GM's Vauxhall recalls 220,000 Zafira B models to investigate fire-related incidents

The car's heating and ventilation systems will be examined to ascertain the cause of the incidents

Vauxhall is recalling 220,000 of its Zafira B mid-sized cars to inspect the car's heating and ventilation systems and ascertain the cause of fire-related incidents, the General Motors-owned British marque said on Thursday.

The move comes after posts on Twitter and pictures in trade publications showed images of Zafiras with flames coming from under their bonnets, as well as shots of molten plastic and broken windows following apparent fires.

A Facebook group with more than 6,000 members was started by an affected owner, through which Vauxhall came to know of at least 133 fire-related cases.

Letters to owners of Zafira B models to arrange to visit local Vauxhall dealers will be sent in a staged process, beginning November 12, Chairman and Managing Director Rory Harvey said in a video message on Thursday. 

The fire-related incidents, which only affect Zafira B models with manual air conditioning or no air conditioning, are caused by "improper repair of the blower motor resistor and its thermal fuse", according to initial investigations by the company, the chairman said.

Harvey said further analysis was being carried out to find the cause of the fires and the company would be open in its findings.

Vauxhall is the British equivalent of the Opel brand under which GM sells elsewhere in Europe. The company has said only some right-hand drive models, sold primarily in Britain and in which the design of the heating and ventilation system is different than on left-hand drive cars, were affected.