GWM Haval H7 Recalled After Headrest Rated Problematic

JAKARTA - Great Wall Motors (GWM) has officially announced a voluntary recall of 571 units of the 2025 model year GWM Haval H7 SUV in Australia. This step was taken after safety testing by ANCAP found that the driver's headrest was detached from the seat during a collision simulation.

However, ANCAP still gave the Haval H7 safety rating of five stars which was produced starting October 15, 2025. Meanwhile, units made between April and October 2025 are still entitled to the rating, provided that all recall actions have been completed at the GWM dealer network.

The Haval H7 produced before that date with VINs between LGWEFUA60RF800006 to LGWEFUA6XSF80219 is temporarily "unrated" until the repair process is completed.

"During the full frontal collision test, the headrest detached from the driver's seat. Although it does not affect the assessment based on the 2023-2025 criteria, this condition has the potential to increase the risk of driver injury," ANCAP wrote in its official report, as reported by Drive, Tuesday, December 23.

GWM explained that the Haval H7 headrest uses a unilateral locking mechanism. In the affected unit, the locking groove is suspected to be out of specification so that the locking is not optimal when the headrest is set to the lowest position.

This is not the first time that GWM has made updates to achieve maximum safety results in Australia. Previously, testing of the Cannon ute in 2021 also highlighted the shortcomings of the front headrest design and steering column components on the initial production units.

ANCAP CEO Carla Hoorweg, emphasized that her party continues to work with manufacturers when test results show unexpected findings. And the recall from consumers is considered the right action.

"GWM has taken the right steps by starting a voluntary recall. We encourage all Haval H7 owners to immediately visit the nearest dealer to complete the recall action," he said.

In testing based on the ANCAP 2023-2025 protocol, the Haval H7 recorded a score of 89 percent for Adult Passenger Protection, 91 percent for Child Passenger Protection, 81 percent for Vulnerable Road User Protection, and 80 percent for Safety Assistance.

However, in the frontal offset collision test, the protection of the rear passenger's chest was considered weak, although other body areas achieved good results to "adequate. Pedestrian impact testing also recorded a number of notes, especially on the front windshield pillar and the lower part of the windshield, which were considered bad.

On the other hand, the automatic emergency braking system (AEB) for pedestrians, cyclists, and motorcyclists received good scores, while the AEB in the back was rated weak. The driver monitoring system also did not get any points because it was not automatically activated when the vehicle was restarted.

The Haval H7, which is only available in hybrid versions and is positioned between the GWM Haval H6 and the GWM Tank 300, has been sold in Australia since mid-2025. Currently, the SUV is offered in one variant of the front-wheel-drive Vanta Hybrid with a price tag of 46,990 Australian dollars.