Because I work sometimes on the GM Holden computer network, I found this media release on the Holden internal Intranet. I would understand that this will affect many cars within the services.
14 Mar 2006
GM Holden has issued a safety recall on specific locally built vehicles from April 2003 to December 2005 sold in Australia and export markets and fitted with side impact airbags as standard or optional equipment.
The recall has been issued following reports to GM 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 an additional earth spring at the front of each height adjustable seat to correctly earth any charge.
The recall involves 89,167 vehicles in Australia and 34,552 export vehicles for a total of 123,719. Thirteen cases have been reported since 2003 with no resultant accidents - an incident rate close to one in 10,000 vehicles or about 0.01 per cent.
GM Holden Executive Director Engineering, Tony Hyde, today said the organisation had confirmed that the inflation would occur only while the car was stationary, allaying concerns about possible accidents.
"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."
Vehicles impacted by the recall comprise those built between 1 April 2003 and 2 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)
Related export programs include the Middle East, China, Korea, Brazil, South Africa, New Zealand and United Kingdom. National public advertisements alerting owners of the safety recall were placed to appear today, Tuesday 14 March 2006. Customer letters will also be sent.
Any Holden owner with concerns about the recall should call Holden Recall and Rework Assistance Centre on 1800 632 826 or the service department of any Holden dealership.
