Faulty repairs blamed for Zafira fires
Vauxhall and the Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) agree that sub-standard repairs caused the heating problems that have led to the recall of 234,938 Vauxhall Zafira B cars.
A number of Zafira B cars have burst into flame recently. Vauxhall has now traced the problem back to incorrect repair of the thermal fuse of the resistor in the heating and ventilation system.
The DVSA has is acknowledged this is from work done outside of Vauxhall’s ‘authorised service and maintenance processes and schedule’, while Car magazine Auto Express claims to have seen a number of instances where mechanics tried to repair fuses rather than replace them for £30.
This faulty repairs had the potential to result in very high temperatures, which sometimes resulted in the car fires that have hit some Zafira B cars recently.
Vauxhall technicians will now check the heating and ventilation systems on each of the 234,938 vehicles that have been recalled. So far 45,000 vehicles have been inspected and repaired, with the balance due to be cleared within 12 weeks.
Rory Harvey, chairman of Vauxhall Motors, said, ‘We recognise that owners may have vehicles which have been improperly repaired without their knowledge or before they bought the vehicle.
‘Safety is our priority and we have been working tirelessly in the past weeks to find the root cause and contact owners to explain the situation and our actions.
‘The DVSA’s acknowledgement of the root cause is an important milestone but the important thing now is to ensure that all Zafira B owners bring their vehicles in for inspection and rework.’
The fires only affect models built between 2015 and 2014. Vauxhall has told motorists that if they’re the first owner and the heating and ventilation system is working and has never undergone repair, they don’t need to worry.
However, if you are not the first owner Vauxhall is advising not to use the fan on their heating and ventilation system until it’s been assessed.
