The National Consumer Commission (NCC) has announced a product safety recall affecting hundreds of Nissan, Toyota and Lexus vehicles sold in South Africa, urging owners to take their vehicles to authorised dealerships for free inspections and repairs.

In a statement issued on Wednesday, the NCC said the recalls involve certain Nissan Qashqai Sport Utility Vehicles (SUVs), Toyota Land Cruiser 300 models and Lexus LX600 vehicles due to defects that could pose safety risks to motorists.

NCC spokesperson Phetho Ntaba said the commission was informing consumers after receiving notifications from the respective vehicle manufacturers.

“The National Consumer Commission urges all owners of the affected vehicles to respond to the recall notices without delay. Product recalls are an important consumer protection measure aimed at preventing potential harm and ensuring that identified defects are corrected before they result in serious safety incidents,” said Ntaba.

Nissan is recalling 314 Qashqai SUVs as part of an ongoing recall campaign first announced on 23 October 2025, during which 1,688 vehicles were recalled.

According to Nissan, the affected vehicles have a potential defect involving the fuel pipe in the engine bay. The company said movement of the fuel pipe within its retaining clip while the engine is running could cause the pipe to wear over time.

If the wear becomes severe, it could result in a perforation of the fuel pipe, leading to a fuel leak and increasing the potential risk of fire.

The affected Nissan Qashqai vehicles were sold between 4 May 2021 and 17 September 2024.

Nissan has advised the NCC that it has developed a permanent repair solution to replace the temporary repair that was introduced during the previous recall campaign.

Toyota South Africa Motors has also notified the NCC of a recall involving 507 Toyota Land Cruiser 300 vehicles, while Lexus South Africa Motors is recalling 124 Lexus LX600 vehicles.

The recalled Toyota Land Cruiser 300 models were sold between 13 December 2022 and 7 May 2024.

The affected Lexus LX600 vehicles were sold between 15 December 2022 and 7 May 2024. Some of these vehicles were also exported to Botswana and Namibia.

According to Toyota, both vehicle models are equipped with a V35A engine containing crankshaft main bearings that allow the crankshaft to rotate while the engine is running.

During a specific production period, machining debris may not have been completely removed during the manufacturing process, resulting in contamination inside the engine.

Toyota warned that if the debris adheres to the main bearings and the engine continues operating under heavy loads, the bearings could fail.

This may cause engine knocking, rough engine performance, difficulty starting the vehicle or an engine stall.

The manufacturer said an engine stalling while driving could result in a sudden loss of motive power, particularly at higher speeds, increasing the risk of a crash.

Ntaba urged owners not to ignore the recall notices.

“Consumers should contact their nearest authorised Nissan or Toyota dealership as soon as possible to arrange an inspection. The necessary repairs will be carried out at no cost to the vehicle owner,” he said.

The NCC said product recalls remain a critical mechanism for protecting consumers from potentially dangerous defects and ensuring manufacturers meet their obligations under South Africa’s consumer protection laws.

Consumers who believe they own one of the affected vehicles are encouraged to visit their nearest authorised Nissan or Toyota dealership to verify whether their vehicle forms part of the recall programme.

The commission said queries relating to the recalls can also be directed to ProductRecall@thencc.org.za.