Geely recalls MK sedan and hatch

Chinese car-maker Geely has issued a recall on 421 examples of its Yaris-sized MK sedan and hatch after discovering faults with seat rails and rear door locks that could affect the safety of occupants in a collision.

A statement from the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) states that the “left side of the driver’s side seat slide mechanism may not lock as intended and may allow the driver's seat to move forward in a severe accident.”“In the event of a severe frontal accident, the driver’s left side seat rail mechanism may not function as intended by vehicle manufacture, possibly resulting in serious injury to the occupant.”

The second fault relates to the rear door becoming unlatched in the event of severe side impact.

The ACCC says that “in the event of a severe side impact accident, the rear door locks may not function as intended by vehicle manufacture, possibly resulting in serious injury to the occupant.”

The ACCC have advised that owners of the affected models will be contacted by mail.

Last year the MK achieved a crash safety rating of three out of five stars in an Australasian New Car Assessment Program (ANCAP) test.

The Geely MK is currently on sale in Western Australia only and is the sole model in the Chinese brand’s Australian line-up.

A lack of an automatic transmission and electronic stability control in the MK scuppered plans for a national release of the car.

Geely acquired the Swedish Volvo brand from Ford in 2010 and is a major player in the massive Chinese market.

The company is looking to expand its presence in Australia, with a number of new models slated for launch here in coming years, including the Holden Cruze-sized EC7 small car.