For the third time in seven years, General Motors will recall a slew of models that have been plagued with oil leaks and auto fires.
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The previous recalls took place in 2008 and 2009 where the GM auto owners were asked by the company to park their cars outside until they were repaired because they would reportedly catch fire after turning off engines.
The recall includes the 1997-2004 Pontiac Grand Prix and Buick regal; the 2000-2004 Chevrolet Impala; the 1998 and 1999 Chevrolet Lumina and Oldsmobile Intrigue; and the 1998-2004 Chevrolet Monte Carlo, according to AP.
US safety regulators became aware of the fires in early 2007 and GM has since reported 19 minor related injuries. The cars involved in the recall are more than 10 years old.
The issue identified in the recalled vehicles is the valve cover gasket, which can degrade over time, allowing oil to seep out. In 2008, a GM spokeswoman said the cars were responsible for 267 fires over the years, including at least 17 that burned structures.
GM said drops of oil can fall on the hot exhaust manifold of the cars and burst into flame, causing engine fires. GM then recalled 1.5 million additional cars in 2009, however, those additional cars weren’t supercharged.
GM announced the recall Tuesday but still hasn’t come up with a final fix, spokesman Alan Adler said. GM is now using state registration data bases to find owners of the affected cars.
GM said the company notifies customers of affected vehicles within 60 days of a recall announcement.
FCA said an internal investigation found axle shafts on a few trucks may not have been properly heat-treated and could thus overheat and trigger the anti-lock brake system warning light, leading to component fracture and possible wheel separation.
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The company said in a statement that it “is working on a remedy”.
