November 3, 2003
Federal regulators have opened an investigation into about 400,000 General Motors luxury cars after 69 reports of fuel leaks near the engine, including six fires and one injury.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) said its investigation covers Oldsmobile Aurora sedans and Cadillac Seville, Deville and Eldorado cars built between model years 1995 and 1997 with V-8 engines. NHTSA said about a third of the complaints cite gasoline leaks from small holes in the fuel rail.
One driver suffered first degree burns on the hands following an engine fire, a GM spokesman said.
Under the investigation, NHTSA will ask GM for data it has collected on similar complaints. If NHTSA finds the data suggest a defect, it will upgrade its investigation to an engineering analysis, which can lead to a recall.
