Recall Alert: 52,937 GM Compact Cars

GM has issued a recall for 52,937 vehicles, including the 2006-2007 Chevrolet Cobalt, 2007 Pontiac G5 and 2006-2007 Saturn Ion, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

The recall is for vehicles sold or currently registered in Arizona, California, Florida, Nevada and Texas and is due to a plastic supply or return port on the modular reservoir assembly that could crack. If either of these components cracks then fuel will leak, which could cause a fire if it ignites. The fuel leak may be visible depending on the size of the crack.

Dealers will replace the fuel pump module for free. Even if you do not own a vehicle sold or registered in the aforementioned states, check with your dealer all the same. Some vehicles from the same timeframe in other states may be eligible for special warranty coverage.

Owners may contact Chevrolet at 800-630-2438, Saturn at 800-972-8876 and Pontiac at 800-620-7668 or NHTSA’s hotline at 888-327-4236.

2007|Chevrolet|Cobalt

2007|Pontiac|G5

2010|Saturn|Ion

GM to Offer Free Oil Changes to Pontiac, Saturn Owners

You read that right. General Motors wants to make sure current Pontiac and Saturn owners consider a new GM vehicle for their next car purchase by offering free oil changes at a Chevy, Buick or GMC dealer. That way the freebie takers will peruse new GM products from brands the company didn’t kill off in bankruptcy while they’re waiting for their car’s oil to be changed.

Final details on the offer will be released next week, including if it’s just a single oil change per customer or more. It sounds like a good idea to us, and most people we talk to like free things. What do you think?

GM Eager to Retain Pontiac-Saturn Customer Base (WardsAuto.com)

Recall Alert: 2009-2010 Pontiac Vibe

GM has issued a recall for certain Pontiac Vibe vehicles from the 2009-2010 model years, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. They are specifically recalling those models equipped with a 1.8-liter engine and originally sold or currently registered in Alaska, Colorado, Idaho, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New York, South Dakota, Vermont, Wisconsin and Wyoming.

GM says that when driving the vehicles in “extremely low ambient temperatures,” the intake manifold suction port for the brake vacuum may become locked because of freezing condensation coming from the positive crankcase ventilation.

This could mean the vehicle’s stopping distance my take a hit and a crash could occur if the brakes are needed in an emergency but don’t respond well.

Dealers will modify the brake vacuum line for free. Owners may contact Pontiac at 800-620-7668 or the NHTSA vehicle safety hotline at 888-327-4236.

Recall Alert: 105,824 Pontiac, Toyota and Scion Vehicles

Toyota has issued a recall for 105,824 cars from the 2008-2010 model years, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. The recall includes the 2009 Pontiac Vibe, 2009-2010 Toyota Corolla and Corolla Matrix, and the 2008-2009 Scion xD.

It includes only the vehicles equipped with the 1.8-liter engine and originally sold in or currently registered in Alaska, Colorado, Idaho, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New York, North Dakota, South Dakota, Vermont, Wisconsin and Wyoming.

The recall is due to specific driving conditions with extremely low ambient temperatures, which can cause the intake manifold suction port for the brake vacuum to become locked due to freezing condensation from positive crankcase ventilation. This can increase vehicle stopping distance and possibly lead to a crash.

Dealers will install a new intake air connector, which will relocate the brake system vacuum port, for free. Owners may contact Toyota at 800-331-4331 or the NHTSA vehicle safety hotline at 888-327-4236.

2010|Toyota|Corolla

2010|Toyota|Corolla Matrix

Not So Fast: GM Not Sold on Pontiac G8 as a Chevy

Buzz around the internet the past 24 hours has made it sound like GM had decided to save its Pontiac G8 rear-wheel-drive sport sedan by remaking it as a Chevy and calling it the Caprice.

However, the company says it’s only exploring that as an option, and we’ve confirmed with GM that this is indeed just a possibility, not a definite product plan. In fact, the company had a canned answer ready to go: “As part of its reinvention, General Motors is exploring every opportunity of effectively utilizing its global portfolio of vehicles, facilities and talent. While this exploration includes the possibility of extending imports of Holden vehicles (such as the recent Pontiac G8) to North America, no decision has been made at this time.”

The thinking behind such a move is two-fold: GM would like to have a car it could sell to fleets as police squad cars, and it would also like a larger sedan in its lineup that is more modern than the still strong-selling Impala, which is itself in need of a redesign.

GM Leaves Bankruptcy: Where Do the Brands Stand?

In the tumult of GM’s lightning-quick journey through bankruptcy, you may have lost track of what will happen to all the individual brands. Therefore, here’s a quick and handy guide to where each brand currently stands as the new taxpayer-owned GM emerges from Chapter 11.

Saturn: Purchased by the Penske Automotive Group, which owns NASCAR and IndyCar racing teams, as well as the U.S. distribution arm of the Smart car brand. Saturn’s five models will become the property of Penske but will still be built by GM on a contract basis. According to reports, GM will continue production of the three best-selling Saturn models for the next two years: the Aura, Vue and Outlook. It will discontinue the Sky and Astra. By 2011, GM will stop producing Saturn vehicles, and Penske will have to find a new manufacturer — possibly Renault Samsung Motors of Korea, according to Automotive News.

Saab: Swedish supercar maker Koenigsegg led a consortium to purchase the ailing brand from GM. The deal is contingent on $600 million of financing from the European Investment Bank to be guaranteed by Sweden. The deal is supposed to close sometime in the third quarter of this year, but analysts have questioned whether Saab is big enough to survive regardless. It sold only 93,000 cars last year and has been unprofitable for a long time.

GM 72-Hour Sale: 0% for 72 Months

Maybe GM’s math skills got them into the trouble they’re in. Their just announced 72-hour sale starts today and runs through July 6, which is 144 hours by our count. Maybe they wanted to tie the sale name in with the sale terms, namely 0% financing for 72 months on select models for those buyers who qualify.

Included 2009 and 2010 models in the 0% for 72-months term are: Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra regular, extended and crew cab light-duty pickups; Chevrolet Suburban and GMC Yukon XL SUVs; Chevrolet Impala; and the Pontiac Vibe, G3, G5, G6 and G8.

Other models have separate incentives you can find here.

Reader Review of the Week: 2009 Pontiac Vibe

“Old Smokey” from Fort Worth, Texas, has a name that makes it sound like he owns a rusted-out pickup truck, but in fact he’s a proud owner of a 2009 Pontiac Vibe GT. Old Smokey likes his Vibe quite a bit, from the gas mileage to the power he can coax from the engine. Find out what else tickles Smokey about the Vibe by reading his full review. After you finish that, head over here to post your own review.

2010 Pontiac Lineup: The Vibe and Nothing Else, as of Now

While GM has stated that Pontiac will be around for 2010, the brand apparently won’t have much on sale.

As of now, the only 2010 Pontiac will be the Pontiac Vibe, with a limited run of fleet-only Pontiac G6 sedans. The G6 convertible and coupe are apparently dead for 2010.

According to Pontiac spokesman Jim Hopson, there’s no final decision yet on the G3, G5 or G8. Production of the Solstice will end next month, and the Torrent has already been discontinued.

Throughout its history, Pontiac has typically had a generous and diverse lineup of “sporty” sedans, coupes, convertibles and family-haulers. It was that big lineup that helped make Pontiac GM’s third-best-selling brand in 2008, behind Chevrolet and GMC.

We’ll keep you posted on GM’s plans for Pontiac during its final model year.

Through Ian's Lens: 2009 Pontiac Solstice Coupe GXP

In the wake of General Motors filing for bankruptcy, I would like to take a moment of silence to honor the short life of the 2009 Pontiac Solstice GXP coupe (pause). Now that the moment has passed, I would like to remember the Solstice coupe as one of the prettiest cars I’ve seen come off a General Motors assembly line in the past five years. This little two-door will only be produced in a small run this year, then will disappear forever as Pontiac closes its doors.

As for the design of this coupe, the swooping hatch reminds me of a crossbreed between Corvettes and Porsches of yore, while even the nose harks back a bit to the British two-seaters of yesteryear. If that’s not enough for you to take a second look, the only production model we could find in the flesh to shoot was painted in a racing yellow, which, well, left a lot to be desired. Why can’t more fleet cars be black? I’d even take gunmetal gray ...

I honestly wish I’d had a chance to drive it. But, alas, we will never see the likes of it again. Adieu, little buddy, adieu.