Recalls

My dad is upgrading his car and has offered to sell me his 2012 Ford Focus at a very reasonable price. It has the Powershift dual-clutch transmission. He hasn't had any problems at all in the past five-plus years. Are there some vehicles that won't be affected by the transmission issues, or is it just a matter of time before it starts to experience problems too? Is it very unsafe to be driving these cars around?

Honda was already on a winner with the CR-V, but the new RE model that arrived in 2007 was a clear and welcome improvement over earlier models.

Are there any known issues with the 2017 Mazda BT-50’s gearbox?

Volkswagen Australia has announced it is recalling model year 2018 examples of its new Polo light hatch, over an obscure rear seatbelt issue.

As Honda Australia approaches a 90 per cent Takata recall completion rate, the carmaker has revealed the top 10 postcodes that house the highest number of pending replacements.

The Australian Competition and Consumer Comission (ACCC) has issued its latest round of call backs, with models from Jeep, Ram, Kia, Nissan, Holden, Subaru, Audi and Tesla subject to various manufacturing faults.Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) Australia issued a notice for 7901 Jeep KJ Cherokee units from 2004 – 2007 as the rear lower control arms are subject to excessive corrosion, which could cause them to break and significantly reduce vehicle control.Meanwhile, 18 examples of the 2018 Jeep KL Cherokee equipped with 2.4-litre engines have also been called back due to incorrectly manufactured fuel tubes.The fault could cause a fuel leak, resulting in an increased risk of an engine compartment fire that puts occupants and bystanders in danger of burns or smoke inhalation injuries. The fuel leak could also cause the vehicle to lose power and shut down without prior warning, potentially causing an accident. American Special Vehicles has issued two recalls, the first affecting 33 Ram 2500s, and the other affecting 429 Ram DJ 2500 and 3500 pick-ups.Some 2018 Ram 2500 units that are equipped with 12-pin trailer plugs, may have a 'Trailer Brake Module' (TBM) installed with the wrong software, which could cause the trailer tail-lights to become inoperative.Secondly, both Ram DJ 2500 and D2 3500s models from 2017 and 2018 may be equipped with a faulty power steering hose. A break in the power steering hose could result in a loss of hydraulic assistance to the brake and steering systems.Kia Motors Australia (KMAu) has issued a recall notice for 1747 2017 YB Rio vehicles that may be equipped with out-of-specification rear door lock assemblies making an active child lock unnoticeably inactive.This could cause an occupant to accidentally open a rear door from the inside with the child lock on.Nissan Motor Company Australia has called back 6268 examples of its J11 Qashqai small SUV as models built between September 2017 and January 2018 may have an incorrect setting on the 'Body Control Module' (BCM), which could cause the car to not trigger a warning in the case of an indicator lamp failure.Holden's new ZB Commodore also joins the list, with 2167 examples called back as the rear left and right seatbelts may have been installed incorrectly.In the event of an accident, it is possible that the seatbelts may not operate as designed, causing an increased risk of injury.Subaru Australia's latest safety recall notice details an issue with 1876 examples of its 2013-14 model year diesel-powered Forester models equipped with manual transmissions.The affected Forester medium SUVs are subject to a fault that could see the clutch pipe rub through the wiring loom insulation, creating a short circuit and stalling the engine.Tesla Motors Australia has called back 874 2016 Tesla Model S vehicles built with Bosch steering racks.In some Model S EVs, when exposed to high-corrosion environments, the aluminum bolts that attach the power steering gear assist motor to the gear housing may corrode and weaken. According to Tesla, if these bolts fracture, the power-steering-gear-assist motor may move, causing the transmission belt to slip and reduce the level of power steering assist.Audi Australia has called back examples of its A4 sedan, Avant and Allroad, as well as the A5 Sportback, manufactured between October 2014 and October 2017. The issue effects models equipped with Bang & Olufsen sound systems, and sees part of the aluminum trim strips on the front and rear doors become detached.Owner affected by any of the aforementioned safety recalls should contact their corresponding dealers to arrange a free-of-charge repair.Those who wish to check if their vehicle is subject to a safety recall can head to the ACCC website to see a list of affected vehicle identification numbers.

I am looking to buy a new Toyota Hilux, but there is growing negative feedback regarding DPF issues etc. Given the poor new car 3-year warranty offered by Toyota could you recommend another more reliable vehicle please.

Toyota markets the Hilux as "Unbreakable". If it is then why is the warranty so poor and not like the Koreans, or even Holden?

Former Volkswagen Group chief executive Martin Winterkorn has been charged by the United States Department of Justice over the scandal that saw the German carmaker cheat emissions tests.

The steering wheel of my 2010 Hyundai i30 locks when I drive. It's happened three times and is now with a dealer and they say it will cost $4700 to replace steering column. My car was recalled for this a few years ago.

Toyota Motor Corporation Australia (TMCA) has said that approximately 71.7 per cent of its vehicles caught up in the Takata airbag recall had already been rectified.