General Motors->ke1024 is in the process of beginning a global recall of GM cars and trucks over what is feared to be a glitch in the cars' and trucks' windshield wiper fluid heating system. According to GM, the malfunction could potentially lead to the system igniting a fire and, as such, the company is doing a pre-emptive strike on the dangerous issue by recalling over 1.53 million vehicles all over the world.

Among the brands that fall under this massive recall include Buick->ke17, Cadillac->ke18, Chevrolet->ke199, GMC->ke32, Hummer->ke35, and Saturn->ke77 models.

This isn't the first time General Motors has diagnosed a potential problem in their vehicles' fluid heating system. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, GM faced a similar problem two years ago when fires resulting from an electrical short cut in the system were reported.

And to make things worse for the company, their supplier, Micro-Heat, is already out of business after having filed for bankruptcy in 2008, which, incidentally was shortly after GM decided to drop them as a supplier after the first recall happened.

So what exactly happens to all of these 1.53 million vehicles (1.36 million of them are in the US)? GM will be permanently disabling and will be completely removing the heated-washer fluid module from all the affected vehicles. On top of that, they're also giving each affected owner a $100 refund for taking out the module completely.

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