Holden Colorado a fire risk

GM Holden has issued a safety recall notice affecting most Colorado utes and Colorado 7 SUVs sold since late 2013 because of the risk they could catch fire.

In all, more than 26,000 customers are affected and Holden has stopped deliveries of vehicles built between September 4, 2013 and January 21 this year.

The recall, which covers MY2014 and MY2015 versions of Holden's Thai-made RG Colorado and RG Colorado 7 vehicles with VINs ranging between MMU145DK0EH600244 and MMU156FK0FH616228, follows customer reports of five "thermal incidents".

"The Alternator B+ electrical cable may have been assembled in contact with a steel bracket at the battery tray," says Holden's recall notice on the federal government's Product Safety Recalls Australia website.

"Under certain driving conditions the insulation on the cable may wear, resulting in the potential for an electrical short circuit to develop between the cable and the bracket.

"If the defect occurs, there is a risk that the cable insulation may melt or catch fire, which may pose a risk of injury to the vehicle occupant(s) and other road users."

Holden's latest recall comes just a week after it called back almost 3000 Korean-built Captiva SUVs because of the chance they could move off without a driver behind the wheel, and brings its 2015 recall count to five.

That's the same number as Mercedes-Benz, which also issued its fifth recall for the year (including the Vito, Sprinter and Unimog) last week and its third for the new C-Class.

Last week's recall of the current 205-series C-Class, which has found about 8000 Australian homes since August last year, included 873 cars in which "the fuel feed pump within the fuel tank may detach from its mounting, which may cause the vehicle to stall".

Also last week, Renault recalled 99 of 466 affected Captur compact SUVs from customers to fix incorrectly fitted front under guard liners that "may interfere with the front flexible brake hoses, which then could result in the 'brake fluid low level' warning light illuminating and cause a reduction in braking capacity."

"This could increase the risk of collision," said Renault's recall notice. The remaining 367 vehicles were still with Renault.

Behind Holden, Mercedes and Land Rover, which has also issued five recalls so far this year, Fiat Chrysler and Nissan have issued four, while Honda, Hyundai and Mazda have issued three.

Toyota, Australia's top-selling brand, has issued just two recalls this year, involving a relatively small number of Kluger and FJ Cruiser vehicles.

Last year Holden tied with the Fiat Chrysler group with 14 recalls, although the latter's Jeep brand has already recalled the Grand Cherokee twice this year, making it the most recalled vehicle in recent years.