A MAJOR car brand could be forced to recall a popular model over an apparent safety fault.
A concerning issue has been discovered in the Smart #1, an electric crossover launched in the UK last year, by Finnish motoring magazine Tekniikan Maailma.
According to a report in Autocar, thousands of Smart #1 EVs could be recalled due to a fault with the rear passenger’s seatbelt.
In the original report from Tekniikan Maailma, the fault apparently occurs when three passengers are seated in the rear of the car and a high-speed, evasive manoeuvre is made.
This can result in the central passenger’s belt lock pushing down on a side passenger’s lock, unlocking it.
The motoring experts labelled the issue as a “dangerous design flaw” and warned that “until the fault is fixed, it is not safe to carry three passengers in the back seat of the Smart.”
Autocar believe a recall “seems to be the most likely outcome.”
In a statement sent to Sun Motors, Smart said: “Recently, we have become aware of the matter described and are treating it with the highest priority.
“Ensuring a high level of safety for all passengers is smart’s top priority.
“Therefore, our internal R&D experts are now working at full speed on a comprehensive investigation of the matter.”
The Smart brand, which started life as a joint venture of the Swiss watch company Swatch and Mercedes-Benz, is synonymous with the iconic Fortwo model, a two-seater city car that was first released in 1998.