(Photo: Provided)
Volkswagen has announced that around 26,000 VW Polo Vivo models that went on sale nationwide from February 2025 to February 2026 may have a handbrake problem.
The Volkswagen Group in Africa has notified the National Consumer Commission (NCC) that there may be a fault with the hand brakes of 25,729 Polo Vivos manufactured in the past year.
Volkswagen informed the NPC that the rivet height on the handbrake lever fitted to the vehicles in question may be outside the required specification. In such a case, the handbrake may not engage properly, or in rare cases even disengage unexpectedly.
This can pose a safety risk, especially when the vehicle is parked on a slope, Volkswagen said.
Owners of Polo Vivos manufactured in the last year are now requested to take their vehicles to any authorized Volkswagen dealer immediately for inspection.
“Any inspection and associated repairs will be done free of charge for the vehicle owners,” assured Hardin Ratshisusu, acting consumer commissioner.
In the meantime, owners of the affected cars are advised to take precautions until their cars can be inspected and, where necessary, repaired.
“Make sure the vehicle is parked with additional precautions, such as selecting first gear for manual vehicles or “P” for automatic models, as specified in the owner’s manual.
“Do not park the vehicle on any slope (uphill or downhill) until the inspection and any required repairs are completed,” advised Ratshisusu.