NEWS:
GM announces recall on car fire risk
DETROIT (AP) -- March 14, 2008 --
General Motors Corp. is recalling 207,542 Buick Regal and
Pontiac Grand Prix sedans over a risk they could catch fire,
and warned their owners not to park the cars in garages until
they are fixed.
The automaker said Friday it is recalling the 1997-2003 Buick
Regal GS and Grand Prix GTP models with 3.8-liter supercharged
V-6 engines.
During hard braking, oil can leak from the engine onto the
exhaust manifold, and fires can start if the oil gets hot
enough, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said
on its Web site. GM spokeswoman ..... said the problem has
caused 267 vehicle fires and six injuries, five of them minor
and one moderate. It also has caused 17 fires in structures, GM
said.
The NHTSA said that if the exhaust manifold is hot enough and
the oil gets below a heat shield, "it may ignite into a small
flame and in some cases fire may spread to the plastic spark
plug wire channel."
GM sports cars under investigation
GM spokeswoman said GM sent
letters to the owners on Thursday telling them the vehicles are
safe to drive, but they should not be parked in garages or
carports until the problem is repaired.
The automaker is working with suppliers to get the parts to fix
the problem, and owners will be notified as soon as the parts
are available, GM spokeswoman said. She did not know how long it
would take to get the parts but said it would be soon.
If owners smell burning, they should take their car to a
dealership for inspection, she said. "Consumers can always
can go to their dealership if they do smell something and are
concerned," she said. They also should run premium 91
octane fuel, which is recommended for the cars, she said.
"Lower octane fuel increases under-hood temperatures during
operation," GM spokeswoman said. GM spokeswoman said there
are "very, very low incidences of vehicles actually catching
fire while driving
More Recall Information:
Buick Regal -
Pontiac Grand Prix
