UK Consumer Watchdog Says Seven Vehicle Models Should Be Recalled

You might be driving a car stricken with a potentially dangerous safety glitch.

A Which? poll has urged recalls on seven car models. The cars’ owners have cited various problems from defective batteries to inaccurate computer software, according to the poll. 

The Which? poll of 47,013 vehicle owners found significant defects that require immediate attention, according to the Independent.

The consumer watchdog is calling the faults in the vehicles “prolific,” the Independent reported.

The Which? poll also showed that some of the problems have existed for a long time and car manufacturers did not properly resolve the issues by announcing vehicle recalls.

The seven models of cars with reported problems are the Range Rover Velar, Range Rover Sport, Nissan Qashqai, Nissan Juke, Nissan Pulsar, BMW 5 Series Touring and Tesla Model S.

Moreover, the Nissan Qashqai, Tesla Model S and BMW 5 Series Touring had the exact same defects this year as were found in the Which? poll last year, the Independent reported.

Even after the research was shown to Nissan, Tesla and BMW, the vehicle recalls were reportedly not announced, according to Which?. 

Which? reports that the companies’ failure to recall these vehicles has meant owners are having to suffer the costs. Keeping defective cars on the road is dangerous, and owners will have to foot the bill for car repairs, when vehicle recalls should fix issues for free. 

Over 1 in 5 Nissan Qashqai owners have had to replace the car’s battery within the last year. These cars are less than three years old, but the batteries are faulty.

Nissan Juke and Nissan Pulsar drivers have suffered increased breakdown rates. Twenty-eight percent of Pulsar drivers have reported battery problems, and 20% of Juke drivers reported a faulty fuel component problem. 

Tesla’s luxury Model S runs £50,000 or more, but 18% of drivers with 2013 to 2017 models reported a problem with the door handles, according to the Which? poll.

According to This Is Money, Tesla says they door handles are covered under warranty.

Twenty-one percent of Range Rover Velar drivers and 17% of Range Rover Sport drivers reported they had issues with the vehicles’ computer software despite the cars being less than three years old.

Land Rover responded by saying the carmaker is improving the software in its new products, and they do not believe the Which? poll had a large enough sample to prove their claims.

In the Which? poll, 26% of 2010 to 2017 BMW 5 Series Touring drivers said they ran into problems with the cars’ suspension system.

This Is Money reported that BMW says there is nothing wrong with the suspension system after a review.

However, Nissan has begun to address its vehicle recalls.

The carmaker has reached out to 35,000 Nissan Qashqai drivers so they can receive a free fix on their vehicles’ defects, Express reported. 

“We are aware of some incidences of battery failure on older Nissan models and have taken steps to address this issue, including replacing our battery supplier,” Nissan said in a statement to Express. “Nissan is also in the process of contacting 35k potentially affected customers who own a Nissan Qashqai produced between April 2018 & February 2019, for a free of charge update to their vehicle, and we are working closely with customers to resolve any concerns. Currently, 80 percent of these vehicles have had the update applied.”

If you own one of these seven car models, have you experienced any of these reportedly ongoing problems? Let us know in the comments.

Read More Lawsuit & Settlement News:

Mercedes Diesel Emissions Group Action Open Claim

Group Litigation Accuses Nissan, Renault of Cheating Emissions Tests

Volvo Recalls 30,000 Vehicles In UK Over Wiper Defect

Self-Driving Cars Could Be Headed for UK Roads; Drivers Skeptical