It’s happened yet again – General Motors (GM) has issued another vehicle recall. This latest one involves faulty fuel gauges in General Motors SUVs.
If you’re the owner of a Chevrolet Traverse, Buick Enclave, or GMC Acadia (model year 2014), you could be at risk of running out of gas because the fuel gauge is inaccurate. But more than that, an inaccurate fuel gauge reading could result in a crash.
Drivers who run out of gas could abruptly stall. Imagine being in the middle of a busy street or a high speed freeway when this happens. And it’s not just a matter of the fuel gauge being off a little, a software problem could result in it being off as much as one quarter of a tank.
It’s unknown if any crashes have occurred as a result. Vehicle owners can have their vehicles repaired by a local GM dealer. You can also report a vehicle safety issue to NHTSA online at their vehicle safety website: www.safercar.gov. Select “File a Complaint” within the Defects and Recalls section of the home page.
Recap on 2014 General Motors Vehicle Recalls
It’s not even the middle of 2014 and yet GM has issued several recalls. One of them affected 64,000 model years 2013 and 2014 Cadillac XTS Sedans because of a plug in the brake system that can come loose and short out.
Another recall involved 303,000 model years 2009-2014 GMC Savana and Chevrolet Express vans. Material used in the instrument panel fails to meet federal standards.
A larger recall involved 1.8 million SUVs, this included model years:
- 2008-2013 GMC Acadias
- 2009-2013 Chevrolet Traverses
- 2008-2010 Saturn Outlooks
The problem stems from side airbags that could fail to deploy in a crash. But the largest recall resulted in a federal investigation against the automaker. The defect – faulty ignition switches that can cause a vehicle to suddenly shut off – was something the company knew about for more than 10 years.
But GM didn’t issue a recall until February of this year. It later expanded the recall because of a faulty ignition lock cylinder.
This recall involved 2.6 million vehicles and included:
- Chevrolet Cobalt (model years 2005-2010) and HHR (model years 2006-2011)
- Pontiac G5 (model years 2007-2010) and Solstice (model years 2006-2010)
- Saturn Ion (model years 2003-2007) and Sky (2007-2010)
Faulty ignition switches have caused several crashes. But the defect is also linked to 13 deaths.
What These Recalls Could Mean for GM Owners
When a safety-related defect results in a recall, the automaker must provide a fix at no cost to the consumer. GM owners should expect to receive a notice describing the problem and the remedy. In this case, the dealership will reprogram the engine control modules.
Others may have legal claims if their defective vehicle – made by GM or another automaker – caused their accident and resulted in injuries. Plaintiffs must establish the defective vehicle caused their accident. Speak with an attorney at Hensley Legal Group if you suffered injuries in a car accident in Indiana and you believe it is related to a defective vehicle. Contact us today.
UPDATE (5/21):
Another wave of recalls hit mid-May with two announcements released less than a week apart. On May 14, three million vehicles were recalled for five separate issues, and May 20 added another 2.4 million vehicles with three new issues and an addition of 1 million more vehicles to the April 29 recall for transmission shift indicator cables.
The May 14th recalls include:
- 2014 Chevrolet Malibus for defective brake boosts
- 2014 Cadillac CTSs for defective windshield wipers
- 2005-2007 Chevrolet Corvettes for defective headlight low beams
- 2014 Chevrolet Silverados and 2015 Chevrolet Tahoes for defective steering tie-rods
- 2004-2012 Chevrolet Malibus , 2004-2007 Malibu Maxxs, 2005-2010 Pontiac G6s, and 2007-2010 Saturn Auras for defective brake lamps
The May 20th recalls include:
- 2004-2008 Chevrolet Malibus and Maxxs, 2007-2008 Saturn Auras, and 2005-2008 Pontiac G6s were added to the April 29th recall for defective transmission shift indicator cables
- 2009-2014 Buick Enclaves, Chevrolet Traverses, and GMC Arcadia full-size crossover SUVs and 2009-2010 Saturn Outlooks for defective safety lap belt cables
- 2015 Cadillac Escalades and Escalade ESVs for defective passenger-side front air bags
- 2015 Chevrolet Silverado HDs and GMC Sierra full-size pickups for fire hazards due to loose electrical connections in the engine compartment