Proton is having a Safety Recall for certain models sold between April 2004 to June 2008. There is an issue with the Clock Spring (slip ring), which is something that connects the switches and airbag in the steering wheel to the radio, horn and cruise control.

According to Proton, their engineers have identified irregular performance in Clock Spring components of the Proton Gen.2 and Satria Neo models equipped with the auto-cruise function, manufactured between April, 2004 to June, 2008. The affected Clock Spring may cause the following symptoms:

* Noises when turning the steering wheel.
* Unintentional triggering of the car horn.
* Malfunction of car audio remote button on the steering wheels.
* Self-deployment of the air bag in rare cases.
* Unable to start car due to short circuit of the electronic components.

If you drive a Gen.2 or Satria Neo purchased between April 2004 to June 2008 you are advised to contact your nearest Proton authorized service center to book an appointment for full inspection and rectification work. Call Proton for the full information:

* Proton i-care hotline: 1-300-880-888

“Although the number is small, the safety of our customers is paramount and we apologise for any inconvenience caused. The recall is an example of the commitment we place on our customers’ safety, and the reliability of our vehicles under Proton Global Quality Assurance programme. We hope our customers understand that this recall is necessary to ensure their continued confidence in the safety and performance of their vehicles,” said managing director Dato’ Haji Syed Zainal Abidin Syed Mohamed Tahir.

This is one of the rare few times we’ve seen any Malaysian company call a recall by what it really is – a recall, instead of ‘service campaign’ or whatever other alternative names they can come up with.

UPDATE: Proton says the recall affects a total of 5,836 cars in Malaysia, comprising 4,128 Proton Gen.2 1.6 A/T H-Line and 1,708 Proton Satria Neo 1.6 A/T Hi-Line cars, with auto cruise function.