Total Recall

[ltd]

Holden in huge car recall


March 14, 2006

LOCAL car producer Holden has recalled more than 120,000 cars to fix a problem with the side airbag system.

Holden today said the recall involved 89,167 cars sold in the domestic market and 34,552 export vehicles built in Australia between April 2003 and December 2005.

The list included Commodore, Statesman, Caprice, Monaro and Crewman models sold in Australia and similar vehicles sold in various countries, badged as other brands and models.

Holden said the recall only affected cars fitted with a side airbag system as a standard feature or an optional extra.

It had been issued following reports 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," the company said.

"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."

Holden said the problem would be fixed free of charge with the installation of an additional earth spring at the front of each height adjustable seat to correctly earth any charge.

It said there had been 13 reports of incorrect airbag inflation since 2003 but no reports of any accidents as a result.

Holden's executive director of engineering, Tony Hyde, said inflation would occur only while the car was stationary.

"Electrostatic charge accumulation usually requires some sort of moving activity which is generated while swinging out of a seat," Mr Hyde 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."

Holden said owners with affected cars would be contacted individually.

Details of the recall also were being published in national newspapers.




this would cost a few dollars

[RavenLS1]

my boss had his fixed last week.

[OzJavelin]

Woohoo .. kind of makes me glad I didn't get side-airbags on my VY .. ahh who am I kidding .. I'd rather the hassle of the recall and have the airbags!

Ain't n different to the recalls I've had on my Falcon either. At least they do recalls .. didn't Mitsubushi just cover half theirs up?

Rod.

[ED Classic]

Thats got to hurt?

[Bossxr8]

Ford had a recall of the BA a month after they released it for the same thing, static build up that could cause the side airbags to go off. Wouldn't have been many affected, most still would have been in showrooms on in stages of delivery. Maybe Holden should have taken notice of that and checked theirs. May even be from the same supplier?

[ltd]

I'd just hate to think that perhaps this problem has happened in the united states, as their lawyers have fantasies about this sort of thing. I remember in 1999 when GMC was sued for over 400 million USD because 20 families got together and sued because the Chevrolet Malibu fuel tank had a propensity to explode in severe rear impacts.
Or even better yet, the Ford explorer on Firestone tyres.........Kaboom.
If I'm not mistaken that led to the downfall of Fords Australian president Mr Jaq Nasser.

[M14A-Mclaren]

Didn't ford have the exact same problem?

[sfr rob]

at least they do the recalls, i can only begin to think of how much that could possibly cost holden to repair.

jeeeeeeeeeeez.

cheers
rob

[347_XR8]

Saw this is the paper today. Had my chuckle to myself

http://www.asiagirlslive.com/asian-g...kake/bu125.jpg

[GT-P 738]

**edited by xa-coupe**
yeah that fits

NOT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[chief]

More porn

[MO]

Get over it fools every car maker has recall probs.

[Ryan]

Makes me glad that I have a Commo thats from the mid 80s. :nutsycuck

Its gotta suck though but like someone said all manufacturars have re-calls, so its no surprise really.

[Falcon Freak]

This is the second time Holden has recalled cars due to false airbag deployments:

Article about last Holden airbag recall

As can be seen at that time in 1999 they tried to tarnish Ford with the same 'bad quality' brush - i.e. Holden #$@%ed up but that is OK as Ford isn't any better.

This time Holden has to cop it on their own.

FF

EDIT - no wonder there are so many reports. Look at the subject heading of this thread!

[ltd]

That's nothing though when you compare it to the Holden Recall on the ecotec v6 a few years back. Similar problems to the GEN3 (GENerally 3 replacements see the problem fixed) regarding oil consumption and leaks if I recall. That would have cost megabucks.

[aualright]

I never let my little 2 yr old boy sit in the front seats (don't have side airbags in the Falc) even when the car isn't running for this reason.

Holden have down played the sitch and said only minor abrasions and bruising have been reported but what if a small tot was involved...could've got ugly.

****

[The Stylist]

BMW apparently had the similar problem a while ago with their E46 3-Series. So Holden and Ford are not the only car companies to have had these problems crop up.

[Falcon Freak]

Originally Posted by The Stylist

.....So Holden and Ford are not the only car companies to have had these problems crop up.

Ford Australia never recalled Falcons due to airbag false deployments.

FF

[stock au]

you would think that no matter who the manufacture is that they would have some knowlegde of it when testing the cars in all types of conditions

[HTCURRY]

I read in todays SMH (print version) that in the last nine years Holden has had 18 recalls, compared to Fords 8, Mitsu 3, and Toyota 2.

One of the big honchos at Holden put a positive spin on it saying...better safe than sorry, and that the recalls proved how Holden were constantly testing their product, and looked at the consumers safety as priority 1, as opposed to saving $$$$.

I dont really have an opinion about the recalls other than hopefully it will sort out the problem, and there wont be any accidents attributed to this "fault".

[Falcon Freak]

Originally Posted by HTCURRY

One of the big honchos at Holden put a positive spin on it saying...better safe than sorry, and that the recalls proved how Holden were constantly testing their product,

Here is the SMH article about Holden's recall record

: How can you put a 'positive spin' on poor quality products? And it costs car companies a packet of money to do recalls as often they don't know how far the problems extend so their repair more cars then required to ensure they capture all of the defective parts.

FF

[Lukeyson]

wonder how much more its going to cost to fix the 34000 odd exported cars.
recalls are recalls i guess, better to cop it sweet now, than to have a family in a car die because the drivers side airbag went off and he shat himself and went bush at 100kph! *yes i have a fertile imagination, the events in this story are fictional and do not reflect something that happened, i think*

[Des]

Originally Posted by HTCURRY

I read in todays SMH (print version) that in the last nine years Holden has had 18 recalls, compared to Fords 8, Mitsu 3, and Toyota 2.

18 major faults that would necessitate a recall? I'm beginning to think that using Daewoo products may actually improve GM-H's general build and design quality....

[Bossxr8]

Originally Posted by Falcon Freak

Ford Australia never recalled Falcons due to airbag false deployments.

FF

They had the same problem with the BA Fairmont Ghias side airbags a couple of weeks after they were released. Whether it was an official recall I can't remember but the handful of affected cars were fixed up. As it was so early in the production run the cars most likely would have not made it to the customers, and would have been fixed before delivery to the dealers or at the dealers. I can remember this specifically as I chuckled to myself that they had to fix problems on the BA after it had just been released.

I don't think they had any accidentally deploy but they realised there was the potential for them to deploy due to a buildup in static electricity. At least they got to them before it happened, Holden had 10 deploy accidentally before they decided to do a recall. I think that's pretty pathetic.

[ltd]

Yeah but what really annoys me is how this laird turd can insinuate that ford and others don't do recalls. Honestly, Holwoo reminds me of airbus. Questionable quality product with known faults that they do everything to cover up.
Besides, the first thing you learn in sales is that you never rubbish your opposition even slightly. Holden really ИИИИ me off for this reason, and it translates to those ALP loving goons who buy them.

I was in a carpark the other day when my alarm went off as some ******** in a ricer doof doofed past. Next to me was some jerk off in a Holden Rodeo. As my alarm goes off he says; "I think your Ford's scared of my Holden". I said, "you mean Isuzu". "What?" "Isuzu".
"Isn't yours a Ford?" "Yeah, but yours is an Isuzu, not a Holden".
he says, "nah mate, mines a Holden". I said "Mate, check on your compliance plate under the bonnet, see who built it". Then I drove off.
What an ignorant fool, perfect for the mould of a moron who would say, "because my car's had 20 recalls, its safer than any other car."

[JADED6]

Pretty easy fix from what I've heard. Apparently a spring is put under the seat? to discharge the static.. Maybe they could call it a Skaife polariser spring
When it's a simple & cheap fix like that, reputation is more damaged than any manufacturers bank account.

[nb_351]

you also have to think of it as that they dont maunfacture parts like this... they just get them made up y a different company, and then fit them... not much on the actual car is made by the manufacturer... gearboxes arent, a/c, trims, bumpers, wheels, tyres, airbags etc... we should be hounding the company itself, not the car manufacturer... every company has its problems, and so does every brand of car... not sure, but i can say there were probably even recalls on the old falcons , eg xys etc... not sure if they had the same qc back then though, so they probably didnt find some of the problems that could have occured... but then tey were a lot more simple then werent they?

[Falcon Freak]

Originally Posted by ltd

Yeah but what really annoys me is how this laird turd can insinuate that ford and others don't do recalls.

To not do a recall is asking for trouble. Look at what happened to Mitsubishi when it was discovered that they were hiding serious defects from the public. A car company's reputation would be destroyed. Therefore all reputable companies will recall products if there is any risk that people may be injured or killed. Holden's insinuations are absurd!

FF

[Falcon Freak]

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