NOVEMBER 2008 -- GM is recalling 12,662 MY 2009 Cadillac CTS vehicles for failing to conform to the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 208, “Occupant Crash Protection.” Under certain conditions, a software condition within the passenger sensing system may disable the front passenger air bag when it should be enabled or enable it when it should be disabled. In a vehicle crash, if the front passenger air bag does not operate as designed, increased personal injury could occur. Dealers will reprogram the passenger sensing system module free of charge. The recall began on November 18, 2008. . 08V582

AUGUST 2008 -- GM is recalling 857,735 MY 2006-2008 Buick Lucerne; Cadillac DTS; Hummer H2; MY 2007-2008 Cadillac Escalade, Escalade ESV, Escalade EXT; Chevrolet Avalanche, Silverado, Suburban, Tahoe; GMC Acadia, Sierra, Yukon, Yukon XL, Saturn Outlook; and MY 2008 Buick Enclave vehicles equipped with a heated wiper washer fluid system. A short circuit on the printed circuit board for the washer fluid heater may overheat the control-circuit ground wire. This may cause other electrical features to malfunction, create an odor, or cause smoke increasing the risk of a fire. Dealers will install a wire harness with an in-line fuse free of charge. The manufacturer has not yet provided an owner notification schedule.  08V441

SEPTEMBER 2008 -- General Motors is recalling 17,301 MY 2004 Cadillac SRX vehicles equipped with an automatic transmission. Some of these vehicles have a condition in which the transmission shift lever can be moved from the "park" position with the ignition "on" and without the operator depressing the brake pedal or, in some cases, the shifter can be moved from the "park" position with the ignition turned “off.” If the vehicle is parked or parked on a slope, this condition could allow the vehicle to roll increasing the risk of a crash. Dealers will replace the pawl stopper and a bushing within the shifter assembly free of charge. The recall is expected to begin during December 2008.   08V527

MARCH 2008 -- GM is recalling 4,586 MY 2008 Cadillac STS and STS-V passenger vehicles for failing to conform to the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 138, "Tire Pressure Monitoring Systems" (TPMS). The standard requires an indication to the driver for certain TPMS malfunctions. When the system detects a malfunction, the low tire warning light should flash for about one minute and then stay on the remainder of the ignition cycle. A driver information center message will also be displayed on the instrument panel. These indications of a system malfunction do not work. Premature tire failure could result in a loss of control of the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash. Dealers will reprogram the remote control door lock receiver module. The recall began on March 18, 2008. . 08V108

DECEMBER 2007 -- GM is recalling 275,936 MY 2005-2007 Cadillac CTS, SRX, STS, MY 2006-2007 Pontiac Solstice, and MY 2007 Saturn Sky passenger vehicles. The rear axle pinion seal does not meet all of the specifications and may experience a fluid leak. A rear differential failure may cause loss of motive power and possibly loss of vehicle control increasing the risk of a crash. Dealers will replace the pinion seal. The recall is expected to begin during February 2008. 07V-589

OCTOBER 2007 -- GM GM is recalling 9,648 MY 2007 Cadillac CTS model vehicles for failing to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 118, 'Power Operated Window, Partition, and Roof Panel Systems.' Under the standard, the sunroof may only be closed when the ignition is on, or after the ignition is turned off, but before either of the front doors are opened. The affected vehicles may exhibit a condition where the sunroof can be closed after the ignition is turned off and the doors are opened. This standard specifies requirements for power operated window, partition, and roof panel systems to minimize the likelihood of death or injury from their accidental operation. Dealers will install a wire harness. The manufacturer has not yet provided a recall notification schedule for this campaign. 07V-468

NEWS:    GM recalls 944,000 vehicles for fire hazard

Recall involves vehicles that are equipped with windshield washer fluid heaters.

NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- August 28, 2008 -- General Motors is recalling 944,000 vehicles, 850,000 of them in the United States, because of the potential for a fire in the vehicles' heated windshield washer fluid system.

A short circuit in the circuit board that controls the system could cause a grounding wire to overheat. That could lead to smoke and the malfunctioning of other electrical components, GM (GM, Fortune 500) said in a letter to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). In rare cases, it could cause a fire, GM said.

GM is aware of three fires caused by this problem, two of which were in the company's own test fleet vehicles, GM spokesman Tom Wilkinson said. The company is not aware of any injuries caused by the problem.

The vehicles must be turned on for the short circuit to occur, Wilkinson said, but he could not say whether the washer fluid heating system needed to be in use.

The models listed below, if they're equipped with a heated windshield washer fluid system, are subject to the recall:

The fluid heating system is a popular option on many of GM's large cars and SUVs, said Wilkinson.

On cold days, the system heats windshield washer fluid before spraying it onto the windshield, where it can melt ice and frost on the windshield.

To fix the problem, dealers will install a fuse that will shut off the system in the event of a short circuit. GM has not yet provided NHTSA with a schedule detailing when owners of affected vehicles will be notified.

MORE RECALL INFORMATION:

• Buick Lucerne

• Buick Enclave

• Cadillac DTS

• Cadillac Escalade

• Chevrolet Avalanche

• Chevrolet Silverado

• Chevrolet Suburban

• Chevrolet Tahoe

• GMC Acadia

• GMC Sierra

• GMC Yukon

• Saturn Outlook

NEWS:    NHTSA Investigates 2.7 Million GM Trucks, SUVs

Fire hazard probed in 21 models

ConsumerAffairs.com -- June 17, 2008 -- The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has intensified a investigation of 21 models of General Motors trucks and SUVS manufactured between 2006 and 2008 because of the possibility of an engine compartment fire.

More than 2,700,000 GM trucks and SUVs are the subject of the the investigation because of the possibility that a fire might erupt inside the engine compartment, even when the ignition is turned off.

The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) at the federal safety agency reported that investigators are now aware of "41 non-crash engine compartment fires" in the GM trucks and SUVs including 8 fires that may have caused significant property damage.

The GM vehicles under investigation are:

• Cadillac Escalade ESV and EXT from the 2007 and 2008 model years
• Chevrolet Avalanche 1500 from the 2007 and 2008 model years
• 2007 Chevrolet Avalanche 2500
• 2007 Chevrolet Silverado
• Chevrolet Silverado 1500, 2500 and 3500 from the 2007 and 2008 model years
• Chevrolet Suburban 1500 and 2500 from the 2007 and 2008 model years
• Chevrolet Tahoe from the 2007 and 2008 models year
• 2008 GMC Sierra,
• GMC Sierra 1500, 2500 and 3500 from the 2007 and 2008 model years
• 2007 GMC Sierra Classic
• 2007 GMC Silverado, GMC Yukon from the 2007 and 2008 model years
• GMC Yukon XL 1500, XL 2500 from the 2007 and 2008 model years
• Hummer H2 from the 2006 to 2007 model years
• 2008 Hummer H2 Utility, and •the Hummer H2 from the 2006 to 2008 model years

"GM provided ODI with 41 allegations of non-crash engine compartment fires including 16 allegations of fires origination with the ignition in the off position," according to the NHTSA Web site.

Investigators are examining the electrical system, engine and engine cooling system; battery cables; under-hood wiring, fuses and circuit breakers.

NHTSA investigator are now call the probe an "engineering analysis" which could eventually lead to a recall of the General Motors trucks and SUVs.

MORE RECALL INFORMATION:

• Cadillac Escalade

• Chevrolet Avalanche

• Chevrolet Silverado

• Chevrolet Suburban

• Chevrolet Tahoe

• GMC Sierra

• GMC Yukon

• Hummer H2