Fire Hazard Forces General Motors Recall

On June 8 General Motors (GM) announced it was recalling 1.5 million cars and trucks worldwide from the 2006 to 2009 model years worldwide to repair problems with a heated windshield washer-fluid system that could short circuit and cause a fire. GM said it had received reports of five fires. The recall includes several crossovers, sport utility vehicles, pickups and passenger cars.

The recall covers the following models: the 2006 to 2009 Buick Lucerne, Cadillac DTS and Hummer H2; the 2007 to 2009 Cadillac Escalade, Chevrolet Avalanche, Chevrolet Silverado, Chevrolet Suburban, Chevrolet Tahoe, GMC Acadia, GMC Sierra, GMC Yukon and Saturn Outlook; the 2008 to 2009 Buick Enclave and Cadillac CTS; and the 2009 Chevrolet Traverse.

According to a safety recall notice, GM is offering to pay vehicle owners and lessees $100 and to remove the heated windshield washer fluid system. Owners of affected vehicles will start receiving letters from GM notifying them of the recall after June 11, 2010. Dealers will remove the heated washer fluid module and reroute washer fluid hoses, which is estimated to take about 20 minutes to complete.

This is the second recall from GM in two years, for the same problem. GM said it has received reports of overheating in modules that had new wiring installed under the 2008 recall, and it later stopped offering the heated washer-fluid system because Microheat, the supplier that made it, filed for bankruptcy and was liquidated as a result of that recall.

Most of the affected GM vehicles are in the US; others are in Canada, Mexico and elsewhere.