General Motors (GM) has issued yet another recall. This one affects 2014 Chevy Malibu and Buick LaCrosse sedans. Although it only involves about 8,500 vehicles, it stems from another safety-related issue. This time it’s the brakes.
The good news is that most of the recalled sedans are still at dealerships. Those sold to consumers total just 1,694, and the automaker hasn’t received any reports of injuries or accidents. But it still raises concerns when one of the most popular car manufacturers continues to produce vehicles that pose risks to drivers.
The latest recall (according to GM) may affect only a few of the vehicles, yet it’s a serious recall that involves a shortened brake pad life. This could increase the risk of an accident caused by reduced braking performance.
During assembly of the front brakes, installers may have used rear-brake rotors. These are seven millimeters thinner than front-brake rotors, which increases heat. As a result, the brake pads wear out sooner.
Consumers who have purchased recalled sedans will receive letters notifying them of the issue. Until the dealership can inspect the brakes, owners can ask for courtesy vehicles. If a fix is necessary, the car will be repaired free of charge.
It’s becoming challenging to keep up with the different recalls GM issued just in this year. Some have included Saturn Ions for power steering problems and 2009 Chevrolet Expresses and GMC Savanas for defective airbags. Other recalls involved the 2014 Chevrolet Silverado and 2015 Chevrolet Tahoe for steering tie-rod problemsand 2007-08 Saturn Auras for shift cable risks. But by far the biggest was the recall of 1.6 million vehicles stemming from faulty ignition switches — which are to blame for at least 13 deaths.
As of May 20, the total number of GM recalls for individual defects has risen to 27, affecting more than 18 million vehicles. The latest batch of recalls on May 20 included three new issues and an additional 1 million vehicles (2004-2008 Chevy Malibu and Maxx, 2007-2008 Saturn Aura and 2005-2008 Pontiac G6) to its April 29 recall for defective transmission shift indicator cables.
The newly identified recalls announced on May 20 include:
- 1.34 million Buick Enclave, Chevrolet Traverse and GMC Acadia medium crossover SUVs, model years 2009-2014, and Saturn Outlooks, model years 2009-2010, for defective front safety lap belt cables that may wear out during use;
- 58 model year 2015 Chevrolet Silverado HD and GMC Sierra HD full-size pickup trucks for loose electrical connections in the engine compartment that pose a fire hazard; and
- 1,402 model year 2015 Cadillac Escalades and Escalade ESVs for a defect in the passenger-side air bag connection to the dashboard.
There may be more recalls in the near future, as the newly restructured board pushes for more customer safety concern and less cost-cutting at the expense of quality and safety. If you have questions about the 2014 GM recalls, contact your local GM dealership for a full list of recalls that may affect your particular vehicle.
If you are a GM owner with a vehicle that’s been the subject of a recall and was involved in an accident, it’s important to seek legal advice. The cause of the crash may have stemmed from one of the defects. This may allow for the filing of a product liability claim against the manufacturer, and Gacovino, Lake & Associates can help you do that with just one call: (800) 550-0000.
