By CHRIS DANIELS consumer reporter
Holden is recalling 2600 New Zealand cars because of concerns their seatbelts may fail.
Holden New Zealand spokesman Albert van Ham said Barinas and the Combo light van were affected by the recall.
All these vehicles were built in Spain from mid-1994 onwards, said Mr van Ham, with Japanese built Holdens not affected.
A letter sent to Barina and Combo owners outlines the problem:
"Holden has been alerted to the fact that under specific conditions there is a potential risk that a number of vehicles in a specific batch could exhibit fatigue of the front seatbelt buckle anchor plate and the locking spring of the front seatbelt buckle.
"This could potentially result in the front seatbelt buckle not being properly secured and/or the seatbelt being released."
Mr van Ham played down the recall, saying it concerned the "strengthening of the front seat rails" that attached the seat to the car's floor pan.
"There has been a suggestion of a potential for a slight stress fracture, which is so microscopic you can't see it," he said.
"As a result of that Opel have taken a quite pro-active and positive sort of stance in terms of this seat-belt buckle re-inforcement"
He said owners were being contacted through vehicle registration lists.
They should make an appointment with a Holden dealer to have the problem fixed free of charge, which should take around 50 minutes.
Mr van Ham said said there had been no crash problems relating to the cars in New Zealand, Australia, or, to the best of his knowledge, in Europe.
Barinas are sold as Opel Corsas in other countries and the manufacturer has already recalled one million vehicles made in Brazil, along with thousands built in South Africa.
Earlier this month, Holden's rival Ford New Zealand recalled 5700 Falcon cars to replace a faulty throttle part that could cause a sudden loss of power.
The recall affects six-cylinder Falcon AU and AUII model cars built between October 2, 1999, and January 31 this year.
In Australia, 97,000 Falcons were being recalled.
Seatbelt concern forces Holden to recall cars
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