Maruti Suzuki faces a product recall in Ethiopia, one of its most important growth markets in Africa, after the local distributor Tamrin Auto announced a problem with the steering system on some S-presso mini-vehicles.
This comes as Maruti widens a recall initially launched in India to cover nearly 88,000 units globally.
The recall applies to S-Presso and Eeco mini-vehicles manufactured between July 2021 and February 2023 for all international markets, including Ethiopia which is a key growth region for Maruti.
Tamrin Auto, one of the authorized suppliers for Maruti Suzuki brands in Ethiopia, told customers it received information from the Indian automaker about a design flaw prone to damage in the steering shaft assembly of certain Spresso models.
As a precaution, Tamrin is recalling all Spressos from identified production batches to replace the problematic components under a service campaign coordinated with Maruti dealers nationwide. Owners are advised to check vehicle identification numbers against a recall list provided by Tamrin.
The move marks an unwelcome quality issue for Maruti as it seeks to expand sales of affordable vehicles across Africa. While still a nascent market, Ethiopia has become a major showcase for Maruti's global ambitions on the continent.
The automaker has held the top spot in new vehicle registrations in Ethiopia for the last four years due to popular demand for its models such as Dzire, Swift, Celerio and S-presso.
