GM is recalling about 1.5 million vehicles due to an oil leak that could cause an engine fire.
Apparently under hard breaking engine oil could leak past a heat shield and drip on the exhaust manifold causing a chance for a fire by igniting the oil from the hot surface of the manifold. This currently affects the following vehicles:
1997-2003 Buick Regal
1998-2003 Chevrolet Lumina
1998-2003 Chevrolet Monte Carlo
1998-2003 Chevrolet Impala
1998-1999 Oldsmobile Intrigue
1997-2003 Pontiac Grand Prix
A total of 1,497,516 vehicles are involved in the recall.
To address this issue, GM dealers will remove the plastic spark plug retention guide and install in its place two spark plug wire retainers. The service is free of charge of course. The fix is very simple be needed because of the potential severity of not addressing this issue which is FIRE! No one wants a fire on their older GM vehicle. That just may put someone over the edge and attempt to sue a company that is about to file bankruptcy.
Currently no fatalities have been reported but a total of three incidents related to the defects have happened. Only one of the three incidents was reported to have included an injury.
Note: This recall does not affect the supercharged version of the 3.8-liter engine used in any of the vehicles above.
Malcolm Hogan is the founder and editor of Automotive Addicts, a trusted voice in the automotive media world for over two decades. With 20+ years of hands-on experience covering the industry, Malcolm has built a reputation for delivering honest reviews, sharp insights, and in-depth coverage of everything from new car debuts to high-performance test drives. Passionate about the evolving car culture and staying ahead of the curve, Malcolm continues to lead Automotive Addicts as a go-to destination for enthusiasts and industry insiders alike.
