Maruti recalls 87,599 units of S Presso, Eeco over faulty steering tie rod

Maruti Suzuki has issued a recall for 87,599 units of its popular S Presso and Eeco vehicles in India. The recall is being carried out to inspect a possible defect in a part of the steering tie rod, which may affect vehicle steerability and handling, the company said.

1. Affected units were built between July 5, 2021 and February 15, 2023
2. Maruti has recalled a total of 1,23,351 units this year so far
3. The brand has issued a total of 29 recalls since 2012

Maruti Suzuki Eeco, S-Presso recall: what else is known

The impacted S Presso and Eeco units were manufactured between July 5, 2021 and February 15, 2023, Maruti Suzuki said in a statement. “It is suspected that there is a possible defect in a part of steering tie rod, used in such vehicles, which in a rare case, may break and affect vehicle steerability and handling," the carmaker added.

Maruti said its dealer workshops will reach out to affected vehicle owners for inspection and replacement of the faulty part, free of cost. 

Maruti Suzuki’s fourth vehicle recall in 2023

This is the fourth recall by Maruti Suzuki this year, and, so far, it has recalled 1,23,351 units. The first was on January 17, 2023, for 17,362 units (both petrol and CNG variants) of the Alto K10, S Presso, Eeco, Brezza, Baleno and Grand Vitara to check for a possible defect in the airbag controller, which, it said, could result in non-deployment of the airbags and seatbelt pre-tensioners in the event of a vehicle crash.

The second recall came six days later on January 23, 2023 for 11,177 Grand Vitara SUVs to inspect for a possible defect in the rear seatbelt mounting brackets, which, in a rare occurrence, could loosen in the long run and impact its functionality. Toyota had also issued a service recall for the same issue for its Hyryder SUV, which is built alongside the Grand Vitara.

Maruti’s third recall this year was announced on April 21, 2023 for 7,213 units of the Baleno RS hatchback, manufactured between October 27, 2016 and November 1, 2019 for a possible defect in the vacuum pump, which assists the brake function with the vehicle likely requiring increased effort in brake pedal application.

Since 2012, when SIAM's voluntary vehicle recall policy came into effect, Maruti Suzuki has issued 29 recalls for a total of 8,63,901 vehicles. The latest recall for S Presso and Eeco units is the carmaker's third largest one – on September 3, 2021, 1,81,754 units of the Ciaz, Ertiga, XL6, Brezza and S-Cross were recalled, and on July 15, 2020, 1,34,885 units of the Wagon R and Baleno were recalled to inspect a faulty fuel pump.