Faulty airbag recall slams Holden hard

HOLDEN will recall 333,000 vehicles affected by the Takata airbag fault — including popular models such as the Barina, Astra and Cruze hatchbacks.

The list of Holden cars stretches from 2005 to the present but does not include every Holden sold locally.

Some cars being recalled are models with other General Motors badges, such as Opel and Saab, which are no longer sold in Australia.

A statement from Holden indicated some models would be fixed sooner than others: “We are developing our plan in response to the recall. The recall notice calls for a progressive series of recalls, and our plan will reflect this.”

Holden said none of its cars were equipped with Takata “alpha” airbag inflators, which have a one-in-two chance of spraying shrapnel in a crash.

“Holden will contact customers directly at an appropriate time if their car is being recalled.”

Holden’s figure of 333,000 recalls is three times that of other brands with Germansourced Takata airbags. Ford has 107,000 and VW 106,800.

By comparison, over the past four years Toyota and its luxury division, Lexus, have re- called 573,453 cars with Takata airbags. Honda has recalled 436,921 vehicles, Nissan 289,754 and Mitsubishi 235,161.

The Japanese brands say they have so far replaced between 60 and 86 per cent of the airbags on their recall lists.

The total list of cars recalled for potentially faulty Takata airbags in Australia is now close to four million.