Another software surprise results in a safety recall of more than 26,000 vehicles.
General Motors is recalling 2013 Buick LaCrosse and Cadillac SRX vehicles because the software can suddenly change the transmission shifting from manual to automatic mode even though the driver is manually controlling the gears through the so-called Driver Shift Control.
If the driver is using the DSC manual mode to achieve engine braking, the engine braking would suddenly cease. If engine braking is unexpectedly removed, it may increase the risk of a vehicle crash.
Model year 2013 Buick LaCrosse vehicles, manufactured between April 25, 2012, through March 6, 2013, and model year 2013 Cadillac SRX vehicles, manufactured between May 29, 2012, through February 18, 2013 for failing to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) No. 102, “Transmission Shift Lever Sequence, Starter Interlock, and Transmission Braking Effect.”
GM will notify owners, and dealers will reprogram the transmission control module free of charge as is required by U.S. regulations. The recall is expected to begin on March 28, 2013. Cadillac owners may call 1-866-982-2339. Buick owners may call 1-866-694-6546. General Motors’ number for this recall is 13053.
Customers can also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 or go to www.safercar.gov.
About Ken Zino
Ken Zino, editor and publisher of AutoInformed, is a versatile auto industry participant with global experience spanning decades in print and broadcast journalism, as well as social media. He has automobile testing, marketing, public relations and communications experience. He is past president of The International Motor Press Assn, the Detroit Press Club, founding member and first President of the Automotive Press Assn. He is a member of APA, IMPA and the Midwest Automotive Press Assn.
He also brings an historical perspective while citing their contemporary relevance of the work of legendary auto writers such as Ken Purdy, Jim Dunne or Jerry Flint, or writers such as Red Smith, Mark Twain, Thomas Jefferson – all to bring perspective to a chaotic automotive universe.
Above all, decades after he first drove a car, Zino still revels in the sound of the exhaust as the throttle is blipped during a downshift and the driver’s rush that occurs when the entry, apex and exit points of a turn are smoothly and swiftly crossed. It’s the beginning of a perfect lap.
AutoInformed has an editorial philosophy that loves transportation machines of all kinds while promoting critical thinking about the future use of cars and trucks.
Zino builds AutoInformed from his background in automotive journalism starting at Hearst Publishing in New York City on Motor and MotorTech Magazines and car testing where he reviewed hundreds of vehicles in his decade-long stint as the Detroit Bureau Chief of Road & Track magazine. Zino has also worked in Europe, and Asia – now the largest automotive market in the world with China at its center.
