It was a simple idea, create a system that heats windshield washer fluid to speed up the process of melting snow and ice off windshields. In stepped Microheat with it’s HotShot system. In September though, General Motors was forced to recall about 944,000 vehicles equipped with the HotShot system because of concerns over electrical fires. GM has subsequently stopped using Microheat’s system, forcing Microheat to cease almost all production and close the company doors permanently. Now the fight is going to the lawyers, GM is suing Microheat for the cost of the recall, which is reported to be in the $20 million to $25 million range. But Microheat is pointing out the fact that GM still owes them 3.7 million for parts and tooling.
By November 1, dealers should have the parts to fix the problem, free of charge, by adding a wiring harness with an inline fuse. Vehicles affected are between 2006-2008 model years and include the Buick Lucerne and Enclave, the Cadillac DTS and Escalade, the GMC Yukon, Sierra and Acadia, the Saturn Outlook, the Hummer H2, and the Chevy Silverado, Avalanche, Tahoe, and Suburban.
Posted on 09.2.2010