Suzuki Motor Corp. said it would recall 2 million cars, a record for the automaker, including Chevrolet Cruzes it builds for General Motors, to replace the ignition switch after reports of fumes being emitted from the faulty component.
The action expands a recall for 168,000 cars that was issued on March 31 for the same defect after reports of burning or smoking ignition switches on 30 vehicles in Japan.
Subject to the latest recall are 1,873,000 cars across nine models in Japan. These include the Cruze, the AZ-Wagon and Carol models sold under Mazda Motor Corp.’s brand, and Suzuki’s Alto, WagonR and Swift models built between 1998 and 2009.
The recall also covers 133,700 Swift, Alto, Chevy Cruze and other models in overseas markets such as Australia and Europe. We will have to wait and see when Suzuki Malaysia will issue the recall notice for our market which would involve a large number of cars as Suzuki has been selling very well in Malaysia with the Swift taking the majority of sales numbers.
No one has been injured from the defect and there have been no reports of smoking or burning ignition switches outside Japan, the spokesman said.
