GM recalls cars because of blinding headlights

Warren, MI January 1, 2023 – General Motors (NYSE:GM), which owns Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, and GMC brands, is recalling 740,108 cars, SUVs, and trucks, whose daytime running lights may not deactivate when the headlights are on.  This may blind other motorists, increasing the chances of a crash and injury.  

This recall expands a previous recall conducted for the same reason late last year.

The lengthy list of affected vehicles includes: 

  • 2021 – 2023 Buick Envision
  • 2020 – 2023 Cadillac CT4
  • 2020 – 2023 Cadillac CT5
  • 2022 – 2023 Cadillac Escalade 
  • 2022 – 2023 Cadillac Escalade ESV
  • 2022 – 2023 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
  • 2022 – 2023 Chevrolet Suburban 
  • 2022 – 2023 Chevrolet Tahoe 
  • 2022 – 2023 GMC Sierra 1500
  • 2022 – 2023 GMC Yukon 
  • 2022 – 2023 GMC Yukon XL

Recall summary  

Daytime running lights are a part of a headlight cluster that, as their name would suggest, increases a vehicle’s visibility during the day. These lights, however, shut off as soon as the headlights are turned off. If not, they may create a glare, which could be blinding to other motorists.

Due to a software error, the DRL lights on affected vehicles may fail to disengage once the headlights are turned on

The component causing this recall is the body control module, with part numbers differing depending on the make and model. Some of them include 13534824, 13534861 or 13542151. 

Background of the recall

The 2021 model-years of some of the cars above were recalled in November of last year due to the same issue. Before that recall was announced, GM started an investigation to determine if additional vehicles were affected. As a result of that investigation, the current recall came into life.

Recall risks

Risks caused by blinding headlights were covered in detail in the previous GM recall.  

Other GM recalls

Just a month ago, GM recalled more than 300,000 SUVs over a similar issue, which was also one of the latest Chevrolet Tahoe recalls.

Back in September 2022, GM recalled nearly 100,000 compact SUVs because their rearview cameras could have failed to show an image when backing up

The repair

Dealers will install a software update to affected vehicles. The repair is free of charge. 

Vehicle owners will be notified on January 23, 2023. 

Is your vehicle part of this recall?

This GM daytime running lights recall affects almost three-quarters of a million vehicles. To do a GM recall check and see if yours is one of them, use MotorSafety’s free vehicle lookup tool.

Bojan PopicGM recalls cars because of blinding headlights