Heart of Holden - Holden Safety Recalls

14 March 2006 - Holden Safety Recall

GM Holden and Holden New Zealand have issued a safety recall on specific Australian produced vehicles from 2003 to 2005 fitted with side impact airbags as standard or optional equipment.

The recall has been issued following reports to Holden that side impact airbags had inflated under circumstances which did not warrant inflation. This may be caused by static electricity charge, generated in particular conditions, which stimulates the airbag inflator if an earthing wire under the seat has come loose.

Such conditions can be generated only when the car is stationary and the person is exiting or has exited one of the front seats, as sufficient charge must be generated and the outer side seat bolster compressed to reach the side airbag inflator.

The situation will be rectified free of charge at Holden dealerships by installing a spring at the front of each height adjustable seat to correctly earth any charge.

The recall involves 129,123 vehicles in various markets around the world, of which there are 18,150 vehicles in New Zealand built between April 2003 to December 2005. Thirteen cases have been reported since 2003 with no resultant accidents - an incident rate of about one in every 10,000 vehicles or 0.01 per cent.

Managing Director, Holden New Zealand, Peter Keley, today said the organisation had confirmed that the inflation would occur only while the car was stationary, allaying concerns about possible accidents.

ÒElectrostatic charge accumulation usually requires some sort of moving activity which is generated while swinging out of a seat,Ó Mr Keley said. This action also brings the occupant closer to the side impact airbags as the backrest side bolster is compressed when getting out of the seat. The bolster will not be sufficiently compressed while driving to allow any charge to reach the inflator.Ó

Vehicles impacted by the recall comprise those built between April 2003 and December 2005 with side impact airbags as standard or optional equipment. This may include -

Sedan - VY / VY Series 2 / VZ	Executive, Equipe, Lumina, Acclaim, S, SV6, SV8, SS, Berlina, Calais, (including HSV variants).
Wagon - VY / VY Series 2 / VZ	Executive, Equipe, Lumina, Acclaim, SS, Berlina, Adventra, (including HSV variants)
Light Commercial VY / VY Series 2	Crewman, Crewman S, Crewman SS, X6 Crewman, X8 Crewman, (including HSV variants).
V2 Series 2 / V2 Series 3 / VZ / WK / WL	Monaro, (including HSV variants). Statesman, Caprice (including HSV variants)

National public advertisements alerting owners of the safety recall were placed to appear today, Tuesday 14 March 2006. Customers with affected vehicles will receive a letter advising them of the process to have the springs installed.

Any Holden owner with concerns about the recall should call Holden Recall and Rework Assistance Centre on 0800 465 336 or the service department of any Holden dealership.

For media enquiries, contact:
Brodie McClellan
(09) 978 3619 or 029 978 3619
brodie.mcclellan@gm.com