MORE than 700 Ford and Jeep vehicles need to be recalled in South Africa after safety issues were identified that could increase accidents, according to the National Consumer Commission (NCC).
A total of 715 vehicles were affected, including 633 Ford Transit, Ford Tourneo Custom and 82 Jeep Grand Cherokee SUVs.
The Ford Motor Company of Southern Africa has ordered 633 vehicles to be built between 2025 and 2026. The affected vehicles were sold between March 1, 2025 and May 20, 2026.
This is in addition to the battery problems announced earlier this year.
According to NCC, this problem may lead to the wipers wear out quickly or stop working completely, which can make drivers not see well when it rains, and increase accidents.
Car owners have been urged to take their cars to authorized car dealerships, where they will be repaired free of charge.
Other affected vehicles are 82 Jeep Grand Cherokee SUVs built between 2021 and 2023. NCC said that it is possible that the rear spring in the suspension was not installed properly during the production, causing the risk of coming out while the car is moving.
This can lead to the driver not being able to control the car, which is also dangerous for other road users.
The company Stellantis had already started a campaign to recall cars from other countries after the investigation found that some of the cars that had been repaired could still have the same problem.
Later, an investigation was launched into coil spring complaints, prompting the company to recall more than 80,000 vehicles that had been sold in North America.
This latest car recall has increased the number of car safety issues in South Africa this year.
In the past, the same thing happened to Ford, Toyota, Hyundai, Lexus and Jeep vehicles due to problems affecting batteries, airbags, belts, suspension and other safety systems.
The NCC has encouraged affected drivers to quickly address the issue of these vehicle recall notices, stressing that the vehicles will be repaired free of charge in order to increase safety on South African roads.