FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                         ENR
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 3, 1996                         (202) 616-2765
                                               TDD (202) 514-1888
                                               EPA (202) 260-1384

The U.S. Department of Justice and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency today announced that General Motors Corporation (GM) will begin notifying Cadillac owners this week that they are recalling most Cadillacs with 4.9 liter engines manufactured between 1991 and 1995. The recall, which will potentially affect 587,000 vehicles, will enable GM to replace a computer chip in the emission control system that causes carbon monoxide emissions up to three times the legal limit when the climate control system is used. The new engine computer chip will reduce by more than 50% the carbon monoxide emitted by the Cadillacs when the climate control system is operated. GM has tested the new computer chip and determined that it will not affect the cars' driveability.

Last November, GM agreed to recall the vehicles to settle the government's claims that they were violating the Clean Air Act. The settlement, approved by U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia in April, also required GM to pay $11 million in civil penalties and to spend an additional $7.05 million on projects that reduce air pollution from automobiles.

The chip to be replaced was installed in 4.9 liter Cadillacs after customers complained of stalling and other driveability problems. While the chip addressed the driveability problems, it led to so much extra fuel being burned that the car's catalytic converter could not clean up the excess pollutants created by the engine.

"This is an opportunity for Cadillac owners to make a real contribution to cleaner air," said Lois Schiffer, Assistant Attorney General for the Environment and Natural Resources Division. "We urge all of the affected Cadillac owners to take their cars in to their dealers as soon as possible."

"This is a tangible example of how federal enforcement efforts benefit public health and the environment," said Steve Herman, EPA Assistant Administrator for Enforcement and Compliance Assurance. "With a successful recall, at least 120,000 fewer tons of carbon monoxide will be emitted into the air over the next five years. This is a real plus for the health of the American people."

Owners of the affected Cadillacs should receive a letter from GM asking them to bring the car into their local Cadillac dealership to have the fix performed free of charge. The time needed to perform the fix should be less than forty minutes.