Suzuki has warned owners of its new Suzuki Fronx to stop carrying passengers in the rear seats after a seatbelt failure was discovered during independent crash testing in Australia.
The issue was identified by the Australasian New Car Assessment Program (ANCAP), which said the rear seatbelt retractor failed during testing, causing the belt to release and leaving the crash-test dummy unrestrained.
ANCAP Chief Executive Carla Hoorweg said adults and children should not travel in the back seats of the vehicle until the cause of the failure is determined and repairs are completed, calling the defect “rare and serious.”
Suzuki has issued a recall covering 324 vehicles in Australia, instructing owners to immediately stop using the rear seats. The company said the defect could allow excessive belt length to be released during a crash or heavy braking.
Suzuki said customer safety remains its highest priority but has not yet detailed how the issue will be fixed. The Fronx, a budget SUV manufactured in India, was launched in Australia in August, with about 1,600 units sold locally.
ANCAP said the failure follows similar component issues recently identified in other low-cost models and urged manufacturers to submit vehicles for testing before market release. (Newswire)
