GM to Extend Warranty on Fuel-Injection Systems
In a settlement that could cost it $100 million in repairs, General Motors Corp. has agreed to extend warranty coverage in California on fuel-injection systems for 700,000 of its most popular late-model pickups, vans and SUVs.
The extended warranties announced Tuesday settle a four-year dispute with the California Air Resources Board over the agency’s contention that the original injection systems on certain 1996-2001 GM truck models were faulty and can cause excessive emissions if they break down.
GM agreed to provide warranty coverage for 10 years or 200,000 miles from the original purchase date on ‘96-’01 models of its pickups, vans and sport utility vehicles with 4.3-liter V6 engines or 5.0- or 5.7-liter V8 engines. Standard warranty coverage is three years or 50,000 miles.
Air board spokesman Jerry Martin said the agency contacted GM about the faulty injectors after receiving a number of consumer complaints and conducting its own tests. At that time, he said, GM agreed to extend the warranties, for cleaning the systems only, to 10 years or 100,000 miles.
He said the injectors can clog, causing the engines to run roughly and emissions levels to rise beyond permissible levels.
Under its agreement with the air board, General Motors will cover the approximately $115 cost of cleaning a fuel-injection system the first time it clogs and will replace it, at a cost of about $325, if there is a second complaint, Martin said. The extended warranties, good only in California, transfer to new owners if the original purchasers sell the vehicles.
GM also has agreed to reimburse vehicle owners who already have paid to have the problem repaired on their own.
Separately, Ford Motor Co. was fined $1.14 million by the air board last month because from 1998-99 it sold California customers 374 medium-duty trucks with diesel engines that were not certified for use in the state.
The air board acknowledged that the vehicles were sold because of an error in Ford’s ordering system. The fine was levied as a warning to the industry.
“Auto manufacturers must be certain they ship to California only vehicles that meet our stringent emission standards,” said Tom Cackette, the agency’s chief deputy executive officer.
