Chery recalls 23,667 vehicles in South Africa over safety defects

By Sophie Lindqvist

Chery is recalling 23,667 vehicles in South Africa over potential rear-axle, suspension and brake defects across three SUV models. South Africa's National Consumer Commission (NCC), the product-safety regulator, announced the action on Tuesday. Owners of the Chery Tiggo 4, Omoda C5 and Chery Tiggo 8 Pro Max 2.0 are being urged to visit authorised dealers for free inspections and repairs.

Which vehicles are affected, and why?

The 17,508 Chery Tiggo 4 vehicles sold between October 2023 and March 2024 may have welding defects that can detach the rear axle, the assembly carrying the rear wheels, and collapse the suspension. The same risk applies to 2,685 Omoda C5S vehicles, which the commission lists under the Omoda C5 model heading.

Another 3,474 Chery Tiggo 8 Pro Max 2.0 vehicles face a separate defect. Their front brake pipes, hydraulic lines carrying fluid to the front brakes, can rub against the turbocharger, wear through and leak brake fluid. That failure can weaken braking performance and increase stopping distances.

The three model counts total 23,667 vehicles. Dealers will provide no-charge inspections and repairs, but the report gives no completion schedule, repair time or parts-supply plan.

How does Chery's action compare?

Chery's action is more than twice the size of BMW's 10,961-unit recall announced in July. BMW covered the 3, 4, 5 and 7 Series ranges, plus the X3 and X4, because starter motors could overheat and cause fires.

• Toyota and Lexus recalled a combined 6,525 vehicles in June over software defects that could freeze or prevent rear-view camera images from appearing.
• Toyota also announced a separate November recall covering 77 RAV4 plug-in hybrid vehicles; the source does not state the defect.
• Jeep recalled 1,896 Wrangler and Gladiator vehicles in November over an electrical steering-system defect that could cause overheating and potentially trigger a fire.
• Hyundai recalled 253 Tucson vehicles in October over concerns involving side-impact airbag sensors.

The report presents Chery's action within a wider wave of vehicle safety notices in South Africa. It lists the competing campaigns by month but does not attach an individual year to each notice.

What does the Nissan plant transition mean?

Chery has begun vehicle production in South Africa after taking over Nissan's former plant, where it produces the Omoda C4 crossover SUV. The move forms part of the Chinese automaker's wider expansion across Africa.

The report describes South Africa as Africa's richest country and sizes its automotive market at $15.2 billion. It identifies the country but not the plant city, and provides no capacity, output, investment, employment figure or exact production-start date. Without output or capacity data, the scale of the production start remains unverified.

As the original equipment manufacturer (OEM), or vehicle maker, Chery is the company named in the recall. The notice identifies no Tier 1 supplier, meaning a direct component supplier to the automaker, for the welding or brake-pipe issues. The report does not connect the three recalled models with the plant's Omoda C4 output.

What is the NCC investigating?

The NCC is also investigating allegations that Chery previously recalled vehicles without notifying the commission. Acting Commissioner Hardin Ratshisusu said the investigation began in October 2026 and remains ongoing.

Acting Commissioner Hardin Ratshisusu said: “Whilst we urge consumers to heed the call and respond to this recall, we also remind suppliers of their obligation to notify any product recall promptly.” That warning makes timely notification a separate compliance issue from the technical defects covered by the current campaign.

What should readers watch next?

Watch the first disclosed Omoda C4 output and any plant capacity target; the report provides neither, nor an exact production-start date. Also watch the completion schedule for free dealer repairs and the NCC's decision on the notification allegations. The plant launch has begun, but its scale and Chery's regulatory exposure remain unquantified until those milestones emerge.