GM is issuing another recall for over half a million pickups and SUVs for an issue that could cause them to veer outside of their lanes without warning.
Imagine driving along the highway when suddenly your steering goes stiff. Then, the car veers to one side for no apparent reason. That’s the possible outcome of a technical fault on some trucks and SUVs built by GM between 2014 and 2020. You can see why General Motors might be forced to issue a recall for this particular problem.
GM announced a recall of 638,000 vehicles yesterday, including 2015-2020 Chevrolet Suburbans, Tahoes, and Yukons, as well as 2014-2018 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 and GMC Sierra 1500 pickups with four-wheel-drive, a 3.08-ratio rear axle, and the 5.3-L V8 engine.
The problem is in the wheel-speed sensor. This little doohickey determines how fast you’re spinning the steering wheel. There is one on either side of the steering wheel to determine how much power to assist the driver with. If the sensor fails, it will cause the car to think that it’s not getting power-steering in that direction and will activate the driveline protection system to help out.
This will cause the vehicle’s brakes to activate on the opposite side of the failed sensor, which in turn will cause the vehicle to veer in that direction without warning. GM says this can “increase the risk of a crash,” which is the usual mild understatement issued with recall notices.
GM is aware of no accidents or injuries, but they have received 150 complaints regarding this issue, according to Reuters. Expect the carmaker to start contacting folks for repairs in the coming weeks.
This is the second major recall issued in as many months for GM. In September, GM recalled over 3.5 million trucks and SUVs over a different braking issue that could cause the brakes to fail. That recall was prompted after 100 accidents were reported.
The most recent recall was issued after a GM dealer made a warranty report that prompted an investigation from the company’s quality manager.
(via Reuters)