GM Recalls Aveo in UAE

DUBAI, July 18, 2007; Reuters reported that General Motors recalled about 1,500 of its Chevrolet Aveo sedan cars in the United Arab Emirates because of a fault that may cause the fuel line to crack in a head-on collision, a distributor said on Thursday.

General Motors informed Dubai-based distributor Al Yousuf Motors that 1,000 of the Aveos it sold may have the defect and needed to be recalled, Al Yousuf Managing Director Bill Ryan told Reuters in Dubai.

The Aveos come from one plant and were built this year, Ryan said, without being more specific.

"In the event of a head-on collision -- a severe one -- the fuel line could snap, with the risk that it could ignite a fire," Ryan said.

A further 488 cars in the UAE, a federation of seven family-ruled territories, have been affected by the recall, Ryan said.

General Motors informed Al Yousuf of the defect in June, "perhaps earlier", Ryan said.

Of the 1,000 vehicles, 588 had been inspected and, where the defect was found, fixed by the end of last week, Ryan said.

The recall also affected Aveos sold in Oman and Qatar, he said.