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Suzuki has halted sales of the Fronx in New Zealand after the model received a one-star safety rating from the Australasian New Car Assessment Programme (ANCAP) following a rear seatbelt failure during crash testing.
New Zealand’s vehicle safety regulator, the NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA), has urged Fronx owners not to carry passengers in the rear seats after a rear seatbelt retractor failed in a laboratory full-width frontal crash test.
ANCAP said the Fronx’s one-star rating reflects poor performance across multiple crash tests and low levels of adult and child occupant protection. The rear seatbelt failure occurred when the retractor released excessive belt length, leaving the rear dummy unrestrained and striking the front seat.
NZTA said such a failure in a real-world crash could lead to serious injury or death for rear-seat passengers. There are 1,115 Suzuki Fronx vehicles currently registered on New Zealand roads.
NZTA officials met with Suzuki New Zealand to press for urgent action. Suzuki has stopped sales of the Fronx and begun contacting owners with advice that rear seats should not be used while investigations continue.
Suzuki New Zealand has issued a manufacturer’s recall dated 23 December 2025, stating that the rear seatbelt retractor “may not perform as designed” and could release excessive belt length in a collision, increasing injury risk. Owners have been told to immediately cease using the rear seats.
ANCAP said seatbelt failures are rare and serious and confirmed it has notified vehicle safety regulators in both Australia and New Zealand. It advised that adult and child passengers should not travel in the rear seats until the cause is identified and rectifications are completed.
The Suzuki Fronx was introduced in New Zealand in June 2025 and in Australia in August 2025, with the ANCAP rating applying to all variants. ANCAP advised consumers to consider the unresolved component failure before purchasing the vehicle.
In India, the model is sold as the Maruti Suzuki Fronx, a compact SUV produced in Gujarat and retailed through Maruti’s Nexa network. The India-spec Fronx has not yet undergone safety testing by India’s Global NCAP or Bharat NCAP programmes. Indian sales have been strong, with the Fronx among Maruti Suzuki’s key volume models in 2025.
New Zealand’s vehicle safety regulator, the NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA), has urged Fronx owners not to carry passengers in the rear seats after a rear seatbelt retractor failed in a laboratory full-width frontal crash test.
ANCAP said the Fronx’s one-star rating reflects poor performance across multiple crash tests and low levels of adult and child occupant protection. The rear seatbelt failure occurred when the retractor released excessive belt length, leaving the rear dummy unrestrained and striking the front seat.
NZTA said such a failure in a real-world crash could lead to serious injury or death for rear-seat passengers. There are 1,115 Suzuki Fronx vehicles currently registered on New Zealand roads.
NZTA officials met with Suzuki New Zealand to press for urgent action. Suzuki has stopped sales of the Fronx and begun contacting owners with advice that rear seats should not be used while investigations continue.
Suzuki New Zealand has issued a manufacturer’s recall dated 23 December 2025, stating that the rear seatbelt retractor “may not perform as designed” and could release excessive belt length in a collision, increasing injury risk. Owners have been told to immediately cease using the rear seats.
ANCAP said seatbelt failures are rare and serious and confirmed it has notified vehicle safety regulators in both Australia and New Zealand. It advised that adult and child passengers should not travel in the rear seats until the cause is identified and rectifications are completed.
The Suzuki Fronx was introduced in New Zealand in June 2025 and in Australia in August 2025, with the ANCAP rating applying to all variants. ANCAP advised consumers to consider the unresolved component failure before purchasing the vehicle.
In India, the model is sold as the Maruti Suzuki Fronx, a compact SUV produced in Gujarat and retailed through Maruti’s Nexa network. The India-spec Fronx has not yet undergone safety testing by India’s Global NCAP or Bharat NCAP programmes. Indian sales have been strong, with the Fronx among Maruti Suzuki’s key volume models in 2025.
