GM Recalls 69,000 Vehicles over Roll-Away Defect Only Weeks after Hood Latch Recall
General Motors Co has announced a new GM recall of some of its most popular vehicles because of two potential defects affecting 69,000 model year 2013 full sized trucks and vans, including Cadillac, Chevrolet, and GMC models.
The defects in the GM recall include a faulty park lock cable, or a defective gear in the steering column, either of which could allow the vehicle to roll away unexpectedly, and while the driver is not in the vehicle. GM believes the defective components were installed in one of every thousand vehicles, and said that most of the recalled vehicles are either in transit to dealerships or still on dealer lots, Reuters reports.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), the vehicles involved in the GM recall were manufactured between November 7, 2012 through December 18, 2012 and include:
- Cadillac 2013 Escalade/Escalade ESV/Escalade EXT
- Chevrolet 2013 Avalanche/Express/Silverado/Suburban/Tahoe
- MC 2013 Savana/Sierra/Yukon/Yukon XL
The NHTSA recall summary said, “The vehicles may have been built with a fractured park lock cable or a malformed steering column lock actuator gear in the lock module assembly.”
The defective components in the GM recall may allow the vehicle to be shifted from Park with the ignition key in the ‘off’ position or when the key is removed. The vehicle may also be able to be shifted out of ‘park’ while the ignition key is in the ‘off’ position when the brake pedal is depressed. Finally, the ignition key could be switched to the ‘off’ position and removed without the transmission being in ‘park’. Each of these scenarios could allow the vehicle to roll-away while unattended.
GM has reported no accidents or injuries related to this GM recall, and will begin notifying owners of the recall on January 22, 2013. GM dealers will inspect the vehicles and replace the steering column if it has the defective components, free of charge. Chevrolet owners may call 1-800-630-2438. Cadillac owners may call 1-866-982-2339. GMC owners may call 1-866-996-9463. General Motors’ number for this recall is 12331.
Unfortunately, the latest GM recall comes only weeks after GM issued a recall for 145,628 Chevrolet Colorado and GMC Canyon pickup trucks because of a missing secondary hood latch that could allow the hood to open while the vehicle in use if the primary latch is not engaged. The vehicles involved in the GM recall were manufactured from November 9, 2009, through August 28, 2012. According to Reuters, GM reported only four cases of vehicles missing the secondary latch, and no known accidents or injuries have been attributed to the missing component.
The NHTSA safety summary says GM issued the recall for model year 2010 to 2012 Chevrolet Colorado and GMC Canyon pickup trucks, and began notifying dealers of the recall in December 2012. Reuters reports that truck owners will be notified of the GM recall by mail starting January 17, 2013. Dealers will replace the hood of vehicles missing the secondary latch, free of charge. Owners may contact Chevrolet at 1-800-630-2438 or GMC at 1-866-996-9463. GM’s number for this campaign is 12319.
The Ohio personal injury lawyers at Wright & Schulte LLC are dedicated to aggressively standing up for victims’ rights. Victims of personal injury or auto accidents due to a recalled vehicle are strongly encouraged to consult with the trusted personal injury attorneys at Wright & Schulte, LLC to receive a professional, thorough assessment of their case at no upfront cost to them.
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