The Recall Desk
Our severity:SevereNHTSA·10V240000·Announced 2010-06-04

GM Recalls 1.3 Million Vehicles for Heated Washer Fluid Fire Risk

General Motors is recalling 1,365,070 vehicles from 2006-2009 because the heated washer fluid system may ignite and cause a fire.

What this means for you

Our assessment, not the agency’s: severity 4/5 (Severe).

The hazard poses a serious risk of illness, injury, or structural failure. Stop using the product immediately and contact the manufacturer for a refund or repair.

Our severity reasoning: The recall involves a risk of vehicle fire, which is a significant injury/property-damage hazard. Per the rubric, significant injury/property-damage reports or risks warrant a score of 4 (Severe).

Plain-English summary

General Motors is recalling approximately 1.3 million model year 2006-2009 vehicles, including Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, GMC, Hummer, and Saturn models, due to a defect in the heated washer fluid system (HWFS). The recall involves vehicles equipped with this specific feature, which was previously subject to a 2008 recall to address electrical shorts.

New reports indicate that thermal incidents can occur on the HWFS modules even after the previous improvement was installed. These incidents are attributed to a new failure mode in the device's thermal protection feature, resulting in distortion or melting of the plastic around the fluid chamber. This condition creates a risk that the heated washer module may ignite, leading to a vehicle fire.

Dealers will permanently disable and remove the heated washer fluid module to correct the issue. An updated page will be provided for the owner's manual to document that the feature has been removed. The safety recall began on June 11, 2010. Owners can contact their respective brand's customer service line or visit the GM Owner Center for more information.

The recalled product

Product
CHEVROLET, GMC, CADILLAC AVALANCHE, YUKON XL, ESCALADE ESV, H2
Brand
CHEVROLET
Manufacturer
GENERAL MOTORS CORP.
Category
Vehicle — SUV / Truck
Hazard
Affected units
1,365,070

Is your product affected?

Check your packaging against the codes below. If any of them match, the product is part of this recall.

Model numbers (18)

  • AVALANCHE
  • YUKON XL
  • ESCALADE ESV
  • H2
  • SUBURBAN
  • ESCALADE EXT
  • SIERRA
  • SILVERADO 3500
  • DTS
  • LUCERNE
  • YUKON
  • TAHOE
  • ESCALADE
  • OUTLOOK
  • ACADIA
  • CTS
  • ENCLAVE
  • TRAVERSE

Distribution

Distributed nationwide across the United States.

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