GM recall woes continue with 662,000 pickups trucks and Cruze sedans

Sat, 29 Mar 2014

General Motors can't seem to get its name out of the "bad news" column. Two more recalls were announced late Friday evening that will see The General calling in 490,200 fullsize pickup trucks and SUVs, along with 172,000 Chevrolet Cruze models.

For those keeping track, General Motors has issued recalls for an alarming 4.8 million vehicles so far since last month.

The Chevy Silverado 1500, Tahoe and Suburban, GMC Sierra 1500 and Yukon models from the 2014 and 2015 model years are being recalled for a flaw in their transmissions wherein loose oil cooler lines may cause a fire. The automaker said in a statement (see below) that it knows of three incidents of loose transmission lines causing problems, but no injuries. We can't confirm whether it was this transmission issue that caused the widely publicized blaze that consumed a 2015 GMC Yukon that was being test driven in California.

We had heard previously from GM that it had issued a stop-sale on Chevy Cruze models equipped with the 1.4-liter turbocharged engine, and now there's an apparent recall to match that stop-sale against. A total of 172,000 cars from the 2013 and 2014 model years will be recalled to replace half shafts that could fracture while driving. Several dozen shafts have separated, according to GM, but there have been no crashes or injuries associated with those failures. The stop-sale has since been lifted, meaning compact car shoppers can add the Cruze back to their potential test-drive lists, should they so desire.

You can find a statement from GM below regarding the recall of its trucks and SUVs. We've reached out to the automaker for comment regarding the recalls, and we'll be sure to update this story as soon as we hear back.

For Immediate Release: Friday, March 28, 2014

GM Recalls Full-size Trucks to Inspect Transmission Fitting

DETROIT – General Motors will conduct a safety recall of 2014 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 and GMC Sierra 1500 pickups, and 2015 Chevrolet Suburban and Tahoe and GMC Yukon and Yukon XL SUVs equipped with a 6-speed automatic transmission.

The recall will involve approximately 490,200 trucks and SUVs.

GM has determined that these vehicles may have a transmission oil cooler line that is not securely seated in its fitting. If the line is not securely seated and transmission oil leaks from the fitting, the oil could contact a hot surface and result in a vehicle fire. GM is aware of three incidents and no injuries.

GM dealers will inspect the fittings for leaks. GM anticipates mailing the first owner letter the week of April 28, 2014.

General Motors Co. (NYSE:GM, TSX: GMM) and its partners produce vehicles in 30 countries, and the company has leadership positions in the world's largest and fastest-growing automotive markets. GM, its subsidiaries and joint venture entities sell vehicles under the Chevrolet, Cadillac, Baojun, Buick, GMC, Holden, Jiefang, Opel, Vauxhall and Wuling brands. More information on the company and its subsidiaries, including OnStar, a global leader in vehicle safety, security and information services, can be found at http://www.gm.com

By Jeremy Korzeniewski