General Motors (NYSE: GM) has determined that 2025- 2027 model year vehicles were not equipped with electronic owner’s manuals. The radio may not have been set to the correct status to download the electronic owner’s manual during production. Owners will also not be able to log in to their myBrand app from their vehicle. As such, these millions of these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 208, “Occupant Protection.” Virtually all GM brands are affected by the safety hazard. [see list below.]
“Dealers will reset the vehicle radio, which will facilitate automatic download of the electronic owner’s manual, free of charge as required by U.S. safety regulations. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed 13 April 2026, GM said in the required safety defect filing made public by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) this morning.
Owners may contact GM customer service at 1-866-467-9700, Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020 or Cadillac customer service at 1-800-333-4223. The manufacturer’s number for this recall is N252540430. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall are searchable on NHTSA.gov.
Affected GM Vehicles without an Owner’s Manual
- 2027 Chevrolet Bolt EV,
- 2025-2026 Cadillac OPTIQ, Chevrolet Colorado, Equinox EV, GMC Canyon,
- 2026 Buick Enclave, Envision, Cadillac CT5, Escalade, Escalade ESV, Escalade IQ, Escalade IQL, LYRIQ, VISTIQ, Chevrolet Blazer EV, Corvette Convertible, Corvette Coupe, Corvette Convertible E-Ray, Equinox, Silverado 1500, 2500, 3500, Silverado EV, Suburban 1500, Tahoe, Traverse, GMC Acadia, Hummer EV Pickup, Hummer EV SUV, Sierra 1500, 2500, 3500, Sierra EV, Terrain, Yukon, and Yukon XL vehicles.
Chronology
- On November 25, 2025, GM issued a recall (NHTSA No. 25V819) of certain 2026 Cadillac Vistiq vehicles that were discovered to have been shipped from GM’s manufacturing plant without being placed into a transport mode, which under certain circumstances can prevent or delay installation of the downloaded version of the electronic owner’s manual in the vehicle.
- On December 2, 2025, a GM employee submitted a report to GM’s Speak Up For Safety (SUFS) after discovering that the same condition may exist in vehicles manufactured at other facilities.
- GM opened a product investigation on December 9, 2025. GM’s investigator performed a broad read across of all potentially affected vehicles equipped with electronic owner’s manuals, totaling approximately 1,557,500 units. Telematics data indicated that approximately 9,000 of these vehicles may have left the assembly plant without being placed into transport mode.
- As in Recall 25V819, the data also indicated many potentially affected vehicles were corrected in pre-delivery processes at the plant, in transit or at the dealer. The manual may also have automatically downloaded after 24 hours of driving. However, approximately 650 vehicles may not have had access to the downloaded electronic owner’s manual at delivery. A review of field data did not find any complaints related to this condition. GM’s investigator did observe the condition on six company-owned vehicles.
- On February 19, 2026, GM’s Safety and Field Decision Authority decided to conduct a noncompliance recall. Dealers will reset the vehicle radio, which will facilitate automatic download of the electronic owner’s manual.
- Affected models produced after February 25, 2026 will be inspected for proper download of the owner’s manual. Vehicles that fail inspection will be corrected or provided a paper manual.
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.
GM Expands Owners’ Manual Recalls
General Motors (NYSE: GM) has determined that 2025- 2027 model year vehicles were not equipped with electronic owner’s manuals. The radio may not have been set to the correct status to download the electronic owner’s manual during production. Owners will also not be able to log in to their myBrand app from their vehicle. As such, these millions of these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 208, “Occupant Protection.” Virtually all GM brands are affected by the safety hazard. [see list below.]
“Dealers will reset the vehicle radio, which will facilitate automatic download of the electronic owner’s manual, free of charge as required by U.S. safety regulations. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed 13 April 2026, GM said in the required safety defect filing made public by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) this morning.
Owners may contact GM customer service at 1-866-467-9700, Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020 or Cadillac customer service at 1-800-333-4223. The manufacturer’s number for this recall is N252540430. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall are searchable on NHTSA.gov.
Affected GM Vehicles without an Owner’s Manual
Chronology
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.