Daihatsu Rocky e-Smart Hybrid recalled for ECU fault

Daihatsu Rocky e-Smart Hybrid recalled for ECU fault

Daihatsu has issued a recall for the Rocky e-Smart Hybrid, which involves the control unit for the petrol-electric hybrid’s powertrain.

The Japanese manufacturer has stated that the fault in the ECU may see “improper power generation”, in which the internal combustion engine could stop while the vehicle is being driven. This will show the check engine light on the instrument panel, and the vehicle’s acceleration will be reduced.

If the vehicle continues to be driven with the engine fault having surfaced, its may not continue for long as it would run out of battery charge. The Rocky e-Smart Hybrid powertrain is effectively of a range extender configuration, where its WA-VEX 1.2 litre petrol engine acts as a generator for the electric drive motor.

To that end, Daihatsu will re-programme the ECU for all affected vehicles, and their owners will be notified by mail and other channels of communication, it said.

According to Daihatsu, a total of 3,421 units of the petrol-electric hybrid Rocky are affected by this recall, which covers a range of chassis numbers from A202S-0000061 to A202S-0004018. These units were manufactured between November 1, 2021 and December 3, 2021.

The Daihatsu Rocky is well and truly present in Malaysia as the Perodua Ativa, and the electrified version of that car has been sighted testing in Malaysia even before the Rocky e-Smart Hybrid itself made its debut. Perodua has since revealed that it is in fact conducting a market study for the hybrid version of the Ativa.

More on the hybrid model will be disclosed when the time is right, Perodua CEO Datuk Zainal Abidin Ahmad said last November. In Japan, the Daihatsu Rocky e-Smart Hybrid is driven by a single 106 PS/170 Nm electric motor, with the accompanying 1.2 litre Atkinson-cycle three-cylinder engine serving solely as a generator; the latter produces 82 PS at 5,600 rpm and 105 Nm of torque from 3,200 to 5,200 rpm.

GALLERY: Daihatsu Rocky e-Smart Hybrid

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Mick Chan

Open roads and closed circuits hold great allure for Mick Chan. Driving heaven to him is exercising a playful chassis on twisty paths; prizes ergonomics and involvement over gadgetry. Spent three years at a motoring newspaper and short stint with a magazine prior to joining this website.

 

Comments

  • If launched and affect here, will they provide second car for the owners? I do not think majority of them will have second car if using Ativa as first car. It is good to have conventional technology, cheap to maintain with lesser problems.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 4 Thumb down 0
    • Rakyat Malaysia on Jan 25, 2022 at 5:50 pm

      Memalukan betoi this Jepang brand.

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 5 Thumb down 2
    • Ongtk on Jan 25, 2022 at 10:24 pm

      ECU updates are quite fast actually. My Prius had a couple of updates. It was all completed in an hour or two at the max.

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 3 Thumb down 2
      • The most important thing is you can not booj on Saturday for non routine service. You hav to take leave, not convenience!

        Like or Dislike: Thumb up 1 Thumb down 0
  • Quite a big blunder from them not to realise when they designed the powertrain to be a range extender, for that ICE will cut in & out when needed to provide power to the battery, their ECU programmers did not tune the electronics not to call a problem when the engine is switched off during EV runs, and their product testers for not catching this defect early on. This is symptomatic of a rushed product with incomplete development & questionable quality, something that Ativa users or potential buyers should beware of this half baked car. It might risk an electrical fault and fully baked its users!

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 11 Thumb down 1
  • Bieight8 on Jan 25, 2022 at 5:06 pm

    This smart hybrid not that smart….

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 6 Thumb down 1
    • Celup King on Jan 26, 2022 at 11:31 pm

      Now I get why P2 is hesitant to intro hybrid all these years, it is still problematic all these years until now. Easy, just don’t buy P2 at all.

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 2 Thumb down 0
  • RyanT on Jan 25, 2022 at 6:28 pm

    Is it new news to Daihatsu? I thought many Taiwanese Toyota hybrid owners already complained about it long time ago but remain unsolved…that’s why better don’t go for the latest Cross hybrid, peace of mind

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 3 Thumb down 1
  • Celup King on Jan 25, 2022 at 7:17 pm

    Thank you Daihatsu

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 2 Thumb down 0
 

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