GM Recalls 1.4 Million Cars Over Fire Risk

A failed attempt by General Motors (NYSE: GM - news) to fix cars that can leak oil and catch fire has prompted a fresh recall of some 1.4 million vehicles.

The recall - the third in seven years - comes after more than 1,300 vehicles caught fire after they were thought to have been repaired by dealers.

Included in the latest recall are the 1997-2004 Pontiac Grand Prix and Buick Regal; the 2000-2004 Chevrolet Impala; the 1998 and 1999 Chevrolet Lumina and Oldsmobile Intrigue; and the 1998-2004 Chevrolet Monte Carlo.

Nearly all of the recalled vehicles are in North America, the company said.

The problem, which first surfaced in 2007, involves a valve cover gasket that can degrade over time, allowing oil to leak.

Hard braking can then lead to the oil falling on to the exhaust manifold and catching fire. The flames can then spread to a plastic spark plug wire channel and the rest of the engine.

Officials found that most of the fires occurred five to 15 minutes after the engines were shut off.

More than 200,000 US cars with supercharged engines were recalled in 2008, followed by a recall of 1.5 million vehicles that were not supercharged in 2009.

GM dealers replaced the spark plug wire channels but documents filed with the US government made no mention of repairs for the oil leaks.

The automaker has not come up with a final fix in the most recent recall, GM spokesman Alan Adler said.