GM recalling hundreds of thousands of trucks after reports of fires

General Motors stated Friday it is recalling 368,000 medium- and heavy-duty diesel trucks geared up with engine-block heaters for fire risks after 19 reports of fires.

The recall covers some 2019 Chevrolet Silverado 4500, 5500 and 6500 trucks, 2017-2019 Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra 2500 and 3500 trucks geared up with Duramax 6.6-liter diesel engines and an additional engine-block heater, consisting of 324,000 U.S vehicles. The engine block heater cord or the terminals may short circuit and fail, GM stated.

There are no reports of injuries, accidents or fatalities connected to the recall, GM spokesman Dan Flores stated.

GM stated the remedy for the issue was still under development, and informed dealers on April 25 the company was collaborating with the supplier “to obtain the required parts as quickly as possible.”

GM’s internal investigation started after a company engineer filed a report in December to the company’s “Speak up for Safety” program after inspecting an engine-block heater recovered from a warranty return.

GM stopped working on trucks with the optional combination late last month.