General Motors on Monday (17 March, 2014) announced three more recalls totalling almost 1.55m US produced vehicles “as a result of [CEO] Mary Barra’s request for a comprehensive internal safety review following the ignition switch recall”.
The company will call back 303,000 2009-2014 Chevrolet Express and GMC Savana full size van models with gross vehicle weight under 10,000 pounds, 63,900 2013 and 2014 Cadillac XTS large sedans and 1.18m 2008-2013 Buick Enclave and GMC Acadia, 2009-2013 Chevrolet Traverse and 2008-2010 Saturn Outlook SUVs.
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“I asked our team to redouble our efforts on our pending product reviews, bring them forward and resolve them quickly,” said Barra. “That is what today’s GM is all about.”
The full-size vans with gross vehicle weights of 10,000 pounds or less do not comply with a head impact requirement for unrestrained occupants, requiring a rework of the passenger instrument panel material.
Unsold vehicles have been placed on a ‘stop delivery’ until repair parts have been development and are available, GM said. Customers will be notified then.
In the XTS, a brake booster pump can create positive pressure within the wiring harness attached to the pump relay. This can lead to the dislodging of a plug in the brake booster pump relay, allowing corrosive elements to enter the connector and form a low-resistance short that could lead to overheating, melting of plastic components and a possible engine compartment fire.
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By GlobalDataGM said it was aware of two engine compartment fires in unsold vehicles at dealerships and two cases of melted components.
The Enclave, Traverse, Acadia and Outlook have a ‘service air bag’ warning light in the driver information centre. Ignoring the light will eventually result in the non-deployment of the side impact restraints which include driver and passenger seat-mounted side air bags, front centre air bag (if fitted), and the seat belt pretensioners.
Dealers will remove the driver and passenger side air bag wiring harness connectors and splice and solder the wires together.
“Today’s announcement underscores the focus we’re putting on the safety and peace of mind of our customers. We are conducting an intense review of our internal processes and will have more developments to announce as we move forward,” Barra said.
GM said it expects to book a charge of about US$300m in the first quarter of this year primarily for the cost of the repairs for the three recalls and the ignition switch recall announced earlier.
