Default leaves motorist shattered

Published Mar 28, 2007

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By Wendy Knowler

Durban representative Jodi Adam was driving along the N2 towards Amanzimtoti in her 2006 Opel Corsa Lite when she heard a loud explosion; she looked back to discover that her car's rear window had shattered.

She said: "At first I thought a rock had been thrown at it, but there was no rock to be found." she says.

She reported the incident to the SAPS in Amanzimtoti, then drove to PG Glass in Pinetown.

"I was told I would have to pay an excess of R662, but first I had to go to Opel agents Key Delta in Pinetown to have the spoiler removed so that they could replace the glass."

Adam said she was told by a staff member at Key Delta that her experience was the result of her demister overheating, which was a manufacturing fault with 2006 Corsa Lite models.

She added: "At that moment another Corsa Lite arrived at the dealership with the back window in the same condition as mine."

"And before I left a third Corsa Lite owner, a young woman, phoned in to report that her back windscreen had shattered.

"One of the dealership guys even laughed and said: 'Did it sound like you had been shot?'

"And they had the nerve to quibble with me about payment of an excess."

The glass was eventually replaced at no cost to Jodi, but she was without her car for six days because the spoiler had to be resprayed - twice.

"And I only had the use of a courtesy car on the last of those six days."

Adam's case did not appear to be a one-off, so I asked General Motors SA product communications manager Tim Hendon whether this was indeed a manufacturing fault on 2006 Opel Corsa Lites.

If so, surely GMSA should issue a notice, asking all affected owners to take their cars to their nearest dealership in order to have their rear windscreens replaced, I asked.

Hendon responded by saying that he wasn't aware of the problem, but would investigate. Two weeks later, he was still "urgently checking if it's a problem that requires urgent action".

So, three weeks later, I have no clear answer as to whether GMSA is of the opinion that the rear windscreens on their 2006 Corsa Lites are potentially defective or not.

- If you drive a 2006 Opel Corsa Lite and have experienced this problem, Wendy Knowler would appreciate hearing from you.

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