General Motors is issuing a recall on 193,652 SUVs for a possible short in a circuit board that could potentially cause a fire.

The affected vehicles are all from the 2006 and 2007 model years and include the Chevrolet Trailblazer (EXT included), GMC Envoy (XL included), Buick Rainier, Saab 9-7x, and the Isuzu Ascender. The issue centers around a circuit board located in the driver’s door that could corrode from water getting into the driver’s side door. If the board shorts out, the power door and window switches may stop working according to the American automaker. Even worse, the circuit board can overheat, leading to smoke or fire.

General Motors is advising owners of the affected vehicles to park them outside until they can be repaired. The automaker will be notifying affected owners and dealerships will repair the vehicles for free.

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Sometimes automakers have holes in their line-up bigger than Van Halen did in 1985. Due to a lack of time, resources or manufacturing facilities, the company looks for a quick fix. The solution? Grab a vehicle from another company that fills the void and rebrand it as their own. But like Wade Boggs in a New York Yankees uniform, these rebadged vehicles never look quite right. And, like any decision made by cobbling together bits and pieces from here and there, it doesn’t always work.

In the world of rebadging, Australian General Motors division Holden is king. The company will rebadge anything and everything for the Australian market. Since Holden could have a top ten list entirely their own, we’ll skip them. Instead, let’s focus on vehicles most in North America will recognise in either current or rebadged form. We are not talking platform engineered cars within a company or ones co-developed between two companies, but rather vehicle rebrand jobs that seem to come out of left field and are thinly disguised.

General Motors and Isuzu are mulling over the possibility of jointly developing a new pickup truck, according to an announcement by GM made today. 

The makers haven’t reached a decision yet, but they signed a memorandum of understanding today to begin negotiations. Formalization for the partnership, according to Japanese newspaper Nikkei, is expected later this month when brand bosses Susumu Hosoi and Dan Akerson meet in person.

This isn’t the first time in recent history that the two have collaborated — they also worked together to build the previous version of the Chevrolet Colorado mid-sized pickup truck.

SEE ALSO: New Chevrolet Colorado Two Years Away for North America

Of course, the new Colorado is already on its way, although not expected for the North American market for more than another year.

Business history between the two companies stretched all the way back to 1971 when GM acquired a stake in the Japanese company that eventually grew to 49 percent in 1999. That tie-up ended in 2006, but not the two seem to be dancing again.

Details on what kind of truck the two companies are considering building together are still unannounced, but a compact truck that likely wouldn’t see U.S. sale seems reasonable given the Colorado’s impending arrival.

[Source: Automotive News]

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Over 249,000 SUVs are being recalled for a possible fire risk with the window and door lock switches for vehicles sold or registered in 20 states and Washington, D.C. where salt and other chemicals are used to clear roads in the winter.

The affected vehicles are all model years 2006-2007 Chevrolet Trailblazer, GMC Envoy, Isuzu Ascender, Saab 97-X, and Buick Rainier. According to GM, a circuit board can short as a result of fluids leaking in, causing the power door and window switches to possibly catch on fire. There have been reports of fires related to the recall, but no injuries have been reported.

Owners of the affected vehicles can take their SUVs to local dealerships to have the switches replaced for free. Letters will be sent out shortly so that owners can schedule their appointments.

Isuzu is recalling about 11,221 Amigo and Rodeo Sport vehicles due to possible corrosion of the forward mounting bracket for the left or right rear lower suspension link. 

The recall affects model year 1998-2001 Amigos and 2002 Rodeo Sports that are currently registered in certain North-Eastern states (see list below). If the lower link bracket becomes detached from the frame, it can cause loss of vehicle handling which can lead to a collision.

Owners will be notified by the company, and will need to bring their vehicles in to an Isuzu dealership to have them inspected. If little to no corrosion is found, the area will be treated with and anti-corrosive compound. If the corrosion has already done some damage, a reinforcement bracket will be installed. If the corrosion is so severe that nothing can be done, the company will buy back the vehicle for an amount based on the Kelley Blue Book  ”private party” price.

If the vehicle in question is over ten years old, Isuzu will only provide free of charge service if it is brought in to a dealer within 12 months of the owner being notified.  For more information, owners can contact Isuzu at 800 255-6727.

Only vehicles originally purchased in, or registered in one of the following states are affected by the recall:

Maine

New Hampshire

Vermont

Massachusetts

Rhode Island

Connecticut

New York

New Jersey

Pennsylvania

Delaware

Maryland

Washington D.C.

West Virginia

Ohio

Indiana

Michigan

Illinois

Wisconsin

Minnesota

Iowa

Missouri

Kentucky

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) announced that it closed the investigations surrounding possible fires on the Volkswagen Passat and cracked cooling fans on various GM trucks without issuing a recall or fines to either automaker.

Originally the 2002-03 model year Passats were under investigation for possible ignition coil fires in July 2010 but things didn’t stop there. In January 2011, the investigation was upgraded to include 2001-07 VW Passat models with the four-cylinder, turbocharged engine. There were 135 unique fire engine reports attributed to the coil-on plugs, but after a thorough investigation there was no safety-related defect identified, so the investigation closed.

Unfortunately the investigation closure alone doesn’t ensure the absence of a defect. NHTSA will continue to monitor the issue to see if further action needs to be taken. None of the fires reached beyond the engine bay and no reports of crashes or injury were related to the 135 incidents.

GM on the other hand, got a thumbs-up after NHTSA looked into the cracked cooling fans on GMT-560 series of trucks. Those trucks span models from Chevrolet, GMC and Isuzu including the 4500 and 5000 medium-duty trucks. Even though NHTSA said that it “remains concerned about the potential for injury,” at the current time it can’t find the cause for the issue and that the complaints are “small and diminishing.”

Not exactly comforting, but we also know NHTSA would issue a recall if the organization saw fit to do so.

With Volkswagen‘s recent tie-up with Suzuki not going so well, a new report suggests the German auto giant may look to partner or acquire another Japanese company in its bid to become the world’s largest automaker.

Rather than put a focus on small passenger cars, however, this tie-up would explore furthering VW’s commercial truck empire. An article in Manager Magazin cites a possibility that VW’s MAN truck division (30 percent owner by VW) could look to acquire a part or all of Isuzu.

MAN has refused comment on the matter, while Volkswagen has dismissed it entirely.

Currently, VW sits as a distant 3rd in the race to be the world’s largest automaker with GM in second place and Toyota in first.

[Source: Reuters]

After almost three decades of selling cars and trucks in North American, Isuzu has announced that it will stop selling its two models as of January 31st, 2009 and cease light-vehicle operations on this continent.

The news was not exactly a surprise as Isuzu’s remaining two models are based on General Motors platforms that are no longer being manufactured. The Ascender SUV is based on the Chevrolet Trailblazer/GMC Envoy XL and the i-290/i-370 pickup truck is based on the Chevrolet Colorado/GMC Canyon.

Isuzu sold just 4,758 vehicles in 2008, down from 7,098 in 2007 and a far cry from the company’s record 123,565 vehicles in 1987.

The company has said it will support current owners with parts and service. Isuzu’s North American commercial truck business will not be effected.

[Source Kelly Blue Book & Motor Trend]