Rolls-Royce of recalls for $100m worth of motor

LUXURY carmaker Rolls-Royce has begun a worldwide recall that will affect about $100 million worth of its cars sold in Australia.

LUXURY carmaker Rolls-Royce has begun a worldwide recall that will affect about $100 million worth of its cars sold in Australia, amid fears certain models are at risk of brake malfunction and engine fire.

The renowned manufacturer plans to replace parts in 36 of its $645,000 Ghost models sold between 2009 and last year.

The recall also affects 74 of the million-dollar Phantom model sold between 2003 and 2009, which means just about every car sold in Australia in the past 10 years will need attention.

Rolls-Royce issued the recall notices to the Australian Competition & Consumer Commission's Product Safety Recalls department on Tuesday, outlining flaws in both cars. The notice says Rolls-Royce had identified the possibility that the auxiliary pump -- which supports engine turbocharger cooling -- in the Ghost could fail. "In extreme cases, this could lead to overheating, posing a potential fire risk," the notice says.

The recall for the Phantom relates to a potential oil leak in the braking system. The company said this could "cause vacuum loss and consequent reduction of power braking assistance".

Although no incidents have been reported so far, cars will still have repair work carried out at no charge to clients.

It is understood Rolls-Royce has started delivering letters of apology to clients.

The recall comes as a major embarrassment for the British marque, which has been hyper-sensitive in the past about protecting its reputation, having once issued a bizarre request all of its cars carried by tow truck be covered from prying eyes.