GM recalls 1.5 million cars - Flaming windshield wiper heater

1.5 million cars were announced Tuesday as being recalled by GM. The GM recall issue is a defect in a heated windshield wiper fluid system that has caught fire in a few cases. General Motors Co. is really recalling many of the vehicles a second time for the same problem. Technicians that work for GM dealers will disable the system, made by a vendor who has given that gone bankrupt. Vehicle owners will receive $100 from the GM recall as compensation for the loss of the feature.

Resource for this article: GM recalls 1.5 million vehicles – Flaming windshield wiper heater By Personal Money Store

The recall list for GM

The GM recall list consists of pickup trucks, crossovers and passenger car models from 2006 to 2009. According to the Associated Press, a 2008 GM recall of more than 900,000 vehicles addressed the very same problem. There is a short circuit that could overheat the ground wire. There were reports of some fires. GM said there is no report of injuries or crashes by there were five fires. Nearly 1.4 million automobiles within the GM recall are within the U.S. and more than 100,000 automobiles are in Canada, Mexico and other international markets.

Windshield wiper heater shorts out

In the 2008 GM recall, dealers installed a fuse that is designed to shut off the system within the event of a short circuit. As outlined by CNNMoney.com, the problem in the current GM recall is not related to the one involved in the first recall. In the five cars that caught fire, an analysis showed that evidently the fire, which led to the malfunctioning of other electrical components, is not being stopped by the fuse.

Disabled windshield wiper heater

Following the first GM recall of the wiper fluid heater, GM said they tried to keep track of the HotShot system made by Micro-Heat. It was reported by the Detroit Free Press that GM withheld payments from Micro-Heat after the first recall to cover its costs, and also the company was forced to file for bankruptcy and liquidate. GM said because Micro-Heat existed no longer, it could not provide an improved design. For the new recall, dealers will remove the fluid heater and reroute some hoses.

Rebounding from GM bailout, bankruptcy

GM had posted a first quarter profit — the very first time it had been in the black given that 2007. In 2009 the GM bailout of a lot more than $50 billion prevented a GM bankruptcy after the business posted losses of $6 billion. GM recently repaid a portion of the bailout and there has been radical restructuring to put the business back on the road to profitability. U.S. auto sales for GM brands were up about 17 percent compared to May 2009. GM's sales gains were led by a 32 percent rise in sales.

GM Brands on recall list

Vehicle owners will start receiving GM recall letters later this month. In the meantime, people who own the GM brands on the recall list below can contact their dealer to have the heated washer system removed.

The Buick Enclave, 2008-2009
Buick Lucerne, 2006-2009
The Cadillac CTS, 2008-2009.
The Cadillac DTS, 2006-2009
The Cadillac Escalade, 2007-2009
The brand Cadillac Escalade DSV, 2007-2009
The Cadillac Escalade EXT 2007-2009
The brand Chevrolet Avalanche, 2007-2009
Chevrolet Silverado 3500 2007-2009
The brand Chevrolet Suburban, 2007-2009
The Chevrolet Tahoe, 2007-2009
The brand Chevrolet Traverse, 2009
The GMC Acadia, 2007-2009
The brand GMC Sierra, 2007-2009
The brand GMC Yukon, 2007-2009
The GMC Yukon XL, 2007-2009
The brand Hummer H2, 2006-2009
The brand Saturn Outlook, 2007-2009

Additional details at these websites

Associated Press
google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5jgT-fFgV3QIGddh2EA_7mmZE4wVwD9G7660G0
CNN Money.com
money.cnn.com/2010/06/08/autos/gm_washer_heater_recall/?npt=NP1
Detroit Free Press
freep.com/article/20100608/BUSINESS0101/100608018/1210/BUSINESS01/Fire-prone-wiper-fluid-gear-sparks-GM-recall