NCC announces safety recalls for numerous Mercedes models and Range Rover Evoques

Mercedes-Benz and Land Rover have announced new recalls in South Africa, according to the National Consumer Commission (NCC).

Mercedes-Benz South Africa is recalling various C-Class (206), GLC (254), S-Class (223), SL (232), and EQS (297) models, which were sold during 2023.

The company warned that the vehicles could lose power without warning, or suffer from impairments to the instrument clusters or restraint functions, due to potential fuse box faults. The risk of a fire also cannot be ruled out, the NCC said in a statement released on Friday.

Also on Friday, Jaguar Land Rover informed the entity that various Range Rover Evoque models were being recalled due to a possible fault with the passenger airbag.

This campaign affects vehicles sold between 2021 and 2024, as well as some 2025 models.

The company warns that these airbags may tear during deployment, as a result of improper folding during the airbag assembly process. It warned that a torn airbag could reduce occupant protection and increase the risk of an injury during a collision. In such an instance, hot gases from the airbag could also potentially cause burns to occupants.

Affected consumers have been urged to immediately contact their nearest authorised dealerships, which will repair the defects at no charge, the NCC’s acting commissioner, Hardin Ratshisusu, said.

This comes after three other car manufacturers, Volkswagen, Volvo Cars and Toyota, issued separate vehicle recalls earlier this week, affecting popular models such as the VW Golf 8, Volvo XC90 PHEV and Toyota Hino 500 Series.

Ratsisusu said the NCC has noted the recent rise of motor vehicle recalls and is engaging with affected suppliers for further information to determine the required steps to address this.

IOL Motoring