GM Recalling 1.4 Million Cars Due To Fire Hazard

General Motors has been plagued with many serious recalls in recent times, and the company announced this week that it is now recalling more than 1.4 million vehicles worldwide due to a fire hazard. This is the fourth recall since 2008 for this particular problem in vehicles that are over 10 years old, according to a report by The Detroit News.

The automaker is recalling the following vehicles: 1997-2004 Pontiac Grand Prix, 2000-2004 Chevrolet Impala, 1998-1999 Chevrolet Lumina, 1998-2004 Chevrolet Monte Carlo, 1998-1999 Oldsmobile Intrigue, and 1997-2004 Buick Regal.

The problem first surfaced in 2007, when 21 consumer complaints about engine fires in some of the cars prompted the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to launch an investigation. That probe found three injuries, with most of the fires having occurred five to 15 minutes after the engines had been turned off, according to agency documents. In 2008, a GM representative said that the cars were responsible for 267 fires, including at least 17 that burned structures. All of the recalled cars have 3.8-liter V6 engines.

Although the problem hasn’t led to any fatalities or serious injuries, GM did indicate 19 minor injuries have been recorded over the past six years. The automaker warns that the owners of these recalled vehicles should park them outside of garages until they can be repaired.

The company hasn’t yet come up with a final fix in the most recent recall, and GM representative Alan Adler says that it will use state registration databases in an effort to track down the owners.

In an email to USA Today, Adler explained that “drops of oil may be deposited on the hot exhaust manifold through hard braking, which can cause engine-compartment fires. GM is working on a remedy. The company is aware of post-repair fires in some vehicles but no crashes or fatalities. There have been 19 reported minor injuries over the last six years.”

The increase in auto recalls overall, which hit record levels last year, may not be an indication that cars are more dangerous now than in the past. Instead, it appears to be due to the fact that carmakers, government regulators and consumers are becoming more vigilant about safety.

This recall could prove to be very expensive, although GM hasn’t disclosed any of the costs. “Since we have not decided on the remedy, we do not know whether the cost will result in a material charge to earnings,” said Adler.