GM Truck Recall 2019: Engine-Block Heaters Recalled For Possible Fire Hazard

GM will hand out profit sharing checks upwards of $10,750 to hourly workers despite laying off 4,000 employees recently. he General Motors logo on the world headquarters building is shown September 17, 2015 in Detroit, Michigan. Mary Barra, Chief Executive Officer of General Motors, and Mark Reuss, President of GM North America, held an Employee Town Hall Meeting and a question & answer session with the news media today to discuss GM's $900 million settlement with the Justice Department over GM's ignition switch recalls. Getty Images/Bill Pugliano

General Motors (GM) has issued a recall of its medium and heavy-duty diesel trucks that are outfitted with an engine-block heater. The recall was ordered because the engine-block heaters can cause a potential fire hazard.

GM made the recall after receiving 19 reports of fires from the component, which affects 368,000 trucks.

Truck models that are a part of the recall include the 2019 Chevrolet Silverado 4500, 5500, and 6500 trucks; the 2017 to 2019 Chevrolet Silverado; and GMC Sierra 2500 and 3500 trucks powered by a Duramax 6.6 L diesel engine and equipped with an optional engine-block heater.

According to GM, the engine block heater cord or the terminals of the heater can short circuit and fail, causing a fire. There have been no reports of injuries, accidents, or fatalities from the engine block heaters to date, NBC News reported.

GM is working on a solution to the engine-block heater issue and said it was in talks with the supplier to procure parts as quickly as possible to remedy the situation. The company stopped manufacturing trucks with the block heaters in late April, NBC News said.

GM issued the recall after a company engineer alerted the company to the problem after a warranty return, according to the news outlet.

Shares of GM stock were up 1.52 percent as of 3:40 p.m. ET on Friday.

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