General Motors is recalling 314,000 'minivans' in the United States after a fault was discovered in door latches.

The fault can cause the power sliding doors to fly open while the vehicle is moving, GM said.

The recall affects Chevrolet Venture, Oldsmobile Silhouette and Pontiac Trans Sport or Montana minivans.

It applies to vehicles built between 1997 and the present day.

GM said some of the vehicles had been recalled in April this year to fix a fault in the door mechanism.

The company said it had discovered that some replacement parts fitted in this first recall had faulty welding which could cause them to fail.

There have been no reports of accidents resulting from the fault.

General Motors has been offering interest free credit deals on new cars in the US, in an attempt to stimulate consumer interest in the wake of the 11 September terror attacks.