Ford, Mazda lead latest safety recalls

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) has published its latest round of safety recalls, with models from Ford, Mazda, BMW, Kia, Audi, Jeep, Alfa Romeo and Lamborghini affected.

The Ford Ranger and Everest, as well as the Mazda BT-50 have been called back due to poor welds around the intermediate steering shaft, which could potentially cause the steering column to detach from the steering gear. This issue impacts 205 Rangers, 61 Everests, and 11 BT-50s.

BMW Group Australia has recently issued five recalls, affecting vehicles including the previous-generation 1 Series and 3 Series, as well as the E83 X3 and the F90 M5.

The M5 has been called back due to a possible software malfunction that could cause the fuel pump to stop working while the car is in motion.

Variants from the 1 Series, 3 Series and X3 may be equipped with a defective driver's airbag inflator. According to the recall notice, a combination of high temperatures and humidity can cause the airbag inflator propellant to degrade which could cause the inflator housing to explode. This falls under the ongoing Takata saga.

The next BMW recall again concerns the X3, with the German carmaker saying 1539 units may have had their standard Petri airbags replaced with Takata airbags during servicing.

Meanwhile, the 2005-2011 3 Series has been called back due to a wiring issue in the interior fan blower motor that could potentially overheat, short-circuit and cause a fire.

Lastly, the BMW 1 Series and 3 Series were again recalled, with a total 20,763 units affected, this time due to a potential electrical connection failure.

If this issue occurs, the vehicle may not unlock, or the driver may not be able to start the car.

The issue concerning the Jeep Cherokee is also software related, which may affect the cruise control, locking the speed or cause spontaneous acceleration.

Kia Motors Australia also issued a recall notice, announcing that 9242 examples of its YP Carnivals built between 2015 and 2019 are subject to an issue that may see the power sliding door not detect obstructions.

This issue could cause damage to the vehicle or injury to an entering/exiting occupant.

Audi Australia also joins the list with 96 A4, A5, Q5, A6 and A7 vehicles powered by the brand's 2.0-litre TFSI engine called back due to a potential overheating issue that could lead to a failing coolant pump.

Furthermore, two of its 2018 Q5 models are mentioned in a second recall notice, which details an issue with the rear brake pistons that could lose braking effectiveness and increase brake pedal travel.

FCA Australia has issued two recall notices this month, the first for 741 2016-2018 Alfa Romeo Giuliettas and the other for 2938 Jeep Cherokees built between 2014 and 2018.

Affected Giuliettas are equipped with an incorrect software file that allows the passenger side airbag to be deactivated via the instrument panel.

The issue concerning the Jeep Cherokee is also software related, which may affect the cruise control, locking the speed or cause spontaneous acceleration.

Automobili Lamborghini has declared that 124 units of its Aventador S Coupe and Roadster, including limited-edition and one-off versions, have an issue that may see the car stall without warning under certain driving conditions.

Is your vehicle affected by one of these recalls? Tell us in the comments below.