GM recalls 1.3 million older cars for fire hazard

General Motors is recalling 1.4 million cars, most of which had previously been recalled, because of a risk they might catch fire.

Of course, there’s a rational, company-saving explanation for what looks like a pretty big mishandling of affairs: “aging and wear to the valve cover and valve cover gasket can allow oil seepage.”, which nullified the previous repairs, according to a GM spokesman called Alan Adler.

GM said drops of oil can fall on the hot exhaust manifold of the cars and burst into flame, causing engine fires.

The affected models are 1997-2004 Pontiac Grand Prix, 2000-2004 Chevrolet Impala, 1998-1999 Chevrolet Lumina and 1998-2004 Chevrolet Monte Carlo, 1998-1999 Oldsmobile Intrigue and 1997-2004 Buick Regal. The previous two recalls were not successful, since the company had to recall more than 1,300 cars, which caught fire despite repairs the dealers made.

GM said it “is aware of post-repair fires in a few vehicles but no crashes or fatalities”. It said there were 19 reported “minor” injuries tied to the problem since the last recall.

The problem first surfaced in 2007, when 21 consumer complaints about engine fires in a few of the cars prompted the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to investigate. The probe found three injuries.

It is at least the third time in seven years GM is recalling cars due to the issue, which has caused damage to home and garages in a few cases. A year later GM recalled nearly 1.5 million more cars that weren’t supercharged. The company will use state registration to track down the owners.

“Since we have not decided on the remedy, we do not know whether the cost will result in a material charge to earnings”, he said.