Automakers might solve the Post Office revenue problem with are the recall notices they are sending.
Call it a black weekend for GM CEO Mary Barra and the employees and dealers as the latest GM recalls were revealed in NHTSA filings, including more ignition switch safety defects, now responsible at a minimum for 23 deaths. GM only provided a statement on the latest safety gaffs if a journalist requested it.
The number of GM vehicles recalled this year is now approaching 30 million globally, 74 recalls covering more than 26 million U.S. vehicles.
Mark Reuss with a 2015 Chevrolet Colorado at its world debut. Colorado is expected to deliver class-leading horsepower, payload and trailer towing, but is off to a quality challenged start.
Perhaps the worst for GM and its sharehodlers are the recall and stop sale of the Chevrolet Colorado and GMC Canyon. These mid-size pickup trucks, just debuting to critical acclaim, are without competition from Ram or Ford. Colorado and Canyon favorably take on the Nissan Frontier and the longtime market leader, Toyota Tacoma, but only when you can sell them.
GM says the safety defect, “affects the vehicles’ two-stage airbag system by reversing the deployment sequence and disrupting the deployment timing of the driver airbag stages.” While most of the vehicles are still at the plant, some are on the road. The driver airbag connections were wired incorrectly during manufacturing. This safety defect affects the vehicles’ two-stage airbag system by reversing the deployment sequence, disrupting the deployment timing of the driver airbag stages.
Customers are being sent a FedEx letter and being contacted by phone to bring their vehicles to dealers as soon as possible. The repair will be done at no change – as required by U.S. law – and free loaner vehicles will be available. A safety recall will be conducted but the size and other details are not known at this time. GM said it not aware of any crashes, injuries or fatalities
In yet another ignition switch debacle, 2011-2013 Chevrolet Caprice models, and 2008-2009 Pontiac G8 cars – 47,000 – have the same ignition switch problem that resulted in a massive recall of 2.6 million GM vehicles during February of this year. Drivers may accidentally hit the ignition key with their knee, unintentionally knocking the key out of the run position, turning off the engine.
The problem as we all now know – and GM has known since the turn of the last century – is that a key not in the run position disables the air bags so they won’t deploy if the vehicle is involved in a crash, thereby increasing the risk of injury. A key knocked out of the run position also results in loss of engine power, power steering, and power braking, increasing the risk of a vehicle crash.
GM will notify owners, and dealers will remove the key blade from the original flip key/RKE transmitter assemblies, and cut and fit a revised key blade and housing assembly, in which the blade has been indexed by 90 degrees, to the original RKE transmitter assembly.
GM has not provided a notification schedule. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020 and Pontiac customer service at 1-800-762-2737. GM’s number for this recall is 14445. Note: Until the recall has been performed, it is important that drivers adjust their seat and steering column to allow clearance between their knee and the ignition key.
GM is also recalling model year 2011-2013 Chevrolet Caprice vehicles Police Patrol Vehicles (PPV), equipped with a specific transmission selector lever that contains two pins that can move. If the pins are displaced, the driver may be able to shift the vehicle from “Park” without depressing the brake pedal or remove the ignition key without the transmission being in “Park.”
The Chevrolets fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards No. 102, “Transmission Shift Position Sequence, Starter Interlock, And Transmission Braking Effect,” as well as No. 114, “Theft Protection and Rollaway Prevention.”
GM has not said when it will fix the Chevrolet police cars. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020. GM’s number for this recall is 14549.
Another recall covers 10,000 2004-2007 Cadillac CTS-V and 2006-2007 Cadillac STS-V models for a possible fuel leak.
Still another recall involves 300 2014 Chevrolet Sonic subcompact cars because an electrical problem can keep the driver’s air bag from fully deploying in a serious crash.
