Pleasanton, CA – August 18, 2020 – General Motors (NYSE:GM) has recalled 7,071 Chevrolet Corvette vehicles whose controls fail to prevent them from developing high speeds despite an unlatched front trunk.
The trunk may then open while driving, increasing the risk of a crash. The recall includes 2020 Chevrolet Corvette vehicles.
Recall summary
Due to the lack of safety controls, these vehicles can develop high speeds despite having the front trunk unlatched.
The cause is multifold. First, thanks to a design flaw, drivers can accidentally press the front trunk release button on their key fob.
Second, the cars’ internal controls fail to limit the speed – allowing the vehicle to reach up to 82 miles-per-hour (mph) – despite detecting that the trunk is not securely closed.
Drivers will still receive audible and visual alerts telling them that the trunk is open.
What happens when the driver speeds up?
As the car reaches a higher speed, air resistance may force open the unlatched hood, blocking the driver’s front view.
Risks
Not being able to see in front of the vehicle creates a very high risk of a crash. The driver may not see traffic down the road and hit a vehicle from behind.
To prevent that from happening, drivers should pay attention to their warning system. When the hood is not properly latched, the driver will receive two different types of warnings.
They will first see an icon indicating an open hood on the instrument panel and hear a chime. Once the vehicle is put in drive and moves faster than 3 mph, the chime sounds repeatedly.
In spite of the warnings, the vehicle can be driven up to 82 mph with the hood unlatched. As the driver speeds up, air resistance may force open the unlatched hood.
The repair
GM’s upcoming software update will limit the affected vehicle’s speed to 26 mph when the hood is not latched.
The manufacturer is also going to re-design both the key fob and the “door trim switch and release button” inside the hood to reduce the risk of a driver inadvertently opening the hood with the fob.
The repair is expected to begin October 3, and is free of charge.
Is your vehicle part of this recall?
Over 7,000 vehicles are included in this Chevrolet recall. To see if your car is one of them, use MotorSafety’s free vehicle lookup tool.
