Wolfsburg, Germany - Volkswagen has announced an international safety recall of its recently-launched new Polo to fix a potential safety issue with a rear seatbelt.
VW says that in the case of fast lane changes with five people on board, two seat belt buckles can be pressed over one another on the rear seat bench, causing the lock of the outer left seat to pop open unintentionally. Volkswagen has developed a new technical solution to prevent this and will soon be contacting Polo owners to come in for a free fix at a dealer.
Until then, all affected vehicles can continue to be operated safely on the road, says VW. However it advises passengers not to use the middle back seat until the implementation of the recall, to prevent inadvertent opening of the buckle for the left seat.
The worldwide recall affects all Polos of the current model year, of which 8367 units have been sold in South Africa since the new-generation Polo was launched here in January.
The Polo hatchback is the country's second best-selling car behind the VW Polo Vivo.