Aston Martin has recalled approximately 90 of its high-performance luxury sports cars in Australia after identifying a defect that can cause the vehicles’ accelerator pedals to snap.
The recall relates to most of Aston Martin models sold in Australia between May 14, 2012 and April 10, 2013, including the V8 and V12 Vantage, DB9, Virage and Rapide S nameplates. The Vanquish supercar and Rapide models produced in Austria are not affected by the recall.
The official recall notice published on the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) website explains:
“If the throttle lever fractures, the throttle will return to the idle position. The loss of throttle function may pose a hazard to the driver and other road users.”
Aston Martin regional manager for Australia and New Zealand Kevin Wall confirmed the defect came to light during a press event with journalists in Europe. There have been six reports of broken accelerator pedals relating to the defect – none in Australia – though none has caused an accident or injury.
Aston Martin is contacting affected owners by mail encouraging them to contact their local Aston Martin dealer to arrange the recall service. Wall confirmed the service involves replacing the accelerator pedal unit, a fix that takes approximately 15 minutes to complete.
