India’s largest car maker Maruti Suzuki India Ltd said on Tuesday that it will recall as many as 33,098 units of its Alto car to inspect and replace the right hand door latch assembly manufactured between 8 December and 18 February.
Maruti will recall 19,780 units of the Alto 800 and 13,318 units of the 1000cc mini car Alto K10.
“Maruti Suzuki dealers in the domestic market will contact owners of all the affected vehicles. The dealer workshop technicians will inspect the condition and carry out the necessary replacement, free of cost,” the company said in a statement.
“The problem was noticed on the basis of internal quality checks...,” it added.
The company clarified that there is no reason for concern if the right hand side door—both front and rear—is completely latched.
“If, however, the door is half-latched, then the door may open if pressure is applied from inside,” it said.
This is the third recall by the carmaker since April, when it made one of India’s biggest vehicle recalls by contacting 103,311 customers who purchased models such as the Ertiga, Swift and DZire, manufactured between 12 November 2013 and 4 February 2014 to replace the faulty fuel filler neck (the tube leading down to the fuel tank).
In September, the company recalled 69,555 units of its popular hatchbacks Swift and Ritz, and entry-level sedan DZire built between 8 March 2010 and 11 August 2013.
Indian car makers are becoming proactive about recalls, suggesting that a voluntary code put in place by the industry in 2013 is working and that they’ve been able to overcome the stigma attached to such exercises in a climate in which companies are seeking to revive sales after a two-year downturn. Unlike developed markets such as Europe, Japan or the US, India still has no official recall policy. Typically, an auto maker in India makes an announcement offering to fix any defects and replace faulty components, but escapes penalties and punishments common in developed markets.
The new Motor Vehicle Act, which has been drafted by the ministry for road transport and highways and is now in public domain for debate and feedback, has included provisions for penalising errant vehicle makers.
