Holden recalls VE Commodore - again

GM HOLDEN'S brand-new VE Commodore and WM Statesman/Caprice sedans have come in for their second recall in less than four weeks - this time due to the detection of faulty rear seatbelt buckles.

Holden recalled 1521 Commodore and Statesman/Caprice models fitted with a 6.0-litre V8 on October 18 following a potential fuel leak - and at 1.00pm today the company issued a second recall notice for almost 13,000 VE, WM and HSV vehicles built before mid-September.

The embarrassing and costly recall of all early-build vehicles followed the detection of the potential safety issue during testing by Holden staff at the company's Lang Lang proving ground east of Melbourne.

According to Holden, it involves a spring in the rear seatbelt anchors that may prevent the belt from latching securely.

"Holden is taking this action on advice from the relevant buckle supplier after the issue was detected during routine testing at the Holden Proving Ground," said a GM Holden statement released today (November 10).

Holden stresses that although no customers have reported the problem, the recall effects a total of 12,830 VE Commodore and WM Statesman/Caprice vehicles.

As with Holden's VE/WM models, of a further 575 HSV models recalled, many have already been exported to New Zealand and South Africa.

"We have received no reports of this issue appearing in customer cars but we are taking this action regardless," said GM Holden's executive director of engineering, Tony Hyde.

"We take customer safety very seriously and our customers would expect us to be vigilant." When launched in September, Holden said its all-new 2006 VE Commodore was the result of the company's largest ever engineering program, with the $480 million invested in design, performance and quality representing the largest single component of Australia’s first $1 billion car development program.

Described as the largest validation program in Holden’s history, VE/WM development included 3.42 million test kilometres, almost 11,000 subsystem validation activities, 41,000 hours of testing for electrical systems and 5000 virtual and almost 79 physical tests for safety.