Recall wrap: More Subaru Impreza airbag issues

Product safety recalls have been issued by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) for five brands over the 2017 Christmas break, including for the popular Subaru Impreza small car.

Impreza vehicles built between 2004 and 2007 have been recalled to fix faulty Takata airbags that "may not deploy as designed", according to the recall notice.

The problem is that the airbag inflator can shower occupants in shrapnel, which has already claimed the life of a Sydney Honda CR-V driver.

Globally at least 19 deaths have been attributed to the faulty Takata airbags and so far more than 50 million vehicles have been recalled due to the faulty Japanese airbags.

More than 100,000 Subaru vehicles have already been recalled in Australia, where about half of roughly 2.5 million affected vehicles have been rectified since 2009.

While Honda is the brand most affected by the Takata debacle and Toyota has resorted to sourcing replacement parts from wrecked cars, Subaru has already recalled almost 54,000 Imprezas sold between 2008 and 2013.

Other Takata-plagued Subaru models include 66,427 Forester vehicles for 2009 to 2012 model years, 16,780 Liberty and 17,617 Outback vehicles sold between 2010 and 2014, 8432 Tribeca vehicles for the 2007 to 2013 model years and 1366 units of Exiga for the 2010 to 2014 model years.

Subaru says the Takata airbag inflators of another 8937 Impreza cars sold between 2004 and 2007 now require replacement – at no cost to the customer – to ensure the airbags operate properly.

Like most car recalls, Subaru will contact owners via mail, advising them to bring their vehicle to a Subaru service centre to get the airbag fix completed.

A recall notice for the Chrysler 300C and 300 large cars has now also been issued for the same reason. The vehicles affected include models sold between 2005 and 2010, totalling 7029 vehicles in Australia.

As for non-Takata related recalls, Volkswagen Group Australia today recalled more than 6300 MY17 and MY18 Amarok utes fitted with a TDI V6.

"A clip fitted incorrectly during production may damage the power steering return hose," said VGA in its recall notice. "Hydraulic fluid could be discharged and a loss of power steering assistance would be experienced.

"An unexpected power steering failure may affect the handling of the vehicle, causing a possible safety risk to the vehicle occupants and other road users."

Volkswagen says owners of affected vehicles will be contacted by direct mail and that owners should contact their nearest Volkswagen dealership to arrange an inspection and repair of the vehicle.

Other recent recalls include a potential fire risk for the Lexus CT 200h hybrid luxury hatchback. Just under 100 cars have been recalled to ensure a resin weld near the fuel tank doesn't leak, which in worst-case scenarios could cause a fire.

The Peugeot 3008 is also a fire risk, with certain models being recalled to fix "friction" that "may occur between the fuel pipe and shield". It can lead to fuel leaking which may ignite.

All up, 139 Peugeot 3008 vehicles sold between December 2016 and July 2017 have been affected and owners will be contacted by Peugeot Australia to arrange a fix.

Mercedes-Benz’s commercial division has issued a recall for its 2017 V-Class and Vito vans, after evidence of potential faulty wheel bearings was uncovered.

The retaining rings of the front wheel bearings have the potential to become loose, leading to "wheel loss" … "increasing the risk of an accident for the occupants and other road users", reads the recall notice.

Benz Vito and V-Class vehicles affected were sold between June and December 2017.

British sports car maker Aston Martin is recalling a total of 463 cars including the Virage, Vanquish, DB9 and DBS due to a seat issue that could cause a fire.

If the driver's seat is extended rearward to its extreme, it has the potential to pinch the battery supply cable, potentially resulting in smoke and possibly a fire risk. Cars sold between July 2004 and June 2016 are affected.

The same models, as well as the Rapide sedan, have also been recalled for a communication error between the Engine Control Module (ECM) software and the Transmission Control Module (TCM), which can cause the transmission park pawl to be held out.

"When the transmission park pawl is held out, this can let the vehicle roll away from its parked position," said Aston.

The problem can occur when the vehicle key is removed from the ignition control while engine speed is more than 450rpm, the driver does not select Park, the driver does not engage the park brake, the vehicle is not parked on level ground and there is a communication error between the ECM and the TCM.

"If the vehicle accidentally moves from the parked position it may pose a risk of injury to the driver or other persons and possible damage to property," the sports car company stated.

Owners will be notified by direct mail, advising them to contact their nearest Aston Martin dealer to arrange an inspection of their vehicle, which will receive a TCM software update at no cost.