Emergency services were called to the scene after a man was forced to abandon his auto when it caught fire.
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In yesterday’s incident and as reported in today’s Irish Examiner, the vehicle had been about to board the Passage West to Cobh ferry yesterday morning when the fire started in the dashboard area. The man managed to escape, but the auto was destroyed.
No official recall has yet been issued but Opel in Ireland has been advising owners of Zafira cars bought between 2005 and 2014 to contact their local garage if they have any concerns.
Opel this evening released a statement this evening.
Opel says it will work with authorities to find out what caused a vehicle fire in Passage West yesterday.
The company has advised owners to contact local dealers if they notice anything unusual about the heating and ventilation system, such as a squeaking noise from the dashboard.
A spokesperson said the company was taking the issue seriously. “This will be done at no cost”.
Thousands of Zafira vehicles have been recalled in the United Kingdom following the fires.
Opel said anyone concerned about their vehicle should contact their Opel dealer and arrange for the vehicle to be inspected.
The Zafira has been an extremely popular choice as a family auto in Ireland, but Opel has not yet issued figures for the number of Zafira models sold in Ireland between 2005 and 2014.
Last week in the United Kingdom, Vauxhall – which the company is called there – told The Telegraph that it would not rule out a recall of the model once it had identified the “root cause”.
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“Logically (the fault) it’s in there, or the way they are interacting, or the way the way they are aging, or the way they’ve been maintained”, a spokesman said.
