2008 Gmc Sierra 2500hd 6.0 on 2040-cars

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GM recalling 250,000 SUVs over door electronics

After a door-fire investigation that dates back to February, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has officially announced a recall today that affects around 250,000 General Motors SUVs for a faulty driver's door module. The recall applies to the Buick Rainier, Chevrolet Trailblazer, GMC Envoy, Isuzu Ascender and Saab 9-7X from the 2006 and 2007 model years, as well as the 2006 Chevrolet Trailblazer EXT and GMC Envoy XL for vehicles sold and/or registered in the Snow Belt.
Road salt use in these midwestern and northern states can lead to corrosion of the driver's door module on these GMT360 and GMT370 vehicles, which allows water to come in contact with the circuit board. If shorted out, the vehicle's power door locks and power windows will not work, and could possibly lead to overheating and, in some circumstances, a fire. No official word on how many total vehicles caught on fire, but back in June, 28 fires had been reported to the government agency. A fix for the problem is still being worked out, but all affected vehicle owners will be notified by GM.
Scroll down for the official NHTSA statement.

GM might outsource vans to AM General

General Motors will possibly boost production of the Chevrolet Colorado and GMC Canyon at the Wentzville Assembly Plant in Missouri by contracting out some commercial van manufacturing to AM General. Demand for the two midsize trucks continues to boom, and GM would like to take advantage of the strong market for them. The possible deal came to light in a letter to workers at the factory, according to Automotive News. "This potential partnership would free up production capacity and allow the organization to capitalize on our ability to build midsize trucks to further satisfy customer demand," a portion of the document allegedly said. AM General would reportedly only take over assembly of the cutaway versions of the Chevy Express and GMC Savana. Customers and critics have quickly embraced the latest Colorado and Canyon since their introduction. The Chevy just won back-to-back Motor Trend Truck of the Year awards. GM also had to add a third shift and extra workers in 2014 just to keep up with demand. The Wentzville plant even increased employment on the weekends earlier in 2015 to assemble an extra 2,000 of the trucks each month. While the two pickups boom, deliveries for the Chevy Express and GMC Savana are down 26.9 percent and 26.6 percent respectively through the first 10 months of the year. GM doesn't break out numbers for the cutaway versions, but they make up about a third of production, according to Automotive News. AM General built the Humvee for the US military and does some contract work with automakers. For example, the company's Indiana factory now produces the Mercedes-Benz R-Class for export to China. Here's hoping this potential deal will help both GM and AM General keep their factories humming. Related Video:

Disabled man realizes dream of driving with converted pickup truck

A man with a devastating illness is mobile once again thanks to a heavily modified pick up truck. He hopes he can help others in his situation gain the freedom of mobility they need to lead a normal life. Chris Sauerbaum has a physical disability resulting from chronic inflammatory polyneuropathy, a form of muscular dystrophy where the sufferer's immune system attacks their nerves. Sauerbaum lost both of his legs and is bound to a wheelchair. After 11 years of trying, he finally has a vehicle that he can drive. "You might as well be driving a Lamborghini," Sauerbaum told the York Dispatch as the driver side door extended to a lift to accommodate Sauerbaum's wheelchair. "Everyone comes up and talks to you. You come out looking like a Transformer." It wasn't easy getting transportation that fit his needs. First he bought a Chrysler PT Cruiser, which wasn't large enough to handle the equipment needed to convert the car for a legless driver. In 2013, Sauerbaum and his wife Heather Sloat appealed to local businesses and friends for donations. They raised $10,000 and were able to put a downpayment on a GMC Sierra. The truck then underwent $91,000 worth of upgrades. It was completely outfitted for Sauerbaum, with a large lift to bring his wheel chair up to the driver's seat and joysticks doing the work of peddles and the steering wheel. New York's Office of Vocational Rehabilitation paid for the conversion. "Think of it as a big remote controlled car. An 8,000 pound R/C car," Sauerbaum told the Dispatch. After a week and a half of learning the controls, Sauerbaum was able to drive with confidence again. He will no long need to rely on his wife to get him two and from work, an 80-mile trip each day. Sauerbaum and Sloat hope to start a nonprofit called Drive for Independence that will assist other wheelchair-bound people with the costs of getting a converted vehicle that suits their needs. "It's just one piece of the puzzle to get people to work," Sloat told the Dispatch. Related Video: Weird Car News GMC Driving Ownership Truck Videos disabled ms