USA RECALL - GM - Buick and Pontiac models recalled for potential low bean headlight issues.

General Motors is expanding a recall of Buicks and Pontiacs with defective low-beam headlights to include 180,504 more vehicles, the automaker said today.

The recall now covers 493,265 vehicles total.

Of the additional vehicles, 159,584 are being recalled in the U.S. Those are the 2005 Buick LaCrosse and the 2007 Pontiac Grand Prix. 

The other 20,920 vehicles are being recalled in Canada. Those vehicles include the 2005 Buick Allure -- the Canadian iteration of the LaCrosse.

Overheating in the electrical center in affected vehicles causes intermittent or permanent failure of the low-beam headlights.

The lights can either stop working as the vehicle is moving or fail to turn on altogether, GM spokesman Alan Adler said in an email.

There are no injuries or crashes linked to this issue so far, he said.

The automaker is working on a permanent solution, but customers can have the part replaced as a temporary solution at any GM dealership.

Nora Naughton

REPORT HERE

General Motors Ignition Switch death claims extended by another seven sad victims.

General Motors’ ignition-switch compensation fund approved another seven death claims associated with ignition switch defects in its cars in the past week, bringing the total to 97 deaths, the office administering GM’s compensation fund said.

GM originally said it knew of only 13 deaths linked to the defect.

The office of attorney Kenneth Feinberg, who is overseeing victim compensation on the automaker’s behalf, also approved 16 more injury claims, raising the total to 179 approved injury claims as of May 1.

Of the 179 approved injury claims, 12 are for serious injuries resulting in quadriplegia, paraplegia, double amputation, permanent brain damage or pervasive burn. The other 167 claims are for less serious injuries requiring hospitalization or outpatient medical treatment within 48 hours of the accident.

The deadline for victims to file claims was Jan. 31.

After GM recalled 2.6 million vehicles with faulty ignition switches last year, the automaker hired Feinberg to administer the victims compensate program.

The defective switches can move from the “run” position, which cuts power to the power steering, brakes and airbags. 

A person seeking compensation must prove that the airbag did not deploy, and must show the defective switch was the primary cause of the crash.

Through Friday, GM had received 474 claims for deaths, 289 claims for catastrophic injuries and 3,579 claims for injuries requiring hospitalization. Feinberg’s office is still reviewing another 669 claims.

Hannah Lutz

Nora Naughton 

REPORT HERE