General Motors has issued a recall order for about 800,000 units of the Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra, as the pickup trucks have a potential issue with their power steering systems.
General Motors has not had a good year so far, and this vehicle recall continues the automobile manufacturer's bad luck.
Chevrolet Silverado, GMC Sierra Recall
The vehicle recall that General Motors issued for the Chevrolet Silverado 1500 and GMC Sierra 1500 cover the 2014 models of the pickup trucks. They were also included in a General Motors recall from April 2016 that looked to fix an issue with the seat belts.
This new recall by GM, meanwhile, focuses on the electric power steering assistance feature of the pickup trucks. The vehicles could have a software problem that might cut off power to the feature for one second, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. The incident is a problem, particularly during low-speed turns.
The NHTSA noted that if the electric power steering assistance feature gets cut off, the driver could temporarily lose control of the vehicle's steering wheel, leading to an increased chance of an accident.
The GM recall impacts about 690,000 Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra pickup trucks in the United States, 80,000 units in Canada, and about 25,000 units in other parts of the world.
Tom Wilkinson, a spokesman for GM, did not reveal any details on whether the power steering problem has resulted in any crashes or injuries. Nevertheless, owners of the vehicles covered by the recall should not ignore the company's announcement.
Customers who answer the recall and return their vehicles to authorized dealers will receive a software update to patch up the defect. However, GM has not yet released a date on when it will start repairing the recalled pickup trucks. In the meantime, owners of the 2014 models of the Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra should be doubly careful on the road, especially during low-speed turns.
Not A Good Year For General Motors
GM started the year off on a bad note, as the company was ordered to pay $1 million to the Securities and Exchange Commission as part of the settlement for the company's faulty ignition switches. The case started in February 2014, when GM recalled almost 800,000 vehicles due to the problem. The number of recalled vehicles has since ballooned to nearly 30 million vehicles worldwide, with at least 124 people lost their lives because of the problem.
In March, GM was forced to exit Europe as it sold its unprofitable Vauxhall and Opel businesses to Peugeot. In April, GM then found itself losing the throne as the most valuable carmaker in the United States to Tesla.
