Australian Automaker Recalls 86,000 Cars

MELBOURNE, Australia -

Australian automaker GM Holden Ltd. has recalled 86,000 cars sold in Australia, the Middle East, New Zealand and Brazil because of a risk that an engine bay fuel leak could cause a fire, a company spokesman said Tuesday.

The cars made by the General Motors Corp. subsidiary in 2006 and 2007 are known in Australia and New Zealand as VE Commodore and WM Commodore, as Chevrolet Lumina and Chevrolet Caprice in the Middle East and in Brazil, Chevrolet Omega, spokesman John Lindsay said.

A variation sold in the United States as the Pontiac G8 was not recalled because its layout under the hood was different, he said.

Lindsay said the recall was a precaution to prevent a potential fuel leak under the hood caused by a fuel line rubbing against a clip on an adjacent hose.

"The chances of this happening are very low, but obviously we are erring on the side of caution," he said.

The company will cover repair costs but has refused to put a figure on it.

The recall includes 53,000 cars sold in Australia, 27,000 in the Middle East, 5,000 in New Zealand and 784 in Brazil.