Holden recalls three models

HOLDEN has confirmed recalls for three of its models over two separate safety faults, with the Barina, Trax and Colorado 7 all called in to be checked.

According to an official GM Holden statement, the recall will affect approximately 12,304 vehicles in total – 9,188 of the Barina and Trax and 3,116 of the Colorado 7.

Owners of the manual 1.6-litre Holden Barina built between March 2011 and July 2014, and the 1.8-litre Holden Trax built between January 2013 and June 2014, may find their cars moving unintentionally if keys are left in the ignition barrel, even when parked.

This is due to a fault in the ignition key cylinder which could “allow the vehicle starter motor to crank the engine if the key is left inside the ignition key cylinder and in the 'off' position.”

According to a recall notice on the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission website, the fault could cause affected vehicles to move unintentionally.

“If, when the vehicle is parked, the ignition key is left in the cylinder, the manual transmission is left in gear and the park brake is insufficiently applied, the vehicle may move unintentionally when the starter motor cranks the engine,” the notice said.

Customers who purchased a Holden Colorado 7 with a build date between January 2012 and September 2014 may find that when the large SUV is parked at an incline, between nine and 12 degrees, the seatbelt retractor lock mechanism could lock, preventing third-row occupants from fastening their seatbelts.

The fault in the Colorado 7 can be traced back to the third-row seatbelt lock sensing mechanism, which “may not meet a particular requirement of the Australia Design Rules relating to the locking of the safety belt when the vehicle is parking on an incline.”

Reports indicate that there are five confirmed faults in Barina and Trax models across the country, resulting in no injuries or accidents, and no reports yet of faults in the Colorado 7.

Holden will contact each affected customer and arrange an inspection and repair, free-of-charge.

These recalls come in the wake of Holden recently recalling large numbers of its iconic Commodore due to concerns about a potential fault in the seatbelt pretensioner, improperly installed windscreen wipers and a possible slow leak in a fuel hose found in LPG variants.