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GM tells owners not to use SUV wipers due to fire risk

General Motors is recalling 31,685 examples of the 2016 Buick Enclave, Chevrolet Traverse, and GMC Acadia because a short circuit in the windshield wiper motor can potentially lead to a fire. Due to the danger, the company is asking owners not to use the wipers until the problem is fixed, according to The Detroit Free Press citing the Associated Press. A manufacturing defect in the wiper motor cover means that the electrical terminals can come into contact and cause a short. The part could "melt, smoke, or catch fire," according to a statement from GM. The company will get them fixed immediately, and dealers will replace the cover. If there's bad weather at the time the owner specifies to get the recall work completed, the automaker will come pick up the crossovers. Depending on parts availability, the automaker will supply a rental car for customers, as well. The issue was discovered at the factory. According to the company's statement, only 6,405 actually made it to customers, and they were notified immediately by overnight letter. The rest were in dealer stock. The affected crossovers carry build dates between August 18, 2015 and September 24, 2015. Of those, there are 29,295 in the US and 1,073 in Canada. GM Statement: General Motors has told the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration that it will recall approximately 29,295 2016 model year Chevrolet Traverse, Buick Enclave and GMC Acadia SUVs in the U.S. because the front windshield wiper motor may overheat when in use because of a manufacturing defect. In some cases, the front windshield wiper motor cover may melt, smoke or catch fire. The approximately 6,405 customers who have taken delivery of these vehicles were notified by overnight letter and are urged to contact a GM dealer as soon as possible to arrange a service appointment. These customers should not use the front windshield wipers until they have been repaired. If weather conditions prevent driving the vehicle without using the windshield wipers, GM will arrange to pick up the vehicle for servicing. If repair parts are unavailable, GM will provide a rental car at no cost until parts become available. The total population, including Canada, Mexico and exports, is approximately 31,685. About 25,280 of these vehicles are in dealer stock and will not be sold until repairs are made.

Safety group pans GM’s new Marketplace in-dash shopping

When it comes to our cars, is the Internet of Things a godsend? Or a hidden menace that will create more problems than it will solve? On the same day General Motors announced it will equip newer-model cars with its in-dash Marketplace e-commerce app, a prominent safety group was shooting it down. National Safety Council President Deborah Hersman tells Bloomberg the technology will only contribute to distracted driving and hurt efforts to stem the tide of rising auto fatalities, which grew 5.6 percent to more than 37,000 in the U.S. in 2016. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says distracted driving was responsible for 3,477 fatalities and 391,000 injuries in 2015, the most recent year for which it has data. "There's nothing about this that's safe," Hersman told Bloomberg. "If this is why they want WiFi in the car, we're going to see fatality numbers go up even higher than they are now." Marketplace, developed with IBM, will allow drivers — or more often, one hopes, their passengers — to order coffee or food, find gas stations and reserve hotel rooms from their dashboard screens. The technology is set to be uploaded automatically to nearly 1.9 million GM vehicles model-year 2017 and later that are equipped with WiFi hotspots and compatible systems. By the end of 2018, about 4 million Chevrolet, Buick, GMC and Cadillac vehicles will be equipped with Marketplace. The app will debut with a limited number of participating retailers, including TGI Fridays, Shell, Exxon Mobil and Starbucks, with more likely to join later. Online retail giant Amazon is also partnering with automakers such as Ford to bring e-commerce capabilities inside the car through its Alexa personal assistant. While convenience is nice, one other thing is becoming clear as the IoT wedges its way into our cars: It's taking aim at some decidedly first-world problems.Related Video: Image Credit: GM Buick Cadillac Chevrolet GM GMC Technology Infotainment in-car entertainment marketplace e-commerce

2023 J.D. Power Initial Quality Study shows there's less quality than last year

Vehicle inventory, vehicle pricing, and the supply chain are finally showing improvement. Vehicle quality, on the other hand, is still going the wrong way. That's the takeaway from the 2023 J.D. Power Initial Quality Study that found overall problems exceeded last year's record high. The study surveyed owners of 2022-model-year vehicles to assess the average rate of problems per 100 vehicles (PP100) during the first 90 days of ownership. The average figure for the 32 ranked manufacturers in 2020 was about 166 problems per 100 vehicles. In the 2021 IQS, that dropped to an average of 162. For 2022, the average jumped to 180 problems. For 2023, the PP100 is up to an industry average of 192 — an increase of 30 problems per 100 vehicles in just two years. Let's get to the good news first: Dodge reclaimed the crown of having the lowest number of problems per 100 vehicles at 140. Buick won last year with 139 PP100, falling to third this year. Dodge was the first American automaker to top the IQS in 2021. Its return as the least problematic gives parent company Stellantis three wins in four years after Ram was crowned in 2021. It also gives U.S. brands a four-peat after Buick topped the chart in 2022 by having owners report the fewest problems. This year's top 10 is Dodge, Ram, Alfa Romeo, Buick, Chevrolet, GMC, Porsche, Cadillac, Kia, and Lexus. Stellantis gathered a few feathers for its cap, in fact. Maserati showed the largest improvement year-on-year, followed by Alfa Romeo, and Alfa Romeo posted the lowest PP100 among the premium class, beating Porsche and Cadillac. Alfa Romeo has been vocal about working to improve quality, mentioning Lexus as a target. Last year the Japanese brand finished sixth, the Italians finished near the bottom, between Jaguar and Mitsubishi. This year Alfa jumped to third, Lexus dropped to tenth. Ram was the third-best on the list of improvers from 2022 to 2023.   The individual model with the lowest PP100 is the Nissan Maxima. Now for the troublesome bits. In the words of Frank Hanley, senior director of auto benchmarking at J.D. Power, "The industry is at a major crossroad and the path each manufacturer chooses is paramount for its future.