Recall wrap: Toyota C-HR, Yaris Cross and GR Yaris hit

18,500 Toyota compact cars called back over safety tech, while Mercedes-Benz issues more recalls

A major safety recall is underway for the Toyota C-HR and Toyota Yaris Cross SUVs, as well as the Toyota GR Yaris hot hatch.

An estimated 18,490 vehicles, all built between May 2020 and August 2021, are impacted by the problem that concerns their advanced safety technology.

Specifically, the millimetre wave sensor and camera that are used to detect objects such as vehicles travelling ahead may not work with the pre-collision system (PCS) as intended.

According to Toyota, this is because the radar sensor “may not have been initialised properly in the involved vehicles during production”.

“As a result, the PCS may be inoperative with no warning indicator to the driver,” the company said.

“An inoperative PCS, without a PCS malfunction indicator, may increase the risk of a crash in certain driving situations.”

Drivers may notice that they’re unable to alter the speed when using the dynamic radar cruise control (DRCC), or that the lane centring function of the lane trace assist system will not work properly.

Given vehicles ahead are not detected, the vehicle icon in the instrument display will not be shown when using active cruise control, and Toyota also admits “the vehicle will not slow down automatically, as designed, when approaching a vehicle ahead with DRCC active”.

Authorised Toyota dealerships will inspect the affected vehicles (free of charge) to determine whether the radar sensor is properly initialised, and complete the activation if required.

The inspection will take an estimated 30 minute, but a remedy will need another hour or so.

Toyota says it will contact all owners of involved vehicles with details of this safety recall campaign by SMS, email and/or mail to their last known address and phone number.

Further details can also be sourced from dealers and the Toyota Recall Campaign Helpline on 1800 987 366 (Mon-Fri 8.00am-6.00pm AEDT).

Mercedes-Benz C-Class, S-Class and Sprinter

A number of models from Mercedes-Benz are also the subject of fresh safety recalls, mostly concerning technical glitches.

For the flagship Mercedes-Benz S-Class limousine, the S 450, a software issue has been detected that could mean functions of the Mercedes-Benz User Experience (MBUX) multimedia system may not deactivate when the vehicle starts moving.

This could obviously pose as a distraction to the driver and, as emphasised in the recall notice, serve to draw their attention away from the road.

Only two vehicles (both built in 2021) have been found to have been impacted by this recall, but they are also among 688 S-Class and C-Class vehicles (also produced in 2021) caught up in a separate recall concerning the manufacturer’s eCall emergency call system.

The eCall communication module may be deactivated, in which case the automatic and manual emergency call may not be available outside of the network coverage of certain providers.

“If the eCall system is deactivated, in the event of an emergency it would not be possible for the vehicle occupants to connect with emergency services, either manually or automatically,” Mercedes said in the recall notice.

“As a consequence, emergency vehicles may not be directed to the affected vehicle or may be delayed. This could increase the risk of death if a serious injury has occurred.”

For the Mercedes-Benz Sprinter (2018-2020), a software issue has been identified as the cause behind the transmission park function potentially not engaging as intended, which poses obvious problems.

The recall affects 947 examples of the popular commercial van and cab chassis.

Recall notice (MBUX) – click here
VIN list: Mercedes-Benz S 450

Recall notice (eCall) – click here
VIN list: Mercedes-Benz S-Class and C-Class

Recall notice (Sprinter) – click here
VIN list: Mercedes-Benz Sprinter