Chevy Silverado and GMC Sierra 2500-3500 Hoods Fly Open

A simple heat treating mistake.

General Motors is recalling 2020 Chevrolet Silverado 2500 and 3500 and GMC Sierra 2500 and 3500 pickup trucks. The hood-latch striker wires may not have been heat-treated properly by Motor City Stamping in Chesterfield MI. This can cause them to fracture allowing the hood to fly open. GM says it is not aware of any field claims alleging that a striker wire fractured.

On October 29, 2019, while conducting durability testing, engineers at GM’s Milford Proving Grounds identified a fractured hood-latch striker wire on a company-owned 2020 model year GMC Sierra 2500 truck. The issue was reported to GM’s Speak Up for Safety program on October 31, 2019. In November 2019, Milford engineers identified a second GM test vehicle with a fracture at the base of the hood-latch striker wire. On December 17, 2019, GM opened a formal product investigation.

Hardness testing on the striker wire recovered from the first durability vehicle confirmed that the wire’s metal hardness was significantly higher than GM’s specifications. On January 30, 2020, GM’s hood striker-assembly supplier informed GM that it used an alternate supplier to heat treat two batches of striker wires in January 2019, and that the supplier failed to properly heat treat these wires. Before receiving this information, GM believed that any material issue with the striker wires was fully contained to GM-owned vehicles in GM’s possession.

Dealers were notified on March 12, 2020. GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the hood assembly, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin April 26, 2020. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020 or GMC customer service at 1-888-988-7267. GM’s number for this recall is N192284960.

 Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153) or go to www.safercar.gov.