When operating your vehicle’s heating and cooling system, one probably doesn’t fathom a scenario in which simply turning on that function could set the car ablaze.  But that’s exactly what several owners of Hummer SUVs say happened to them.

The New York Times reports that General Motors plans to recall 196,000 Hummer vehicles after receiving several reports of fires, including three that resulted in minor burns.

In all, the recall covers 165,000 model year 2006 to 2010 Hummer H3 and model year 2009 to 2010 H3T.

The company says the issue is related to an electrical part in the heating and cooling system that can overheat and cause a fire inside the dashboard.

More than 20 consumers have submitted complaints to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration regarding the problem since at least 2008.

“Was traveling through a parking lot, noticed a glow from the corner of my eye, and something dripped from under the passenger glovebox,” one complaint states. “There was a funny smell. I immediately stopped and told my passenger to get out and noticed a fire under the passenger glovebox.”

“Pulling into my stepson’s school, I began to smell and see smoke,” another Hummer owner writes to NHTSA. “When I got closer to the parking area, sparks began to fall from underneath the right passenger dash. I immediately parked the care and ran around to the right passenger side and opened the door… I have searched online and found that this is a common reoccurring problem with Hummers and there are many reports similar to my experience.”

Nearly 200,000 Hummers Recalled After Fires Are Reported to G.M. [The New York Times]

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