How will GM deal with this issue?

So I get to work this morning (yea Saturday ) I am walking away from my car( 2004 Grand Prix) and see some smoke coming from under the hood, then a LOT of smoke! Open the hood and we have flames from the engine area. Used my (almost full) coffee to put the fire out, not quite. Went inside found the ABC fire extinguisher and put out the remaining flames.

I know GM has a recall on the valve covers for leaking oil and causing an engine fire but the last time I checked they did not have the part's for the recall. Since the recall has not been done will GM pay (me or their dealer) to repair the related damage or am I just going to have to kick rocks?

Thanks, Paul

Sounds fair, but that has nothing to do with it.

When a regulated company hasn't done right, filing a complaint with their federal regulator has helped me immensely. Don't be afraid to go to NHTSA.

When did you get the recall notice? Is this a recent recall? I deal with an OEM with similar issues - they contact me 3 years later on a hose in their inventory with a wrong coupling. I gotta pay up.

I watched a 1970 Cutlass beater burn to the end of it's life in 1981. Sometimes it's all over...

If you received the recall letter and it hasn't been done then it's your problem.

O f course if the dealer didn't have the parts, that opens up a whole can of worms.

Was a follow up made ? So many cans.

Recall was in October of 2015, if you were notified then honestly what do you think they are going to do for you. You had 1.5 years to get it in and fixed.

Its a 12-14 year old car right now.

What will GM do? They'll do the same thing they did with the Dexcool sludge issue and every other defect they've brought to market. They'll deny responsibility and won't pay squat until a bunch of villagers get together with torches, pitchforks, and slimy lawyers and file a class action lawsuit.

The recall valve covers weren't there to fix a "leak", as far as I've seen. They add a tongue so if someone adds oil and slops it all over the place, it doesn't drool into the exhaust manifold's heat shield.

100% of the 3.8s that I have ever seen where people fixed oil leaks instead of ignoring them have failed to catch fire. I'm all for consumer protection but having a recall to compensate for owners' vehicle abuse is kinda silly, just like the key thing where if you have 10 pounds of junk on your key ring it causes the ignition switch to fail.

Knurled wrote: 100% of the 3.8s that I have ever seen where people fixed oil leaks instead of ignoring them have failed to catch fire. I'm all for consumer protection but having a recall to compensate for owners' vehicle abuse is kinda silly, just like the key thing where if you have 10 pounds of junk on your key ring it causes the ignition switch to fail.

Oh, this. A thousand times, this.

Knurled wrote: The recall valve covers weren't there to fix a "leak", as far as I've seen. They add a tongue so if someone adds oil and slops it all over the place, it doesn't drool into the exhaust manifold's heat shield. 100% of the 3.8s that I have ever seen where people fixed oil leaks instead of ignoring them have failed to catch fire. I'm all for consumer protection but having a recall to compensate for owners' vehicle abuse is kinda silly, just like the key thing where if you have 10 pounds of junk on your key ring it causes the ignition switch to fail.

My sister's Saturn was part of that ignition switch recall and it ABSOLUTELY WAS NOT because she had "10 lbs of junk" on her keyring. Her car key is attached to one front door key to her house and that's it. Sometimes there are legitimate design problems with stuff, and a company that supports their products should fix them.

Now that's not going into the story of the dealership she was "dealing" with, who stonewalled her for ages on the two separate recalls on that car, took OVER A YEAR to get the parts in, tried to con her into paying for them herself in order to get "advance service", etc.

Those cars have burned after being driven and parked since the first 3.8 w body's were new. I don't think GM ever paid for any of them.

Tk8398 wrote: Those cars have burned after being driven and parked since the first 3.8 w body's were new. I don't think GM ever paid for any of them.

I know GM said "oh well" on our burned up '00 Monte SS, pre-recall issuance... insurance then dicked around in actual value with low ball offers....

Donebrokeit wrote: So I get to work this morning (yea Saturday ) I am walking away from my car( 2004 Grand Prix) and see some smoke coming from under the hood, then a LOT of smoke! Open the hood and we have flames from the engine area. Used my (almost full) coffee to put the fire out, not quite. Went inside found the ABC fire extinguisher and put out the remaining flames. I know GM has a recall on the valve covers for leaking oil and causing an engine fire but the last time I checked they did not have the part's for the recall. Since the recall has not been done will GM pay (me or their dealer) to repair the related damage or am I just going to have to kick rocks? Thanks, Paul

The parts for that recall (A new redesigned valve cover) have been out since last spring. Did tons of them this summer.

Well it's all done and over now so I will give you quick a run down of what happened.

Called GM and they asked for a number of photos of the car and related damage, sent them the photos.

GM wanted to have one of their dealers inspect the car.

Dealer inspected the car and said it would cost $8,500 to fix the car

GM offered me a $1,900 to buy the car from me and would not fix the car or perform the recall until the car was running.

I took the car back from the dealer and was able to repair the car for $220

Last step was to take the car back to the dealer to have the recall performed.

Now the car is back on the road and seems to be doing well. As some people have pointed out the recall had been out for a while, I tried to have the recall done two other times but was told the parts were on back order and that they (the dealer) would call me when the parts came in. About that phone call. I should have kept pestering but I have a busy life.

After I have finished moving I will reach out to GM and ask them to pay for the repair work (fat chance they will pay) and if they decline I will review my options.

Paul B

Our local gm dealer is still telling people the parts arent available. We have several elderly customers dealing with it. Yet another reason not to buy gm.