We rely on our cars to get us from A to B safely. It is a great inconvenience if they burst into flames.
News that Vauxhall has recalled 234,000 of its Zafira people carriers is deeply concerning – especially given it’s the second time in six months this has happened.
The Zafira was originally recalled in December last year after nearly 200 of them had spontaneously combusted.
That the Zafira should have been recalled then was worrying. However, cars are complex machines and not everything works perfectly all of the time. Some might even commend Vauxhall for taking swift and decisive action.
Or they might have, had that action been decisive. It now transpires that the first round of repairs was not enough to cure the problem.
Vauxhall says this second recall is only being done to increase the “robustness” of the fix but few Zafira owners will feel reassured.
Recalled cars will be repaired for free, but owners should make sure they also claim for travel costs to and from their dealership and ask for a courtesy car.
This issue is of concern to all road users. Drivers should not be wondering if the vehicle next to them is about to erupt into flame.
It also underlines why you should never leave children or pets unattended in a car.
