Can my dad's old Opel Meriva be repaired for free?

Hi,

My dad is 90 years old, and he drives a 2008 Opel Meriva, and the steering has begun to lock up. It's apparently a known defect on this model. Years ago, they reimbursed people with this model for price of fixing it.

It's caused my elderly father a lot of anxiety and he's been off the road for over six months now affecting his quality of life. Have you any advice please? Is there any way to get Opel to pay for the repair as money is an issue?

Christopher O Dowd (Letterkenny )

Mar 2026 Filed under: recall

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Expert answer

Hi Christopher,

We asked Opel Ireland about this and it says there was no reimbursement scheme, but it may be part of an outstanding recall notice. To check this, bring the VIN into your local Opel dealer to have it checked.

Best of luck

Shane O' Donoghue - Complete Car Advisor