Detroit, MI — September 22, 2015 — A new recall action centers around more than 120,000 Cadillacs at risk of fire damage.
According to the Associated Press, there have been no reports of injuries connected to this issue, but four documented instances of a fire starting in these vehicles after a window defroster overheated.
The defect
In total, the recall concerns approximately 97,000 Cadillac ATS vehicles in the United States and 24,000 elsewhere. Fewer than 1 percent of the vehicle population are considered vulnerable, and the defect has been localized in the “driver’s side rear pillar,” as the source describes.
Timeline of events
Although the models span three years, the manufacturer said that vehicles produced before September 2 are the only ones at risk.
The article describes the source of the possible fires, which could occur after defroster units for the rear windows are used too much. Fortunately, the fix is described as being simple and will not interfere with standard operation once implemented.
The solution
“Dealers will update climate control software to remove a function that automatically turns the defroster on,” the article states. “Drivers will still be able to turn on the defroster manually.”
Automotive News provides additional context for this action, stating that ATS sales have dropped as of last month, down 13 percent when compared to the previous year.
This decline seems to parallel the growth in recall actions regarding the brand, since this most recent one also follows a pair of Cadillac recalls from the same manufacturer for problems with Cadillac sedan sunroofs.
Check your car’s recall status using MotorSafety’s free vehicle lookup tool.
