Warren, Mich. — September 27, 2016 — In recent GM recall news, some 2016 Buick Verano autos may be subject to a fire hazard due to fuel line defects. The Part 573 Safety Recall Report from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration website stated that affected autos have a 2.0 liter turbocharged engine and were manufactured between Feb. 16 and May 12, 2016.

This source said that fuel lines in these Buicks could fail if they make contact with heated sections of the engine. This could lead to a fire if the lines in question are worn away enough, causing fuel to leak out. A total of 189 vehicles are potentially involved in this action, and all 100 percent of them are estimated to have the defect.

The first engine fire associated with this problem occurred June 20 in the car of a GM employee, according to the Report. As of Aug. 10, this was the only fire caused by this defect that had been seen in the field.

Dealer Notification was planned for Aug. 10, and the remedy requires the dealer to replace the fuel line assembly entirely. Since the defect comes from improperly assembled fuel lines, the new replacement assemblies will have the proper engine compartment routing. GM found out that the vehicle issue stemmed from “poor operator training” on July 18.

A recall bulletin from the manufacturer listed all of the parts needed to complete the recall’s system replacement. This list includes eight parts total, such as a fuel-feed pipe and charge air cooler inlet air tube adapter seal for each vehicle.

Warren, Mich. — September 13, 2016 — Wiring issues may make a fire more likely to break out in one Buick model. Although there is no remedy scheduled as of this writing, one of the more recent General Motors recalls addresses this problem. The component manufacturer in this recall is Lear Corporation, based in Germany.

The official Part 573 Safety Recall Report on the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration website said that the recall potentially involves 42,984 2011 Buick Regals. A full 100 percent of these are thought to have a wiring harness problem that could wear down the wires themselves.

This chafing could potentially lead to a short circuit, which in turn could start a fire within the vehicle. In addition, the report cited other possible side effects, such as smoke, sparks and flickering instrument-panel lights. Despite this, it did not list any signs to be taken as “identification” of the defect.

The fix requires dealers to repair faulty wiring, if needed, after inspecting and securing the harness. There is also no apparent danger of wire chafing in similar vehicles manufactured after 2011 in Russelheim.

Though the decision to conduct the recall only came June 29, it dates back to Dec. 21, 2015. On that date, the source said, customer reports of fire led to a a Speak Up for Safety report.

A July 7 notice for dealers said that the parts necessary to conduct this recall fix were not currently available: dealers can only proceed once they are. This statement also announced that the Global Warranty Management system would update to reflect the new recall, as a way for dealers to prepare to address owner concerns.

Warren, MI — January 13, 2016 — Three different models of 2016 vehicles are included in one of the more recent GM recalls, with a manufacturer’s report date of December 9. This action concerns 2,633 potentially affected vehicle models, all of which could include an improperly welded seat that leaves occupants in danger during a crash. The vehicles have faulty third row lower seat frame welding as a result of problems with the robot welder at the supplier, Michigan-based Bridgewater Interiors.

The issue was initially discovered November 2015, the same month in which the recalled vehicles were produced. According to a safety recall report also available from the organization, the welder working on the vehicles had a “defective servo motor.” Since November 2012, newly produced versions of these models have been welded by robots with the correct motors.

Dealers were notified on December 9, and just 1 percent of the vehicle population was estimated to have this defect. The report explained the actions dealers were instructed to take to correct this problem.

“Dealers will inspect the third row left side lower seat frame and, if necessary, replace the lower seat frame,” the document stated. “Vehicles built during the affected build date were inspected to identify and replace seat frames built by the defective robot welder,” it added.

In an instructional recall bulletin, General Motors noted that “only approximately 11 involved vehicles” would require a seat frame replacement. As such, it emphasized that dealers order parts only as they need them, to make the most out of the limited replacements in stock.

Warren, MI — December 14, 2015 — Earlier this year, General Motors and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) noted the engine compartment fire risk in certain units, including Buick Regal, Chevrolet Impala and Pontiac Grand Prix vehicles with model years between 1997 and 2004. In these cars, hard braking could result in oil landing on the exhaust manifold.

The Part 573 Safety Recall Report associated with this action described said that dealers could replace the engine valve front cover and gasket, as well as remove the oil fill tube extension. The report also stated that previous repairs related to the GM recalls may not be enough to resolve the condition entirely.

The official safety recall itself is set to begin on December 14, and the NHTSA also features a message from GM Customer Care and Aftersales to all of the manufacturer’s dealers. Instead of announcing the shipment of the replacement parts themselves, the company said that advisory letters are in the mail and will set the stage for improvements once the parts are available.

“Even though the parts needed to repair these vehicles are not currently available, the letter explains that when parts are available, their dealer will replace the engine’s front valve cover and front-valve-cover gasket with new parts of an improved design, and the engine’s plastic “beauty” cover and plastic oil-fill-tube extension will be removed, if they haven’t been already,” this bulletin reads.

The recall stems from actions as old as 2008, in which the company issued the original recall. More than 1 million vehicles were said to be involved, with 100 percent estimated to have the defect.

Detroit, MI — August 20, 2015 — In 2014, General Motors issued a recall for more than 316,000 vehicles manufactured in a three-year period between 2006 and 2009. As the Associated Press notes, that recall concerned several different models, such as the Chevrolet Trailblazer and Buick Rainier, and was intended to fix an electrical failure that could prevent low-beam headlights from working.

Recently, the manufacturer announced that it is expanding this recall to include 181,000 North American autos for the same reason, extending the action to the Buick LaCrosse, Buick Allure and Pontiac Grand Prix. There is allegedly no permanent remedy for this issue developed yet, although dealers can make do with a temporary replacement in the meantime.

The Detroit News also reported on this recent expansion, noting that the company informed consumers of this stopgap as recently as this January. The module fault is exacerbated by hot temperatures in the engine area.

The News also quotes company spokesman Alan Adler on the problems associated with this danger and what dealers have to do to respond to the situation without the final remedy plan in place.

“These vehicles could intermittently or permanently lose low beam headlamps,” he said. “Until a permanent repair is available, dealers will replace the headlamp module with a new one of the existing part.” Insight into this case has led the government to investigate supplier Delphi Corporation, who is responsible for the distribution of the module. As of this writing, the total amount of recalls connected to this action is 493,265, none of which have contributed to reports of incidents.

Detroit, MI — July 17, 2015 — Although this blog recently commented on a series of recalls from General Motors, more vehicles have been addressed in a new action from the same manufacturer. GM Authority reported on the issue which has spurred on this recall, which concerns the cables connecting the seatbelts inside them. Passengers and drivers alike may find themselves in danger due to wear and tear.

More than 47,000 vehicles may potentially be affected, and includes two different groups of make and models: Chevrolet Caprices from between 2011 and 2013 and Pontiac G8’s from between 2008 and 2009.

GM Authority notes that both of these models are based on the Zeta vehicle architecture. The seatbelt concern is especially important for police to observe, because Caprices are marketed largely to police departments.

The Authority piece details the fix that the company recommends for taking care of the cables, which could lead to injury for vehicle occupants if not addressed.

“GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the seat belt tensioner assembly which includes the steel cable, free of charge,” the company said. “These replacement parts reposition the tensioner cable out of the path of entry into the vehicle and uses a more flexible cable, set at a more upright angle.”

This problem may not be immediately apparent, which makes it all the more important that recall statements are processed correctly and issued in a way that successfully promotes the proper actions. Dealers need to have the resources ready to apply fixes and tend to the vehicles that pose any kind of danger, regardless of how visible or obvious it is to the user.