Investigators probe GM SUV fire reports

Reports of two fires in parked Tahoe SUVs trigger National Highway Traffic Safety Administration investigation

Subscribe to Top Stories
google my aol my msn my yahoo! netvibes
Paste this link into your favorite RSS desktop reader
See all CNNMoney.com RSS FEEDS (close)
By Peter Valdes-Dapena, CNNMoney.com staff writer

07chevrolet_tahoe.03.jpg
2007 Chevrolet Tahoe

NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has opened a formal investigation into possible fires in General Motors' new full-size SUV.

The agency is responding to two reports of fires on 2007 model year Chevrolet Tahoe SUVs. Both were said to have occurred while the vehicles were parked in a home garage with the engine turned off. Both reports allege significant property damage, according to NHTSA's Defect Investigation Summary.

The 2007 model year was the first for GM's (GM, Fortune 500) re-engineered GMT900 large trucks and SUVs, a family of vehicles that includes the Tahoe, the GMC Yukon, the Cadillac Escalade and the Chevrolet Silverado pickup among others. The 2007 model year went on sale in early 2006.

The investigation involves only the Tahoe and the closely related GMC Yukon. NHTSA estimates the total population of vehicles at about 400,000.

GM is cooperating with NHTSA in the investigation, said company spokesman Alan Adler. With only two incidents, he said, there has been no discernable trend.

"This was not something that was on our radar," Adler said.

Ford Motor Co. (F, Fortune 500) has had to recall millions of vehicles over the last few years because of the potential for fires while the vehicles were parked. A faulty cruise control switch caused several fires resulting in extensive property damage in some cases.

The GM trucks do not use that type of cruise control switch, Adler said, so it is unclear what single cause, if any, could have caused the alleged Tahoe fires. To top of page

Photo Galleries
10 of the most luxurious airline amenity kits When it comes to in-flight pampering, the amenity kits offered by these 10 airlines are the ultimate in luxury More
7 startups that want to improve your mental health From a text therapy platform to apps that push you reminders to breathe, these self-care startups offer help on a daily basis or in times of need. More
5 radical technologies that will change how you get to work From Uber's flying cars to the Hyperloop, these are some of the neatest transportation concepts in the works today. More

Most stock quote data provided by BATS. Market indices are shown in real time, except for the DJIA, which is delayed by two minutes. All times are ET. Disclaimer. Morningstar: © 2018 Morningstar, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Factset: FactSet Research Systems Inc. 2018. All rights reserved. Chicago Mercantile Association: Certain market data is the property of Chicago Mercantile Exchange Inc. and its licensors. All rights reserved. Dow Jones: The Dow Jones branded indices are proprietary to and are calculated, distributed and marketed by DJI Opco, a subsidiary of S&P Dow Jones Indices LLC and have been licensed for use to S&P Opco, LLC and CNN. Standard & Poor's and S&P are registered trademarks of Standard & Poor's Financial Services LLC and Dow Jones is a registered trademark of Dow Jones Trademark Holdings LLC. All content of the Dow Jones branded indices © S&P Dow Jones Indices LLC 2018 and/or its affiliates.

Most stock quote data provided by BATS. Market indices are shown in real time, except for the DJIA, which is delayed by two minutes. All times are ET. Disclaimer. Morningstar: © 2018 Morningstar, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Factset: FactSet Research Systems Inc. 2018. All rights reserved. Chicago Mercantile Association: Certain market data is the property of Chicago Mercantile Exchange Inc. and its licensors. All rights reserved. Dow Jones: The Dow Jones branded indices are proprietary to and are calculated, distributed and marketed by DJI Opco, a subsidiary of S&P Dow Jones Indices LLC and have been licensed for use to S&P Opco, LLC and CNN. Standard & Poor's and S&P are registered trademarks of Standard & Poor's Financial Services LLC and Dow Jones is a registered trademark of Dow Jones Trademark Holdings LLC. All content of the Dow Jones branded indices © S&P Dow Jones Indices LLC 2018 and/or its affiliates.