Vauxhall has added a further 47,000 models to its Zafira recall amid fears that the cars’ heating systems could cause vehicles fires.
The move comes three years after the Luton-based company issued recalls on a total of 235,000 Zafiras, following reports of cars bursting into flames.
Vauxhall previously believed that only generation B models, produced between 2005 and 2014, with older generation air conditioning systems were affected by a fault that was linked to more than 160 Zafira fires, Auto Express reports.
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However, the carmaker now believes that Zafira B cars with electronic climate control systems may also pose a threat. The fault stems from the system’s heater blower and regulator, and is similar to the problem affecting the previously recalled models, the magazine adds.
The news comes months after the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) confirmed it had launched a criminal investigation against Vauxhall to evaluate why it took so long to investigate the problem.
The first fire was reported in 2009, yet Vauxhall waited six years before recalling the defective vehicles.
This delay prompted what the Daily Mail describes as a “damning” report from a parliamentary committee last year. MPs said the manufacturer showed a “reckless disregard for safety” and was “too slow to begin a full investigation”.
Are you affected?
The recall covers electronic climate control-fitted Vauxhall Zafiras produced between 2005 and 2014. Drivers who are not sure if their car is equipped with a faulty climate control system can contact their local Vauxhall dealership.
Vauxhall has said it will begin sending letters to customers with defective cars from the end of this week.
“We will write to owners using the keeper address data from the DVLA (Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency) advising them to contact a Vauxhall retailer to arrange to have the work carried out free of charge,” a spokesperson added.
