GM to Recall 1.3 Million Vehicles Over Heated Windshield Wiper System

Do you have a heated windshield wiper system on your 2006-2009 GM vehicle? If so, it’s likely part of a wide-ranging recall of 1.36 million vehicles including 18 different models of Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, GMC, Hummer and Saturn cars, trucks and SUVs.
 
The defect is a new one, and it follows a previous recall of the same system in the same vehicles. So if you’ve already had one recall performed, this is another you’ll need to address. Even if you’ve had the previous recall performed, the system may still have significant heat and melting issues that could lead to fire.
 
GM will be removing these systems completely from the vehicles and reimbursing owners $100. The systems will not be reinstalled, and GM no longer offers this option on new vehicles. The recall will begin on or before Monday. In the meantime, do not use the system.

The full list of vehicles is below, as are the customer service numbers for each division and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

Louisiana Plant Builds Last Hummer H3

While it’s sure to become a symbol of the gas-guzzler boom, Hummer saw the last H3 roll off the production line of the Shreveport, La., plant this Monday.

The SUV is part of a special order for Avis, the rental car company, and its completion means that roughly 200 of the plant’s 900 employees will lose their jobs in July. If you’ll recall, GM tried and failed to sell the brand to a Chinese heavy machinery company, leading to its decision to wind down the brand.

All remaining Hummer models have gone on sale in a “Last Chance to Buy a Hummer” promotion that includes zero-percent financing for 72 months and $6,000 off H2 and H3 models.

Hummer has certainly earned a — how else to put this — conspicuous place in automotive history with both its detractors and fervent fans. The last H3 simply marks another one of those small moments that makeup a larger sea change in the kinds of vehicles people are driving.

Last Hummer Rolls Off the Assembly Line (WKOW via The Car Connection)

Recall Alert: 2006-2010 Hummer H3

GM has issued a recall for 162,129 Hummer H3 vehicles from the 2006-2010 model years, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

The recall is due to a potential defect in the hood that could cause it to detach while being driven. Some of the H3s from these model years have integral clip-tabs on the hood’s louver that may fracture. In these cases the hood louver could rattle against the hood and come loose. Gone unaddressed, more clips could fracture and the hood could come free while the vehicle is in motion.

If the hood comes free at any decent speed, it would become a dangerous projectile that could strike another vehicle.

Dealers will use an adhesive to secure the hood louver to the hood free of charge. Owners may contact Hummer at 800-732-5493 or NHTSA’s hot line at 888-327-4236.

Hummer to Shut Down, Discounting H2, H3

General Motors announced today that it will begin shutting down the Hummer brand after failing to secure a buyer. Part of the shutdown is a massive discounting on 2009 and 2010 Hummer models still on dealer lots, which comes to about 2,200 vehicles, GM says.

Buyers can get $6,000 in rebates on the 2009 Hummer H2 and H3, $5,000 on the 2009 H3T and $4,000 on 2010 H3T. Zero-percent financing will be offered instead of some of the cash rebates for qualified buyers.

Both the 2009 and 2010 Hummer H3 start at $33,390. The 2009 and 2010 H3T at $30,750 and $30,915, respectively. There weren’t significant changes between the two model years, so finding a 2009 would be worth the extra cash. The 2009 H2 starts at $63,090. We’d expect dealers will offer their own discounts on top of the cash back from GM.

You can find a new Hummer in Cars.com’s inventory by going here and entering your ZIP code.

GM Takes Second Look at Hummer Bidders

As GM attempts to off-load brands like Hummer and Saab, the entire process feels like the end of a horror movie when the monster keeps popping back to life.

Just as Hummer’s fate appeared sealed when the Chinese industrial machinery company Tengzhong couldn’t get the sale approved by the Chinese government, the Wall Street Journal reports that a flicker of hope remains for the SUV brand.

GM is apparently taking a second look at two previous suitors that made bids for Hummer before Tengzhong but were rejected as insufficient. The Journal did not say which companies made the offer, but it did confirm that GM turned both down sometime last year.

It remains likely that GM will simply have to wind down the brand as it did with Pontiac and Saturn, but Hummer remains a widely recognized — and for some, a fiercely beloved — brand.

GM Weighs Two Offers for Hummer (The Wall Street Journal)

J.D. Power Finds Lexus and Hummer Tops in Customer Service

For 2010, J.D. Power and Associates split its Customer Service Index Study into luxury and mass market categories, with Lexus winning the luxury brand and Hummer at the top in the mass market column. Even before the news that Hummer was shutting down came to light Wednesday, the least expensive vehicle it sold was the H3 starting at $33,390.

In the luxury category, Lexus was followed by Cadillac, Jaguar, Acura and BMW. For mass market, GM took six of the top seven spots, with defunct Saturn in second place followed by Buick and Chevy. (Mini rounded out the top five.)

Keep in mind that the Customer Service Index says nothing about the quality of the brands. It simply measures maintenance service or repair work at the dealerships during the first years of ownership. J.D. Power’s criteria include service quality, service initiation, service adviser, service facility and vehicle pickup.

While this year’s study showed the industry improving overall, J.D. Power cautions that low volumes in the service bay could have something to do with this because of the downturn in new-car sales.

Check out both luxury and mass market rankings after the jump.

Hummer Sale to Chinese Company Falls Through

GM’s planned sale of the Hummer brand to China’s Sichuan Tengzhong Heavy Industrial Machinery Co. has fallen through. GM says it will wind down all operations for the brand.

GM says it will honor all warranties and provide service and parts through other GM dealers. This is the same process that Saturn and Pontiac went through in the past year since GM’s restructuring.

Hummer sales fell 67% in 2009 compared with 2008 to just 9,046 units. Reports from Bloomberg earlier today pointed to the Chinese government’s desire to portray a green image as its huge population is increasingly buying more cars as a reason it would not approve the sale. 

Hummer H3 Alive and Well With Tweaks

Despite a tough run through high gas prices and a sour economy, and with a sale to a Chinese company pending, Hummer will produce a 2010 H3 and H3T. Both will arrive in dealerships by next month.

The vehicles will receive a couple of notable tweaks. First, they will have an available E85 Flex Fuel 5.3L V8 engine as an option. Rated at 300 horsepower, we wouldn’t exactly call this an attempt by Hummer to go “green” but the new ethanol-capable engine does offer a cheaper fuel choice (especially for those who live in ethanol-subsidized states in the Midwest).

Secondly, Hummer will offer three new colors for the 2010 model year: Red Rock Metallic, Silver Stone Metallic and Canyon Metallic.

The price for the H3 will remain the same for 2010 with an MSRP of $33,390, while H3T pricing starts at $30,195 (a $165 increase for those keeping track). Neither price includes a $780 destination charge.

2010|Hummer|H3

It's Official: GM Strikes Deal To Sell Hummer

After months of negotiations — and rumors — General Motors has officially reached an agreement to sell the Hummer brand to China’s Sichuan Tengzhong Heavy Industrial Machinery, according to Nick Richards, spokesman for Hummer. U.S. and Chinese regulatory agencies still need to approve the transaction, and government approval is expected by the end of this year or by early 2010.

“The investment from Tengzhong in Hummer will give the company the capital it needs to create new products and focus on the brand in a manner that it deserves,” Richards told PickupTrucks.com this morning. “We’ll be able to create new vehicles, like the Hummer HX Concept, that will help Hummer meet future environmental and regulatory standards as well as meet the demands and expectations of our customers.”

Until the Hummer deal was announced, Tengzhong was a relatively unknown Chinese builder of commercial trucks and industrial machinery with no experience in consumer vehicle manufacturing.

Richards wouldn’t comment on the deal’s value, though recent rumors have said GM is selling Hummer for around $150 million.

Hummer Sales Double in Russia, Despite Recession

While car sales in Russia have fallen 50% this year, thanks largely to the global recession, one brand saw its fortunes rise. Hummer has doubled its year-over-year sales to more than 900 vehicles even as the rest of Russian auto sales tanked.

This may not sound like a lot by American standards, but Russia is a country where the average wage is the equivalent of $600 a month and gas averages $2.60 per gallon. Russia’s 900 vehicles more than doubles the number of Hummers sold in the rest of Europe combined. Hummer sold 777 units in the U.S. in August.

Hummer is becoming the brand of choice for the affluent who want a way to show off their conspicuous consumption. The Hummer Club of Russia, for instance, now includes 800-plus members. Russian Hummer dealers report that most buyers pay cash for their vehicles.

However, analysts see this growth as an errant spike fueled by the rich and unsustainable in the long run. The market for Hummers will hit a saturation point at which everyone who wants and can afford a Hummer will have one, the analysts say.

Hummers Buck Recession Trends in Russia (NPR)