General Motors recalls vehicles with defective windshield wipers

General Motors recalls vehicles with defective windshield wipers

April 5, 2022 Senamile Nkosi , ,

Warren, MI – April 5, 2022 – General Motors (NYSE:GM) is recalling 681,509 vehicles with defective windshield wipers. This increases the risk of a crash.

The recall includes the following SUVs:

  • 2014 – 2015 Chevrolet Equinox
  • 2014 – 2015 GMC Terrain

Recall summary

The operation of the wipers is controlled by the windshield wipers’ module. In this recall, the ball joints – which are important for the movement of the various parts – in the module may rust and separate from their sockets due to what appears to be faulty design.

This means that when the windshield wipers may fail to perform obstructing the driver’s view.

Recall risks

The defect increases the risk of a crash or injury to the driver, passengers and other motorists.

Other recent GM recalls

Last month, there was a GMC Terrain recall that involved the 2010-2017 model-years due to blinding headlights, as reported.

In September 2021, there was a Chevrolet Equinox recall due to the risk of loss of vehicle control because of faulty tires. The recall also included GMC Terrain SUVs, as reported.

In August 2021, there was a Chevrolet recall. The recall – that encompassed Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra vehicles – was necessitated by faulty airbags whose inflators may rupture at any point even when there is no crash.

Repair

To resolve the issue, dealers will replace the front windshield wiper module free of charge. Owners who have already paid for the repairs out of pocket will be reimbursed. Letters with more information will be sent to the drivers starting May 2, 2022. 

Is your vehicle part of this recall?

Over 680,000 Chevrolet and GMC vehicles are included in this recall. To do a GM recall check, please, use MotorSafety’s free vehicle lookup tool.

Senamile NkosiGeneral Motors recalls vehicles with defective windshield wipers
General Motors issues third recall for Buick and Chevrolet due to suspension issues

General Motors issues third recall for Buick and Chevrolet due to suspension issues

January 15, 2022 Bojan Popic , ,

Warren, MI – January 15, 2022 – General Motors (NYSE:GM), that owns both Chevrolet and Buick brands, is recalling 4,271 sedans in 23 states whose rear suspensions may break, increasing the risk of a crash and injury. This is an expansion of two previous recalls conducted by the manufacturer. Vehicles that are part of this recall include:

  • 2010 – 2013 Buick Lacrosse
  • 2010 – 2013 Buick Regal
  • 2013 Chevrolet Malibu

Recall summary  

All recalled vehicles have an identical rear suspension assembly. A part of that assembly is a toe link, which holds the wheels straight. In affected vehicles, this component was coated with insufficient anti-corrosion protection. As a result, this link may corrode and subsequently fracture due to exposure to road salt. 

This recall only affects vehicles that were sold or registered in the so-called “Salt Belt” states, which regularly use salt on the roads to de-ice them. 

The component in question is the “Rear Suspension Toe Link” with part numbers 13219171 and 22924230, built by Shanghai Huizhong Automotive Manufacturing.

Recall risks

For risks of this recall, please visit this article about a previous recall for the same issue conducted in August 2020.

Background of the recall

This recall is an expansion of two previous recalls that were conducted in December 2020 and August of 2021. It is occurring because, during the course of its investigation conducted leading up to the last recall, GM discovered that the defective links were installed in a wider population of vehicles than previously thought.

Other General Motors recalls 

Cadillac, Chevrolet and Yukon SUVs were subject to an October recall due to the risk of stalling while driving.

The last 2012 Buick Lacrosse recall was conducted in 2014 because of the driver seat that may unexpectedly drop, upping the risk of a crash.

The repair

To fix the issue, dealers will replace the suspected toe links and realign the rear suspension. Notifications about this replacement will be sent to vehicle owners on February 7, 2022. All repairs will be done free-of-charge.

Is your vehicle part of this recall?

This GM Toe Link recall is affecting more than 4,000 Chevrolet and Buick sedans. To do a GM recall check and see if your car is one of them, use MotorSafety’s free vehicle lookup tool.

Bojan PopicGeneral Motors issues third recall for Buick and Chevrolet due to suspension issues
General Motors recalls over 33,000 cars over risk of flat tires

General Motors recalls over 33,000 cars over risk of flat tires

March 11, 2021 Rebecca Rand , , , ,

Warren, MI – March 11, 2021 – General Motors  (NYSE:GM) has recalled 33,838 vehicles whose tires may rupture out on the road. The recall includes the following models:

  • 2020 Buick Enclave
  • 2020 Cadillac Escalade
  • 2020 Cadillac Escalade ESV
  • 2020 Cadillac XT4
  • 2020 Cadillac XT5
  • 2019-2020 Chevrolet Blazer
  • 2018-2021 Chevrolet Express
  • 2019-2020 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
  • 2020 Chevrolet Suburban
  • 2020 Chevrolet Tahoe
  • 2020 Chevrolet Traverse
  • 2019-2020 GMC Acadia
  • 2018-2021 GMC Savana
  • 2019-2020 GMC Sierra 1500
  • 2020 GMC Yukon
  • 2020 GMC Yukon XL

Recall summary  

Before being placed in service, tires are “cured,” or given final shape, using a mold and a rubber “bladder.” The tires in question were accidentally cured for longer than necessary, making them prone to rupture and failure.

While the tires are being recalled by GM, they are part of a larger problem with Continental brand tires. This recall expands an earlier GM recall in November 2020 and includes more models that may be equipped with defective tires.

In its turn, Mercedes-Benz has also just announced that it would inspect over 2,500 cars due to the same issue. To read about warning signs that may indicate that the tires are defective, please see the recent article we wrote about that recall.

Risks

The defective tires may suddenly go flat. Additionally, the outer tread – which is the part that touches the road –  could separate from the rest of the tire. Both conditions could cause the driver to lose control of the car and crash.

The repair

GM dealers will inspect and, if necessary,  replace vehicles’ tires for free. Notifications with more information will be sent to owners around April 12.

Recent Chevrolet recalls, GMC recalls

GM recalled nearly 6 million vehicles equipped with potentially dangerous Takata airbags in February. The airbags’ inflators may break apart after a crash and kill or injure the occupants of the car with sharp metal fragments.

The recall spanned several GM brands, including Chevrolet and GMC. 

Is your vehicle part of this recall?

Over 33,000 vehicles are included in this GM recall. To see if your [type of vehicle] is one of them, use MotorSafety’s free vehicle lookup tool.

Rebecca RandGeneral Motors recalls over 33,000 cars over risk of flat tires
General Motors continues recall of heavy duty pickups with faulty seat belts

General Motors continues recall of heavy duty pickups with faulty seat belts

January 5, 2021 Rebecca Rand ,

Warren, MI – January 5, 2021 – General Motors (NYSE:GM) is continuing  a recall of 38,048 heavy-duty trucks that were built with the driver- and front passenger-side seat belt parts meant for other cars. The recall includes the following pickup trucks:

  • 2017-2018 Chevrolet Silverado 2500 and 3500
  • 2017-2018 GMC Sierra 2500 and 3500

The name of the affected component is Retractor ASM-F/Seat Belt with part numbers 84253641, 84253686, 84234013 and 84234008.

Recall summary  

The recall concerns the seat belt torsion bars, which help the seat belt hold a passenger during a crash and protect him or her from an upper body injury. The bars a supplier of General Motors (GM) installed in these vehicle models in the seat belt retractors were the wrong size and had not gone through crash testing.  These bars are typically used in “other full-size trucks,” according to GM.

Continuation of the 2017 recall

This is a continuation of a recall that was originally announced in September 2017. A month after starting the original recall GM petitioned the auto industry regulator – the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) – to be released from going through with the recall, based on the belief that the different seat belt part would be “inconsequential” to safety. 

The regulator disagreed and denied GM’s petition in November 2020. Between fall of 2017 and spring of 2019, the automaker recalled and fixed over 10,000 cars.

Other Chevy Silverado recalls

A different model year of Chevy Silverado 2500 is subject to a recent recall launched on the back of faulty airbag end caps that may fly off and injure or distract the car occupants. 2020-2021 Silverado 2500 and 3500, as well as GMC Sierra 2500 and 3500 trucks, are involved in another seat belt recall, also as reported. The seat belts on these cars may similarly fail to protect the driver and passengers due to being loose.

Risks

A seat belt meant for another car may not work as expected. This can lead to an injury or death for the car’s  driver and passengers.

Read more about seat belt safety in this Chrysler seat belt recall article.

The repair

GM will replace the seat belt retractor with one with the correct size torsion bar, free of charge. GM began notifying owners on December 28, but the repair will not be available until after March 17. 

Is your vehicle part of this recall?

Over 38,000 vehicles are part of this GM recall. To see if your car is one of them, use MotorSafety’s free vehicle lookup tool.

Rebecca RandGeneral Motors continues recall of heavy duty pickups with faulty seat belts
General Motors ordered to recall 5.9 million cars equipped with Takata airbags

General Motors ordered to recall 5.9 million cars equipped with Takata airbags

December 3, 2020 Rebecca Rand , , , ,

Pleasanton, CA – December, 3 2020 – The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has ordered General Motors (NYSE:GM) to recall 5,888,421 pickup trucks and SUVs built with potentially dangerous Takata airbag inflators, which could explode and fling deadly shrapnel into vehicle occupants. The infamous airbag inflators have already killed 27 people and injured at least 250 more, and are part of the largest auto recall in history. The latest installment of the recall – which already encompasses 19 car manufacturers and “tens of millions” of cars – includes the following GM models on the GMT900 platform: 

  • 2007-2014 Cadillac Escalade ESV and EXT SUVs
  • 2007-2014 Chevrolet Avalanche pickups
  • 2007-2014 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 and 2500/3500 pickups
  • 2007-2014 Chevrolet Suburban SUVs
  • 2007-2014 Chevrolet Tahoe SUVs
  • 2007-2014 GMC Sierra 1500 and 2500/3500 pickups
  • 2007-2014 GMC Yukon XL SUVs

Recall summary

The recall concerns the vehicles’ passenger-side airbag inflators. The inflators use ammonium nitrate to generate a small explosion to inflate the airbags. If this volatile chemical is exposed to heat and humidity, it becomes porous. The extra surface area in this microscopic swiss-cheese allows the ammonium nitrate to burn faster, thus causing a much stronger explosion than intended. This explosion can blow up the inflator and send bits of shrapnel flying into vehicle occupants at high speeds, potentially maiming or killing them.

NHTSA first ordered GM to recall the affected cars in 2016. The company had recalled 330,198 vehicles on the GMT900 platform in May 2015, but argued that the rest of vehicles that are now being recalled should be excluded because the airbag defect was “inconsequential.” This argument was rejected by NHTSA on November 23. Despite disagreeing with the decision,  GM said it would not appeal.

‘Almost no data’ to back up claims

NHTSA consulted air-bag chemical expert Harold Blomquist regarding these findings, who rebutted GM’s many claims that unique design features could prevent their inflators from exploding. “GM expended little effort over the last two years to methodically study the claimed features in order to substantiate their effectiveness,” he said in his 75-page review of GM’s petition. As a result, Blomquist said, GM had “almost no data” to back up their claims that their Takata airbags were somehow less dangerous.

Previous Takata airbag recalls

Automakers have been issuing ever-expanding recalls of Takata airbags for seven years, with 100 million inflators recalled worldwide. Volkswagen, BMW and Honda all recalled cars this and past year because of the airbag issue.

Repair

GM will replace the Takata airbags with a different model, free of charge. More information about the recall schedule should be released by December 24. 

What to do if you own a recalled vehicle

NHTSA has issued a few broad recommendations for drivers in the Takata recall population:

  1. Don’t have your dealer disable your airbags. “It is much more likely that your airbag will perform properly and protect you in a crash than cause harm,” NHTSA says.
  2. “If you feel uncomfortable continuing to drive your vehicle before it is repaired, you should contact your dealer to see if they will provide a loaner until the repair is completed,” NHTSA says. Dealers and manufacturers aren’t required to provide loaners, but it can’t hurt to ask. 
  3. If you’re offered an interim repair, take it. Some automakers will offer to replace the old Takatas with newer ones, which are safer. “It is an inconvenience to have your vehicle serviced twice and to wait for a final repair,” NHTSA says, “But rejecting an interim replacement air bag is not worth the continued higher risk of injury or even death to you, your family, and your friends while waiting for the final repair.”

Some automakers have advised riders not to sit in the front passenger seat. 

Here is the list of vehicles that NHTSA says should NOT be driven.

Is your vehicle part of this recall?

Nearly 6 million vehicles are included in this GM Takata Airbag recall. Use MotorSafety’s free lookup tool to see if your vehicle is affected. 

Rebecca RandGeneral Motors ordered to recall 5.9 million cars equipped with Takata airbags
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