Thousands of Mercedes-Benz and Fuso trucks and buses in South Africa are affected by safety and compliance recalls, with more than 3,500 vehicles still outstanding for inspection or repairs.
The recalls were notified to the National Consumer Commission (NCC) by Daimler Truck Southern Africa (DTSA), with several of the defects potentially affecting vehicle control, braking, indicators, fuel systems or the ability of a truck to remain operational.
The biggest outstanding recall affects 1,538 Mercedes-Benz Actros 963 and Arocs 964 trucks made available for sale from 2022 onwards.
The trucks have a defect involving an axle bearing bracket that could loosen, potentially causing the rear axle to become misaligned.
If the screws or nuts securing the bracket are lost, the resulting axle misalignment could affect the truck’s driving and braking characteristics, increasing the risk of an accident.
The supplier has identified cases where the bracket can loosen, typically after about 600,000km.
966 Fuso trucks face potential fuel leak
A further 966 Fuso FJ trucks remain outstanding for repair following a recall involving high-pressure fuel pipes.
The pipes can crack around bends because of excessive stress caused by vibration and surface abnormalities.
In the worst case, a cracked pipe could result in fuel leakage.
The recall affects Fuso FJ trucks made available for sale from 2022 onwards.
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815 Fuso Fighter trucks affected
Another 815 Fuso Fighter FK, FM and FN trucks, sold from 2017 onwards, are affected by oxidation on an electrical contact surface.
The problem can cause the turn indicators to fail intermittently, while the corresponding flasher indication on the instrument cluster may also fail.
For a truck operating on South African roads, an intermittent indicator fault is particularly important because it can affect communication with other road users.
Arocs front-axle problem could affect lane control
A separate recall affects 62 Mercedes-Benz Arocs 964 trucks made available from 2022 onwards.
Screws securing the front axle leaf-spring assembly may become loose, allowing the axle to move during braking.
According to the recall information, this could cause the truck to pull strongly to one side, making it difficult for the driver to maintain the vehicle’s lane and increasing the risk of an accident.
Seven trucks could lose throttle response
Another recall affects seven Mercedes-Benz Actros 963, Arocs 964, Atego 967 and electric eActros 983 trucks.
Incorrectly soldered components on the accelerator pedal’s printed circuit board could cause the accelerator pedal sensor to fail if a voltage peak occurs.
The result could be a loss of throttle response, causing the truck to coast to a halt and potentially become immobile in traffic.
The braking, lighting and warning-lamp functions remain available.
Fuso Canter instrument display recall
The Fuso Canter FE8 7-150 and FE 8-150 are also affected by a software-related recall involving the instrument cluster LCD.
The display can black out or fade when the ignition is switched on and off within a short period.
High cabin temperatures of around 60°C can also cause the display to fade.
A total of 124 trucks remain outstanding for repair.
Eight Mercedes-Benz buses also recalled
The recall campaign also includes eight Mercedes-Benz model 2445 buses, sold from 2025 onwards, which have yet to be presented for inspection and remediation.
Their engines may have missing or incorrect parameters and wiring configurations that could affect the aftertreatment system.
This could result in the buses not fully complying with applicable particulate and NOx emission requirements.
Owners urged to check affected trucks
The NCC said owners of affected vehicles should take them to their nearest authorised Daimler Truck dealer for inspection and the necessary repairs.
The commission said all corrective work will be carried out at no cost to consumers.
Truck owners operating Mercedes-Benz or Fuso vehicles that may fall within the affected model and production ranges should contact an authorised Daimler Truck dealer to establish whether their vehicle is subject to one of the recalls.
Queries relating to the recalls can also be directed to the NCC at [email protected].
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