Recall wrap: Door slam deploys Suzuki Swift airbags

Suzuki Australia and Suzuki Auto Co in Queensland are contacting nearly 15,000 owners of the Suzuki Swift and Swift Sport for a safety issue affecting vehicles from model years 2017 to 2019.

According to the two importers, 1987 vehicles sold in Queensland and 12,529 vehicles sold throughout the rest of Australia are being recalled for side airbags, curtain airbags and seatbelt pretensioners that may deploy unexpectedly when a rear door is slammed shut. This is due to "incorrect software in the airbag controller", the importers have revealed.

The vehicles affected were sold through Australia (but not Queensland) between March 1, 2017 and January 31, 2019. The affected vehicles in Queensland were sold there between May 1, 2017 and June 10, 2019.

Vehicle owners will receive notification through the mail, and may contact the nearest authorised Suzuki dealer to have the vehicle inspected and repaired, free of charge. Owners based in Queensland can contact the importer by phone, on 1300 495 773. Owners living in other states or territories of Australia can contact Suzuki Australia by phoning 1800 777 088.

The first generation of Porsche Panamera is being recalled for an air conditioning blower that may be vulnerable to moisture and could short out. Porsche is mailing notification to the owners of the 387 vehicles affected, all built between the years of 2010 and 2016. The importer recommends owners contact their nearest authorised Porsche dealer for further information.

Mazda Australia has issued a recall notice for the new Mazda3 hatch, due to a fault affecting the seatbelt indicator and front passenger airbag deactivation warning lights of 231 vehicles sold in Australia between April 8, 2019 and May 18, 2019. The importer says that the seatbelt indicator and the front passenger airbag deactivation indicator may turn off, leading the driver to believe that all occupants are buckled up and the front passenger airbag will deploy in the event of a crash.

According to Mazda Australia, the airbag system will still deploy if it is activated – with an occupant in the front seat – but the driver will be unaware of the system status. Mazda will contact vehicle owners once replacement parts are available for the repair. Further information is available from Mazda Australia's customer support hotline, 1800 034 411.

The Mahindra XUV500 for the 2018 and 2019 model years is subject to a recall for a fault that could result in the vehicle operating in 'limp-home mode'. Owners of the 83 vehicles affected are warned that applying the brake and accelerator at the time could actuate the limp-home mode, reducing the performance available and posing a risk to the driver and passengers. According to the importer, the vehicles subject to the recall notice were sold in Australia between March 1, 2018 and March 31, 2019. The importer emphasises that the vehicle's engine will not stall, it will just operate at a lower level of performance. Owners are recommended to contact the nearest authorised Mahindra dealer to have new software installed.

FCA Australia is recalling three examples of the Fiat 500 for a defective driveshaft, which may break, leaving the vehicle without drive to the wheels and possibly resulting in a crash. The vehicles subject to the recall are the Fiat 500 1.2 8V built between February 26, 2019 and May 22, 2019. The importer is contacting the owners, but also encourages owners needing more information to contact the Fiat Customer Assistance Centre on 1800 870 720.