Detroit, MI — April 11, 2015 — A defective feature doesn’t have to be essential to lead to a recall. Even the seemingly ornamental or luxury aspects of a major car brand could contribute to a major response action. The Detroit Free Press has reported on a General Motors recall that pertains specifically to a series of Chevrolet Malibu sedans made between 2013 and 2015. The source of the recall is an issue with the vehicles’ sunroof controls, which leads to them closing accidentally after minor amounts of contact.
While the average consumer might not consider a sunroof problem to be a major security concern, and there have reportedly been no complaints related to this bug, Slash Gear’s Brittany Hillen writes that the overly sensitive switches could violate national vehicle guidelines.
“This is a problem because auto makers are required to meet certain federal standards with switches and buttons — if they’re too sensitive, it could pose a safety hazard depending on which part of the vehicle the switch controls,” Hillen writes.
Around 92,000 vehicles have been targeted by the recall in the United States and Canada, and dealers will fix the problem by recalibrating the sunroof controls in affected vehicles. Owners who need this done will be able to bring their cars to the appropriate locations and have them taken care of there.
All features that don’t pass government approval, from the large to the small, need a clear path to repair that is easy on the consumer, the dealer and all parties that could be related. When such a recall comes from a major manufacturer, as well, there has to be a far-reaching message that influences industry behavior in a positive way. Furthermore, failure to respond to a recall could land certain parties in legal trouble.
