General Motors has issued a recall for 2010 and 2011 models of the Buick Lucerne and the Cadillac DTS. At issue is a wiring flaw, which could result in the loss of power steering -- or worse.
The recall applies only to those 13,780 vehicles equipped with V8 engines. According to a bulletin from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration: "The starter or alternator cable is in contact with the power steering return line. If either the starter or alternator cable is contacting the power steering return line, the cable could wear through the line, causing a power steering fluid leak."
Translation: over time, drivers could lose power steering fluid, which would make the vehicles harder to steer, increasing the risk of accidents. In a worst-case scenario, the fluid could leak onto hot parts of the engine, which could start a fire. Neither is good.
From the weirdly worded bulletin, we can't tell if the wiring is consistently faulty in all affected vehicles or if it's a bit more random. Until the NHTSA finds someone to proofread its bulletins, owners of these four models should call their local dealer, who will secure the errant wires free of charge or reroute them, if necessary.
If you have further questions, call Cadillac at 866-982-2339, Buick at 866-608-8080, or visit www..GMOwnerCenter.com. (Be sure to reference GM recall #10351.) Alternately, you can ring the NHTSA at 888-327-4236.
[NHTSA]
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