Vauxhall calls on gov for ‘vehicle fire database’

A national vehicle fire database would better alert VMs to potential safety issues, says Vauxhall

Vauxhall calls on gov for ‘vehicle fire database’
The VM says a fire database would help to alert manufacturers of potential safety issues.

Vauxhall representatives have called for better access to data held by insurers about vehicle fires at a Transport Select Committee meeting last week, which discussed the VM’s handling of the Zafira B fire scandal.

Representatives were questioned about two recalls following several fire cases, of which the VM blamed a defect in the heating and ventilation system and improper repairs to the blower motor resistor.

Vauxhall has only investigated 59 out of 287 fires since the Zafira issue came to its attention through the media.

Vauxhall officials said the VM could not get access to many of the vehicles involved because they had been scrapped or customers failed to respond.

A spokesman for Vauxhall said: “Whilst the data will not reveal the causes of fire, it can nevertheless play an invaluable role in alerting manufacturers to potential issues much earlier than is possible at present.

“As Vauxhall’s experience with Zafira B shows, manufacturers have limited visibility of fires in their vehicles.

“Many Zafira B fire cases, for example, were reported to Vauxhall several years after they took place and only as a result of publicity in October 2015.”

The Association of British Insurers (ABI) has written to the Transport Select Committee to say that, in principle, it supports the proposal.

Share your comments on Vauxhall’s handling of the Zafira fire scandal below.

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