Recall Alert: Maruti Suzuki Swift, Dzire, A-Star and Ertiga called in for steering column replacement

If you own a Maruti Suzuki Swift, Dzire, A-Star or Ertiga, the following recall alert is relevant to you. Maruti Suzuki has recalled a small number of the aforementioned cars for steering column replacement. The steering column of 1,493 cars (Ertiga: 306 units, Swift: 592 units, Dzire: 581 units and A-Star: 13 units) manufactured between 19th and 26th of October 2013 will be checked for possible defects and replaced if found defective.

As is the usual practice, the recall will happen at the dealer level, with Maruti Suzuki already having notified its dealers of the steering column issue. Also, replacement units have been dispatched. The recall will be carried at  no cost to the customer and the process of informing the affected customers about the recall has already begun. Maruti Suzuki is no stranger to recalls, with the car maker having recalled the Swift, Ritz, A-Star and Dzire on multiple occasions in the past.

Preventive recalls are slowly getting ingrained into the psyches of both car makers as well as car owners in the Indian market, a far cry from the times when recalls were hushed up by car makers and frowned upon by car owners. India is now moving closer to the developed nations, when it comes to accepting recalls as a critical, safety enhancing factor in the automotive sector.

While the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM), a lobbying body of the automakers here, released a voluntary recall policy for automakers last year, the Indian government is expected to unveil a policy that makes it mandatory for automakers to recall cars that have manufacturing defects. This long overdue policy is expected to be implemented in the next couple of months. Strict enforcement will be key.

All in all, auto recalls, voluntary or mandatory, will go a long way in making Indian roads safer while also protecting vehicle buyers’ interests.