General Motors LLC: Equipment › Electrical
General Motors LLC reported this defect to federal regulators on Jul 2, 2014 and put the number of vehicles at risk at 2,990. The repair is free for as long as the recall stands.
The defect
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2013-2014 Buick Encore all-wheel-drive vehicles manufactured August 23, 2012, to September 9, 2013; Verano vehicles manufactured August 8, 2012, to June 20, 2013; Chevrolet Cruze vehicles manufactured August 7, 2012, to August 16, 2013, and 2012-2014 Chevrolet Sonic vehicles manufactured May 10, 2011, to August 16, 2012 equipped with a Calix oil pan/block heater. In cold temperatures, the insulation on the engine block heater cord can become damaged, allowing the wires to be exposed.
The risk
Exposed wires increase the risk of electrical shock and personal injury if the cord is handled while it is plugged in.
The remedy
GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the engine oil pan/block heater cord with a new cord that is rated for temperatures of minus 40 degree Celsius. The recall began in August 2014. Owners may contact Buick customer service at 1-800-521-7300 or Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020. GM's number for this recall is 14257.
9 model years covered
Newest first| Vehicle | Complaints | Recalls | Fires | Crashes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 Buick Encore | 60 | 4 | 0 | 3 |
| 2014 Buick Verano | 101 | 6 | 1 | 3 |
| 2014 Chevrolet Cruze | 703 | 10 | 17 | 70 |
| 2014 Chevrolet Sonic | 150 | 4 | 4 | 11 |
| 2013 Buick Encore | 52 | 6 | 0 | 4 |
| 2013 Buick Verano | 107 | 3 | 1 | 4 |
| 2013 Chevrolet Cruze | 587 | 5 | 8 | 54 |
| 2013 Chevrolet Sonic | 217 | 6 | 4 | 24 |
| 2012 Chevrolet Sonic | 354 | 7 | 5 | 27 |
What this page is, and what to do next
A recall is not an opinion. It is a Part 573 report a manufacturer is required by federal law to file once it decides a defect poses an unreasonable risk to safety, and it commits them to repairing the vehicle at no cost to the owner. The three passages above are the manufacturer’s own wording as published by NHTSA.
This page describes the campaign. It cannot tell you whether one particular car has already been through the shop — that is tracked by VIN, and only the manufacturer knows it. Check yours at nhtsa.gov/recalls or with a franchised dealer, quoting campaign number 14V417000.
Full record for the 2014 Buick Encore → · Recalls carrying a do-not-drive advisory → · Where this data comes from →