| The GM Renaissance Center in Detroit, Mich. The automaker has issued recalls for over 13.6 million vehicles so far this year. |
By CRM Staff
Detroit, Michigan — May 21, 2014 — The number of vehicles recalled by General Motors in 2014 rose to 13.6 million on Tuesday, as the automaker announced more recalls affecting another 2.4 million vehicles. The number of vehicles recalled by GM this year outstrips the total number of cars the company has sold in the last five years.
Adding to GM’s woes, the company announced another recall on Wednesday morning. This time the recall affects 218,000 Chevrolet Aveo cars sold in the U.S. from model years 2004 to 2008, as well as 214 Chevy Optra cars from the same years. In both cases, the recall stems from a component in the daytime running lights. According to reports filed with the U.S.-based National Highway and Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), the faulty part could overheat and cause a fire.
Tuesday’s recall is much larger, affecting approximately 181,500 vehicles sold in Canada alone.
Among the recalled vehicles are Buick Enclave, Chevrolet Traverse and GMC Acadia crossovers from the 2009-2014 model years and Saturn Outlook crossovers from 2009-2010, recalled due to a potential problem with the front lap belts wearing and separating over time. Also included in Tuesday’s recall list are 1.1 million Chevrolet Malibu sedans from the 2004-2008 model years and Pontiac G6 sedans from 2005-2008, recalled due to a potential issue with a shift cable that could wear out over time.
However, it is not just older models affected by the latest recalls. GM has also recalled 1,402 Cadillac Escalade and Escalade ESVs from the 2015 model year, due to a faulty weld that could result in partial deployment of the front passenger air bag during a collision. They automaker has also issued a recall for 58 Chevrolet Silverado HD and GMC Sierra HD pickups from the 2015 model year. The issue in that case stems from retention clips that hold the generator fuse block to the vehicle’s body. The clips may loosen, leading to a potential fire.
The numbers continue to climb, but GM’s biggest issue can be traced to the recall of 2.6 million vehicles for defective ignition switches. Attempting to conceal the problem for the last 10 years has GM in trouble with the U.S. government. GM has agreed to pay a $35 million fine for concealing the defect. The automaker says at least 13 people have died in collisions due to the faulty switches, although some outside estimates say the number of deaths is much higher. Both the U.S. Justice Department and Congress are conducting investigations into the issue.
