GM recalling pickups after engine block heaters catch fire

General Motors is recalling over 368,000 pickups and other trucks worldwide after 19 reports of fires caused by engine block heater cords.

The recall covers certain 2019 Chevrolet Silverado 4500, 5500 and 6500 trucks, as well as the 2017 through 2019 Chevrolet Silverado 2500 and 3500 and GMC Sierra 2500 and 3500. All have GM's 6.6-litre diesel engines and an optional engine block heater used in colder climates.

The recall affects 40,457 vehicles in Canada.

The company said Friday that the electric heater cord or the terminals connecting the cord to the heater could short-circuit and fail. That can cause fires. No injuries have been reported.

GM is still trying to find the cause of the problem and develop a fix. It's asking customers not to use engine block heaters until further notice.

GM's internal investigation began after a company engineer submitted a report in December to the company's "Speak up for Safety" program after inspecting an engine-block heater recovered from a warranty return.

GM stopped building trucks with the optional combination late last month.