GM recalls trucks to fix potential fuel leaks
Associated Press
DETROIT
General Motors is recalling nearly 49,000 trucks worldwide to fix a fuel-tank problem that increases the risk of a fire.
The recall covers Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra 3500 trucks from 2011 through 2015 with two fuel tanks.
Documents posted Thursday by the U.S. government say the low-fuel-level sensor in the front tank can stick, causing the rear tank to over-fill the front tank. That can make the front tank expand and touch the drive shaft, possibly causing a hole and a fuel leak.
GM says it has no reports of fires or injuries from the problem.
Owners will be notified starting Dec. 18 with parts available for repairs in February.
In other automotive industry news, The federal government has denied requests from Ford and Mazda for more time to test potentially dangerous Takata air-bag inflators as the companies try to avoid massive recalls.
Both automakers petitioned safety regulators to escape recalls, which involve about 3 million vehicles made by Ford and 6,000 by Mazda.
Last year, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration delayed a recall of 2.5 million General Motors trucks and SUVs to give the company time for long-term tests of Takata inflators. GM contends its inflators are of a different design and don’t have the problems of other inflators.
Takata determined the Ford and Mazda driver’s front inflators were defective July 10.
That finding forced Ford and Mazda to file defect reports covering the 2007-2011 Ford Ranger; the 2006-2012 Ford Fusion, Lincoln Zephyr and MKZ; the 2006-2011 Mercury Milan; and the 2007-2010 Ford Edge and Lincoln MKX. Also covered were Mazda B-Series pickups from 2007 through 2009.