Hyundai, Toyota, Audi, Bentley recall 130,000+ cars

HYUNDAI, Toyota, Audi and Bentley have recalled more than 130,000 vehicles between them over the past week revolving around fire risks, transmission failures or manufacturing standards.

Accounting for the majority of the vehicles being recalled is Hyundai, which has recalled 68,765 MY07-11 i30s, almost 19,000 MY06-11 Elantras and 9393 MY06-09 Santa Fes over fears a circuit board in the anti-lock braking system will short circuit and ignite a fire if exposed to moisture.

In total, 96,892 vehicles are affected by the recall with the official notice revealing an engine bay fore could ignite at any time given the circuit board is always powered.

“This could increase the risk of an accident, serious injury to vehicle occupants, other road users and bystanders, and damage to property,” it said.

Despite the fault and fire danger, Hyundai Motor Company Australia (HMCA) says the ABS system itself is not affected.

“Affected vehicles need to be parked in an open space and away from flammable materials and structures, i.e. not in a garage,” the notice read.

According to HMCA, affected owners will be contacted and asked to contact an authorised Hyundai dealership to have a relay kit installed on the circuit board free of charge.

The relay kit will act as a safety net for the circuit board and prevent the power surge, thereby preventing a potential vehicle fire.

Toyota meanwhile has recalled 22,971 MY16-18 LandCruiser 70s to rectify its own fire risk, this one concerning to the accumulation of vegetation in the underbody and around the exhaust system.

“If the vegetation is not removed in accordance with maintenance instructions in the Owner Manual, the Diesel Particulate Filter (DFP) system’s periodic regeneration may cause it to combust,” the recall notice read.

“If the vegetation combusts, there is a risk of vegetation fire, which may increase the risk of injury to bystanders or damage to property.”

To neutralise the risk of sparking a vehicle fire or potentially even a bushfire, Toyota has encouraged affected owners to visit their preferred dealership where modified exhaust system heat shields will be installed free of charge.

A manual mode for the DFP system will also be enabled for “drivers to conduct manual regeneration in a safe location prior to entering off-road, dry vegetation environments”.

Audi’s most recent recall affects 10,373 vehicles produced for the 2008-2016 model years, specifically the DSG-fitted A1, A3 and TTs.

According to the German brand, a production fault can cause a crack in the transmission pressure accumulator and subsequent transmission failure due to losing both oil and oil pressure.

“The experience of this symptom would be comparable to depressing the clutch in a vehicle fitted with a manual transmission,” the notice read.

As with most recalls, Audi is contacting affected owners and urging them to contact their preferred dealership to arrange for inspection and repair.

Bentley meanwhile has recalled 67 examples of its Bentayga SUV to rectify a faulty seatbelt anchorage in the third-row seating which may not reach legal load requirements.

As such, the seatbelt could detach from the pillar in the event of a crash and cause serious injury if the passenger(s) are not restrained properly.

Bentley says it is contacted affected owners directly via mail and has encouraged people to contact their preferred dealership for a free inspection and subsequent repair if needed.