, the problem could result in "an increased chance of occupant injury during certain crash conditions", said Chrysler.

Finally, Audi late last month recalled 297 versions of its A4, A5, A6, A7, Q5 and Q7 models built between 2011 and 2012 and fitted with a 3.0-litre TFSI engine due to the risk of fire associated with a potential fuel-injector leak.