Opel Ireland says that owners of 8,200 Opel Zafira models are being recalled to Opel dealerships so that a component can be replaced to protect the vehicles from the risk of fire.
The model affected is the Zafira B, built between 2005 and 2014. Some 240,000 cars are affected by the recall across Europe. In the last six months, Opel Ireland says that it to all Opel Zafira B owners to make them aware of an issue which could affect their vehicle. Their investigations had found evidence of improper repair of the blower motor resistor and its thermal fuse, which is designed to protect the blower motor system.
These improper repairs, which may have been conducted without the owners’ knowledge, can lead to overheating of the system’s electrical components and the potential for a fire. Resistors should never be repaired, they should only be replaced. Since then, Opel Ireland says that it has been conducting a recall programme designed to return vehicles to their original condition. This has involved replacing the resistor in every vehicle they inspected and the blower motor as well as the pollen filter in many thousands of vehicles. All of this has been free of charge to the customer.
At the time of the recall Vauxhall/Opel has been in constant contact with the UK’s Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA ). On May 9 it presented a status update to DVSA and agreed the additional action. While the current recall achieves the objective of returning vehicles to their original condition, after extensive investigations Opel has decided to go further and improve the overall robustness of the system.
Opel will therefore be initiating a second recall to replace the current soldered fuse resistor with a wax fuse resistor, so reducing the opportunity for manipulation. When the recalls are complete, all vehicles will have a new wax fuse resistor, a new blower motor, and a new moulding at the base of the windscreen to address water ingress. Again, this work will be conducted free of charge.
Opel Ireland says it will soon be writing to all customers to inform them of the second recall action and provide appropriate advice. Subsequently, it will write to customers on a staggered basis to invite them in for the second recall. It is planned to commence sending these letters during the month of August. It also says that owners of vehicles which have not yet had the initial recall completed should still bring their vehicles to their dealership to have them returned to their original condition.
Opel Ireland invites any concerned customers to contact its Customer Assistance Centre on (01 ) 5339818 or to contact their local Opel dealership for more information.
