VW recalls 291 bakkies in South Africa

Volkswagen is recalling 291 Amarok bakkies in South Africa after identifying a fault that could prevent the curtain airbag from fully deploying in a crash.

The Volkswagen Group Africa has announced that it is recalling certain VW Amarok vehicles which were sold in South Africa from 2 June 2026 to 15 September 2026.

The Volkswagen Amarok originally debuted globally on January 7, 2010, and launched in South Africa in September 2010.

The second-generation Amarok made its global debut on July 7, 2022, and officially went on sale in South Africa in March 2023. This model is one of the best-selling bakkies in South Africa.

In September 2026, Naamsa revealed that the Amarok was the country’s sixth best-selling bakkie, with 430 units sold during the month.

According to the National Consumer Commission (NCC), the current recall affects 291 vehicles in South Africa.

The Volkswagen Group explained that these vehicles are being recalled because the curtain airbag may not fully deploy in the event of a front or side impact.

This is due to contact with a component in the vehicle interior. Sharp-edged plastic components may also come loose or remain in the airbag. The issue may result in reduced protection for the driver and front passenger.

Sharp-edged parts of the guide element could also separate or remain in the head-or-neck contact area, increasing the risk of injury in the event of an accident.

Consumers who own the affected vehicles are urged to submit their vehicles to any approved Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles dealer.

These dealers will ensure that the affected components are replaced at no cost to the customer.

Thousands of cars recalled in South Africa

Volkswagen is not the only manufacturer to have recalled vehicles in South Africa in recent weeks.

The NCC issued several vehicle recall notices during September covering models from Suzuki, Toyota, Lexus, Jeep, Isuzu, Mercedes-Benz and Fuso.

The recalls included 543 Suzuki Grand Vitara vehicles, 2,279 Toyota Land Cruiser Prado vehicles, 255 Jeep Grand Cherokee vehicles and 41 Lexus GX and UX vehicles.

Isuzu also recalled 2,586 RG19 bakkies because a loose brake pedal pivot pin could make it harder for the driver to fully depress the brake pedal. These recalls affected a combined 5,744 vehicles.

The NCC also issued a separate recall notice on 2 September covering several Mercedes-Benz trucks and buses, as well as Fuso trucks. At the time, 3,520 of these affected vehicles were yet to be repaired.

The affected vehicles had a range of safety and technical faults, including potential front-axle movement during braking, accelerator-sensor failures, axle-bearing problems, fuel-pipe cracks, and instrument-cluster failures.