GM recalling over 40,000 Chevy, Pontiac and Saturn models over fuel pump woes

Mon, 01 Oct 2012

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has issued a recall for a number of General Motors cars and crossovers bought or currently registered in the hot-climate states of Arkansas, Arizona, California, Nevada, Oklahoma and Texas. As many as 40,859 units consisting of the 2007 Chevrolet Equinox, Pontiac Torrent and Saturn Ion and the 2007-2009 Chevrolet Cobalt (shown) and its Pontiac G5 twin are being recalled for potential fuel leaks.

This recall is being issued due to potentially faulty fuel pump components that can crack and cause gasoline to leak from the return or supply ports and possibly cause a fire. NHTSA has not indicated how many fuel leaks or vehicle fires have been reported. As a fix, GM will replace the fuel pump modules on all affected vehicles free of charge. Since Pontiac and Saturn have been shuttered, owners will be able to go to another GM-brand dealership to have their vehicles repaired.

While the list of affected cars and crossovers varies by state and model year, if you own any of these models and live in Arizona, California, Florida, Nevada, Oklahoma or Texas, be sure to check the official notice below for more details.

Vehicle Make / Model: Model Year(s):
CHEVROLET / COBALT 2007-2009
CHEVROLET / EQUINOX 2007
PONTIAC / G5 2007-2009
PONTIAC / TORRENT 2007
SATURN / ION 2007

Manufacturer: General Motors LLC

Report Receipt Date: SEP 19, 2012

NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID Number: 12V459000

NHTSA Action Number: N/A

Component: FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY:FUEL PUMP
Potential Number of Units Affected: 40,859

Summary:
General Motors (GM) is recalling certain model year 2007 Chevrolet Equinox and Pontiac Torrent vehicles originally sold or currently registered in Arizona, California, Nevada, and Texas; model year 2007 Chevrolet Cobalt, Pontiac G5, and Saturn ION vehicles originally sold, or currently registered in, Arizona, California, Florida, Nevada, or Texas; model year 2008 Chevrolet Cobalt and Pontiac G5 vehicles originally sold, or currently registered in, Arizona; and model year 2009 Chevrolet Cobalt and Pontiac G5 vehicles originally sold, or currently registered in, Arkansas, Arizona, California, Nevada, Oklahoma, or Texas. Some of these vehicles have a condition in which the plastic supply or return port on the fuel pump module may crack, which could cause a fuel leak.

Consequence:
Fuel leakage in the presence of an ignition source may result in a fire.

Remedy:
GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the fuel pump module, free of charge. The manufacturer has not provided a notification schedule. Owners may contact General Motors at 1-800-521-7300.

Notes:
GM's campaign number is 12190. This recall is an expansion of recall 09V-419. Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY: 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.safercar.gov.

By Jeffrey N. Ross