GM Faces Probe of Minivans

General Motors Corp. faces a U.S. investigation and potential recall of 1.1 million minivans because passengers may suffer injuries if a power side door traps their arms, a federal agency said Tuesday.

The review covers 1998 through 2004 models of the Chevrolet Venture, Oldsmobile Silhouette and Pontiac Montana, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said on its website. The agency said it received reports of 19 arm or wrist injuries.

Passengers can be hurt if they are holding the handle of the power sliding door as it moves backward, the agency said. The complaints received by NHTSA said riders in the middle row of seats were hurt when their arms or wrists were jammed into the seat back. The power door is optional equipment.

General Motors, is cooperating with the agency, company spokesman Jim Schell said.

Also, NHTSA said it had intensified a probe into faulty turn signals in 256,205 GM cars. The vehicles targeted in its engineering analysis are the 2003 Chevrolet Cavalier and Pontiac Sunfire.

Bloomberg News and Reuters were used in compiling this report.