Land Rover, the venerable British SUV brand, is the latest automobile maker to grace the recall list. Land Rover vehicles are marketed by Jaguar Land Rover North America, LLC.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), after receiving notification of the problem from the manufacturer, has announced a recall of 40,551 LR2 and Evoque models for a possible failure of their front passenger air bags.
The recall covers certain 2010-2015 LR2 models and 2012-2013 Range Rover Evoque vehicles. There are potentially 17,066 LR2 models and 23,485 Range Rover Evoque models subject to recall.
A component within the Occupant Classification System (OCS) Electronic Control Unit (ECU) could fail, which could partially or completely disable the front seat passenger air bag. Should this occur in a crash where the airbag needs to deploy, there could be an increase in the risk of injury to the front seat passenger.
Land Rover will notify owners about the recall campaign, which will begin on Aug. 30. Land Rover dealers will update the Restraint Control Module software at no charge to owners. There have been no reports of accidents or injuries related to the issue, according to NHTSA.
Past Land Rover recalls include a December 2012 recall of 70 2012 LR2 models for defective brake disc calipers; 36 Range Rover 2012 models in October, 2012, for an improperly installed windshield that could separate from the vehicle in a crash; almost 3,000 2011 Land Rover LR2 models for driver air bags that may not deploy in an accident; 3,000 2010 LR2 models for the same driver-side air bag defect as the 2011 model; and 4,000 2010 Land Rover Range Rover models, for a defective air bag indicator light that may unintentionally disable the passenger air bag and prevent it from deploying.
On the plus side for Jaguar Land Rover, the company has just introduced the 2015 Land Rover Range Rover Sport SVR. It is billed as the fastest, most powerful Land Rover to hit the market, according to Tech Times. A 5.0 liter supercharged V8 that outputs 550 horsepower would seem to reinforce that claim.
It is the first volume-release model from Jaguar Land Rover's special vehicle operations unit, and integrates Jaguar style and luxury with traditional Land Rover attributes.
Jaguar Land Rover is a subsidiary of India's Tata Motors. The acquisition of Jaguar Land Rover has greatly benefited Tata's bottom line, nearly tripling its profits in the second quarter. Tata acquired the two British brands from Ford in 2008.
