GM recalls vehicles over fire concerns

General Motors will recall more than 6,000 vehicles in the UAE over concerns that a fault in the components that heat windshield-washer fluid could ignite and cause fires. Dealers have already begun contacting customers to arrange appointments to disable the system and reroute the washer fluid hoses, the company said. "The recall will affect around 6,126 vehicles" said Fouad Hammad, GM's UAE spokesman.

He said it affected at least 15 models available in the Emirates, including the high-end SUV Hummer H2, Chevrolet trucks, Cadillac sedans and the GMC brand. The UAE was one of the largest markets in the Middle East for the Hummer line, which was recently discontinued. According to Mr Hammad the repair is not significant, and there have been no reports locally of the system malfunctioning. "By disabling the heating feature, we are going to make the car work like a normal system. This feature is mainly used in cold countries, where they would want to heat the water fluid," he said.

The recall followed a discovery by GM that in rare circumstances the heated washer module would ignite, though there have been no reported incidents in the Middle East region and no injuries worldwide, Mr Hammad said. At least five fires have occurred. As a part of the recall, GM is offering US$100 (Dh367.32) cash compensation to owners of the vehicle once the system has been removed. "This was a unique technology available from only one supplier, and that supplier has stopped manufacturing, which left no opportunity to collaborate on an improved design," said Jeff Boyer, GM's executive director of safety, adding that the compensation is payment for the loss of a feature, not the recall.

The part was already recalled in the US in 2008 because of a short circuit on the printed circuit board that could overheat the control-circuit ground wire. Dealers at the time installed an in-line fuse in the wiring. The 2008 recall was not carried out in the UAE, Mr Hammad said. The recall affects about 1.5 million vehicles worldwide, of which about 1.3m are in the United States. This May, GM recalled almost all of the UAE's 3,500 Hummer H3 vehicles after the manufacturer issued a safety warning over a faulty bonnet catch.

mdetrie@thenational.ae