Holden recalls Captiva over steering fault

HOLDEN has recalled 13,000 early-build Captiva SUVs after two of the Korean-made vehicles in Australia suffered loss of steering control, with one vehicle being involved in a low-speed accident.

The fault appears to have resulted from incorrect fitment on the production line of the steering intermediate shaft, which connects the steering column with the steering rack, in some cars.

The recall of the current-model CG Captiva covers all vehicles sold over the first 18th months of the model, from June 2006 to December 2007.

A Holden spokesperson said no one had been injured in the two incidents reported to the company.

She said Holden had decided to recall all Captivas sold over the first 18 months of sales as a precaution, to check that the intermediate shafts were correctly installed.

In its national advertisement today, Holden says: “Holden has identified a condition where, in some instances, the intermediate shaft which connects the steering column with the steering rack may become disconnected, resulting in loss of steering control.”

Holden says owners will be sent a letter requesting them to contact their Holden dealer to have the vehicle inspected and, if necessary, rectified. It says if owners do not receive the letter within two weeks, they should contact their dealer anyway or call the Holden recall advice line on 1800 632-826.

The medium-sized Captiva has been one of Holden’s winners over the past few years, selling up to 1000 units a month.

In 2009, it out-pointed Ford’s locally-made Territory, selling 11,504 units to the Ford vehicle’s 10,884 sales, to grab third place in the mid-sized SUV category behind Toyota's Prado and Kluger.