Following reports yesterday that General Motors knew that hundreds of thousands of Hummer vehicles were prone to fires because of potential electrical shorts before recalling the vehicles under the threat of an investigation by regulators, it now appears that two other models produced by the car maker may have the same issues, yet they remain on the road.
Jalopnik reports that over the past eight years, consumers have submitted nearly 70 complaints to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration about fires they believe are related to the heating and cooling systems found in certain model year 2004 to 2008 Chevy Colorado and Canyon pickup trucks.
According to GM, the issue with the Hummer vehicles is related to an electrical part in the heating and cooling system that can overheat and cause a fire inside the dashboard.
While neither GM or NHTSA have commented on any similarities between the reported fires in Hummers and the two pickup trucks, Jalopnik reports that all three vehicles use the same mechanical underpinnings, as well as transmissions and engines. Additionally, the vehicles were all built at the same Shreveport, LA, plant.
After reviewing nearly 1,200 complaints to NHTSA and other information on online forums, Japolnik reports, that owners of Colorado and Canyon trucks have experienced fires in their vehicles since at least 2007.
The first complaint simply states that the “A/C heater resistor and plastic connector arc catches fire.”
In some cases, Jalopnik reports, the complaints detail that owners of the trucks experienced the same system issues in which the fan blowers shorted out one by one before fires that Hummer owners reported.
“Blower motor was running on low,” another complaint states. “I detected a faint odor of something hot. Blower quit working. Runs on Hi Speed (4) only. Will not run on speeds 1, 2, or 3. Researched the problem online, seems to be a common problem… when I checked, one of the pins on the connector and socket is burned. Potential for fire exists.”
Jalopnik points out that the similarities could be a “statistical anomaly” since the issue seems to have been resolved starting with the 2008 model Colorado and Canyon trucks.
A spokesperson for GM tells Jalopnik that it does not comment on any information about its dealing with safety regulators.
Why Hasn’t GM Recalled These Two Trucks With A Similar Fiery Issue? [Jalopnik]
by Ashlee Kieler via Consumerist
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