General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling 5,141 2020 Chevrolet Corvette sportscars because the release button located inside the front trunk compartment won’t function after the vehicle has been shut off for ten minutes. These Corvettes fail to comply with Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 401, “Internal Trunk Release.”
These Corvettes are designed to enter a low power “sleep” mode ten minutes after powering off. The trunk lid release button located inside the front trunk compartment “may not function” while the vehicle is in this sleep mode.
- On 19 June 2020, an auditor at GM’s Bowling Green assembly plant tested the trunk lid release button located inside the front trunk compartment in one of the affected vehicles after the vehicle had been left unattended and entered a low-power “sleep” mode. The button would not unlatch the trunk lid while the vehicle was in this mode. A GM quality manager submitted the issue to GM’s Speak Up For Safety program that day.
- On June 26, 2020, GM opened a formal product investigation.
- On July 8, 2020, GM’s investigator was able to duplicate the condition on a 2020 Corvette. GM engineers determined that, under certain conditions, the voltage generated by the button is insufficient to wake the vehicle from sleep mode, rendering the button inoperative while the vehicle is in that mode.
- A regulatory assessment concluded on July 21 that the condition represents a potential noncompliance condition. On July 30, 2020, GM’s Safety and Field Action Decision Authority (SFADA) decided to conduct a noncompliance recall.
GM will notify owners, and dealers will update the software in the vehicle’s Body Control Module (BCM) to allow the release switch to always work, free of charge as is required by Federal regulations. Owners also may allow the vehicle to be remedied via an Over-The-Air software update, which could take 15 minutes.
In the required NHTSA filing, GM said it is not aware of any incidents from the safety defect. Courtesy transportation is available for customers whose vehicles are involved in this recall and are within the warranty coverage period for the warranty which is associated with this recall.
The recall is expected to begin 21 September 2020. Owners may contact GM customer service at 1-866-522-9559. GM’s number for this recall is N202309350. they may also check their Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) for Off field actions in GM Owner Center at https://my.gm.com/recalls or via NHTSA’s website at https://vinrcl.safercar.gov/vin/.
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.
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.
Software – 2020 Corvette Recall for Trunk Release Failure
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling 5,141 2020 Chevrolet Corvette sportscars because the release button located inside the front trunk compartment won’t function after the vehicle has been shut off for ten minutes. These Corvettes fail to comply with Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 401, “Internal Trunk Release.”
These Corvettes are designed to enter a low power “sleep” mode ten minutes after powering off. The trunk lid release button located inside the front trunk compartment “may not function” while the vehicle is in this sleep mode.
GM will notify owners, and dealers will update the software in the vehicle’s Body Control Module (BCM) to allow the release switch to always work, free of charge as is required by Federal regulations. Owners also may allow the vehicle to be remedied via an Over-The-Air software update, which could take 15 minutes.
In the required NHTSA filing, GM said it is not aware of any incidents from the safety defect. Courtesy transportation is available for customers whose vehicles are involved in this recall and are within the warranty coverage period for the warranty which is associated with this recall.
The recall is expected to begin 21 September 2020. Owners may contact GM customer service at 1-866-522-9559. GM’s number for this recall is N202309350. they may also check their Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) for Off field actions in GM Owner Center at https://my.gm.com/recalls or via NHTSA’s website at https://vinrcl.safercar.gov/vin/.
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.
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.