GM Announces Massive Recall

Many Georgia drivers can expect to receive recall notices for vehicles manufactured by General Motors Corp., due to a dangerous defect which can cause the vehicle to catch on fire. In one of the largest recalls of the year, General Motors announced Tuesday that it was recalling almost 1.5 million vehicles because it cannot fix a defect in the system that squirts heated cleaning fluid on the windshield.
The recall covers many vehicles manufactured during the 2006 to 2009 model year. Since GM is unable to offer a fix for the defect, it will disable the heating mechanism and pay each owner $100 per vehicle.
It is estimated that the recall will force GM to pay out as much as $150 million.
The malfunction has not caused any known injuries or crashes but, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the potential for a fire is very high.
GM announced that almost 1.4 million of the vehicles are in the United States, and the rest are in Canada and Mexico. The models included in the recall are the 2006-2009 model year Buick Enclave; Cadillac CTS; 2007-2009 model year Cadillac Escalade, Escalade ESV, Escalade EXT; Chevrolet Avalanche, Silverado, Suburban, Tahoe; GMC Acadia, Sierra, Yukon, Yukon XL; Saturn Outlook; and 2009 model year Chevrolet Traverse.
The same system was recalled two years ago because of a short circuit on the printed circuit board caused the control circuit ground wire to overheat. At the time, dealers installed in in-line fuse and heated washer module wiring. But, there were still reports of overheating incidents including five fires.
Clarence Ditlow, executive director of the Center for Auto Safety, said the move by General Motors represented both the speed and willingness of large automakers to make amends with the public after the recent public relations disaster experience by Toyota over a large series of recalls and quality issues.