GM Recalls Canadian Silverados and Sierras For Fire Risk

[Gorehamj 256]

John Goreham
Contributing Writer, GM-Trucks.com
7-9-2019

GM is recalling 159,000 Sierra and Silverados in Canada equipped with power sliding rear windows. GM says that part of the rear window defroster can overheat and that can lead to risk of a fire. Here are the vehicles and model years included:

2014-2018 Chevy Silverado 1500
2015-2019 Chevy Silverado HD
2014-2018 GMC Sierra 1500
2015-2019 GMC Sierra HD

To see if your GM vehicle has an open recall, simply click this recall lookup by VIN.

 

Hat tip to TFL Trucks for the scoop on this story.  

[L86 All Terrain 447]

I wonder if any of the out-of-warranty K2 guys can get reimbursed for the repair as many have already had shattered windows or burn marks in the interior from the heat element? My truck lives in the garage in the winter season so I never use the window defrost. I will probably still take advantage though. Thanks for posting John. 

 

Edit: scratch that idea, I am fully capable of "fixing" the issue via GM's solution of removing the defroster fuse... lol 

 

• GM Recall #:
• N192220470

• NHTSA #
• N/A

• Date Issued:
• Jun 27, 2019

Recall Title:

Rear Window Defroster Thermal Events (Canada Only)

Recall Description:

General Motors has approved a safety recall in Canada for certain 2014-2019 model year Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra vehicles equipped with a power sliding rear window (RPO A48). In some of these vehicles, areas of high electric resistance on the rear defroster circuit, caused, in part, by mechanical stress from opening and closing the rear power window, intrusion of debris, and use of the rear defroster may, over time, generate heat which could melt the areas surrounding the circuit. In rare instances, this heat could cause a non-propagating fire, increasing the risk of property damage or injury.

Safety Risk Description:

In some of these vehicles, areas of high electric resistance on the rear defroster circuit, caused, in part, by mechanical stress from opening and closing the rear power window, intrusion of debris, and use of the rear defroster may, over time, generate heat which could melt the areas surrounding the circuit.

Repair Description:

Interim solution - Dealers will remove the fuse to the rear window defrost grid.

Edited July 9 by L86 All Terrain

[BigBadSierra 309]

Yes My other trucks never had a rear slider my 2018 does.  The very first thing I noticed was the big Brass colored contact is has.  One drop of water on that when the windows closes and I can see a fire arise.

 

I make sure to only open it on dry sunny days.

 

[BigBadSierra 309]

Really this is the solution they have?  So they basically need more time to figure out a cheap fix. We all know they don't want to replace the windows with safe working ones.

 

"Dealers will remove the fuse to the rear window defrost grid."

[Colossus 978]

maybe they haven't come up with a safe working one yet. 

[L86 All Terrain 447]

This is an interim solution until they come up with an actual solution. I will help them save money to spend on the final solution by pulling the fuse at home. 

[Silverado4x4 278]

Ford did the same thing, my neighbor has a F-250 Powerstroke I think its a 17 and they have a recall on the block heater not that there used around here could start a fire and Ford's fix was pull the fuse till they come up with a fix.

[HondaHawkGT 454]

I wonder if this is the cause of all the Ford F-series trucks with sliding windows that shatter when the rear defroster is turned on. 

[Grumpy Bear 1,520]

Five year recall and that wasn't enough time to engineer a proper solution? Problem just started yesterday?

 

Hint: the fire possibility issue is a tattle tail, not the real problem. FIX the REAL problem. 

[MaverickZ71 332]

Recall is for CANADA only??

 

Don't all North American GM trucks have the same window design/rear defroster equipment, if so equipped??

 

So Canada has better lawyers than the U.S., or what????   

[BigBadSierra 309]

I know it is the two prongs on the slider getting wet and shorting is the issue. I saw it and thought it was a stupid design.

 

I guess use Canadian just keep opening the rear slider in rain and snow so we get the recall. lol

 

 

[Thomcat 437]

On 7/12/2019 at 12:00 PM, MaverickZ71 said:

Recall is for CANADA only??

 

Don't all North American GM trucks have the same window design/rear defroster equipment, if so equipped??

 

So Canada has better lawyers than the U.S., or what????   

Common sense business practice for assemblers and manufacturers often many different manufacturers (and backup manufacturers used in a pinch) of the same component, sourced regionally, domestic or foreign....design specs may have variances and one supplier at max limits of tolerance levels or maybe just crap that passed loose incoming raw material sampling and testing procedures.....defective assemblies may have been isolated to a specific component manufacturer.

[MaverickZ71 332]

On 7/15/2019 at 8:51 AM, Thomcat said:

Common sense business practice for assemblers and manufacturers often many different manufacturers (and backup manufacturers used in a pinch) of the same component, sourced regionally, domestic or foreign....design specs may have variances and one supplier at max limits of tolerance levels or maybe just crap that passed loose incoming raw material sampling and testing procedures.....defective assemblies may have been isolated to a specific component manufacturer.

From what I understand, these trucks are no longer built in Canada.  They are built in Mexico and the U.S. and then shipped to Canada for sale up there.  So, using your logic, the same "defective assemblies" are all over North America.  Hence my point:  why only a recall in Canada?

[L86 All Terrain 447]

On 2019-07-10 at 5:09 PM, HondaHawkGT said:

I wonder if this is the cause of all the Ford F-series trucks with sliding windows that shatter when the rear defroster is turned on. 

Most likely. Havent heard of a fire recall with their window yet, but they did have a block heater fire recall, and somehow a seatbelt fire recall. Leave it to an engineer to figure out how to start a fire with a seat belt assembly. 

[HondaHawkGT 454]

3 hours ago, L86 All Terrain said:

Most likely. Havent heard of a fire recall with their window yet, but they did have a block heater fire recall, and somehow a seatbelt fire recall. Leave it to an engineer to figure out how to start a fire with a seat belt assembly. 

I guess there was a 2nd older recall for the K2 truck's rear window because they would where they would shatter. The article I read on another website mentioned the shattering glass but didn't make it clear enough that it was a separate older recall.