Major safety recall for budget SUV

Suzuki Australia is urging customers to not use the rear seats of its new Fronx small SUV until a fix can be identified.

The Japanese carmaker is now officially recalling certain examples of the Fronx following a major safety defect that was uncovered during crash testing by independent Australian safety authority ANCAP.

A total of 324 examples of the Fronx are being recalled due to a manufacturing defect that may cause the rear left seat belt retractor mechanism to not work as intended.

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As a result, excessive seat belt lengths may be released in the event of crash or hard braking.

• A total of 324 vehicles are affected
• Vehicles were produced during 2025
• VIN lists are attached here and here

If you own an affected vehicle, Suzuki Australia advises customers to “immediately cease” using the rear seats.

The Japanese carmaker is still undertaking “urgent investigations of this phenomenon”. It will detail any further actions required from affected customers at a later date.

This follows the Fronx receiving a one-star safety rating from ANCAP.

It received 48 per cent for Adult Occupant Protection, 40 per cent for Child Occupant Protection, 65 per cent for Vulnerable Road User Protection and 55 per cent for Safety Assist.

Due to a number of issues noted in the frontal offset physical crash test, the Fronx received zero points in the test.

Protection for the driver’s chest was weak and adequate for lower legs, rearward displacement of the pedals was excessive and protection of the driver’s feet marginal, plus structures in the instrument panel and dashboard were found to be potential sources of injury to occupants.

Additionally, rear passenger chest protection was poor, with high chest deflection and high seatbelt load.

“What concerns us is that this particular vehicle could have been purchased by an ordinary consumer, and in an on-road crash this failure could have had serious consequences for the person sitting in the back seat,” ANCAP CEO Carla Hoorweg said.

“ANCAP’s view is that adult and child passengers should not travel in the rear seats of the Suzuki Fronx until the reason for the failure has been determined and relevant rectifications have been carried out.”

Suzuki, at least at surface level, has been struggling to achieve high ANCAP safety ratings over the past few years.

Before the Fronx’s one-star rating, the Swift had a one-star rating that was then revised in 2025 to a three-star rating following additional front-end reinforcement to align it with the European-specification model.

The Jimny and Vitara are now unrated as it has been over seven years since they were last crash-tested.

Earlier this year Suzuki Australia Managing Director Michael Pachota weighed in on the company’s relationship with ANCAP and whether the scores are affecting sales.

“Obviously, ANCAP exists, and it's an independent body that does crash testing for Australian consumer knowledge,” Pachota told CarsGuide in August 2025.

“But with that said, our safety features, the safety suite, are constantly advancing, and accident avoidance or prevention technology is getting better and better.

“Our, for example, Swift is a much safer car than the previous car, but with the goal posts moving so quickly on the ANCAP ruling, the previous car outgoing was a five-star safety rating, and all of a sudden the new one was a one-star. So tell me how that works.

“Look, safety is a high priority, absolutely,” added Pachota.

“But with that said, we believe our vehicles are definitely safe and fit for purpose. Otherwise they wouldn't be allowed into the country. ADR, strictly has requirements to make sure the vehicle is safe. 

“So the vehicles allowed in the country, and ADRs in Australia, as you know, are quite, quite strict in terms of comparison to other countries.

“Then tell me that car’s not safe.”

When asked about the differences in specifications between Australia and the rest of the world, and whether our cars were up to scratch in the global context, Pachota pointed to the average age of cars on Australian roads.

“Absolutely. It's funny, you know, like you can get a car that a decade ago got a five-star safety rating, five years ago got a five-star safety rating and wouldn't even be eligible for a one star or even a zero at this stage. 

“[The] majority of the Australian car park is nowhere near ANCAP’s ratings now. Nowhere near. So tell me, is everyone not safe now? Should we be scared?”

According to the most recent Australian Motor Vehicle Census released in 2021 by the Australian Bureau of Statistics, the average age of vehicles registered at the time was 10.6 years, a figure unlikely to have changed dramatically in the time since, given previous similar figures.

Pachota added, “I think it's not about if it's important to Suzuki or not, it's whether or not it's important to the customer, and if the customer can see the safety features and understand what's in the vehicle, and if they need to go to a third party source to get an evaluation, that is entirely up to the customer, and we respect that in the customer's journey.”