GM Recalls Continue to Rise

General Motors has recalled 13.8 million vehicles so far this year, and the industry as a whole is on track to break the recall record of nearly 31 million set a decade ago in 2004, according to information from the government safety overseer, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

Some of the most recent recalled GM vehicles:

• May 21: 1,339,355 GM vehicles from 2009-2014, including Buick Enclave and Chevrolet Traverse models, Recalled for the flexible steel cable connecting the seat belt to the front seating positions which may fatigue and separate.

• May 21: 218,000 Chevrolet Aveo vehicles from 2004-2008, Recalled for a potential fire risk.

• May 21: 19,225 Cadillac CTS vehicles from 2014, Recalled for wipers that may be inoperative.

• May 21: 1,402 Cadillac Escalade vehicles from 2015, Recalled for air bags which may only partially deploy.

• May 21: 214 Chevrolet Optra vehicles from 2004-2008, Recalled for a potential fire risk.

• May 16: 2,440,524 GM vehicles from 2004-2012, including Chevrolet Malibu and Pontiac G6 models, Recalled for voltage fluctuations which can cause numerous conditions, including brake lights not illuminating when the brake pedal is pushed.

• May 16: 103,158 Chevrolet Corvette vehicles from 2005-2007, Recalled for the potential loss of low beam headlamp illumination.

• May 16: 8,208 GM vehicles from 2014, including Buick Lacrosse and Chevrolet Malibu models, Recalled for front brake pads which may detach from the caliper, causing a reduction in braking.

• May 15: 140,067 Chevrolet Malibu vehicles from 2014, Recalled for a hydraulic boost assist that may become disabled, requiring additional brake pedal effort and a lengthened stopping distance to slow or stop the vehicle.

• May 15: 477 GM vehicles from 2014, including Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra models, Recalled for a potential loss of steering.

• May 5: 51,640 GM vehicles from 2014, including Buick Enclave and Chevrolet Traverse models, Recalled for software that may read the fuel gauge incorrectly, which could cause the engine to unexpectedly run out of fuel.

• May 1: 50,571 Cadillac SRX vehicles from 2013, Recalled for a lag in acceleration that may increase the risk of a crash.

• May 1: 51 GM vehicles from 2015, including GMC Sierra and Chevrolet Silverado models, Recalled for a potential diesel fuel leak.

(Source http://www.nhtsa.gov/Vehicle+Safety/Recalls+&+Defects)

astonishingly, a study by ALG, the former Automotive Leasing Guide and an arbiter of residual values, predicted that most owners will lose little, if anything, due to the maker’s recall woes. And while it is true that GM’s reputation has been hurt, April sales statistics and opening May expectations mean buyers are still visiting the maker’s showrooms.

Why has it not hurt General Motors more? It helps that a number of GM products have been getting enthusiastic reviews, the Chevrolet Corvette and Chevy Silverado being named North American Car and Truck of the Year in January, and the prominent Consumer Reports announcing that the Chevrolet Impala the best mainstream sedan it ever tested.

Regrettably, that shows in statistics the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has released, showing that 30 percent of automobile owners never get around to fixing a recalled vehicle. The vehicle data tracking service CarFacx estimated that 3.5 million vehicles were sold last year on the used market with safety troubles that weren’t repaired, adding that with the standard vehicle now on the road for more than 11 years, there are about 36 million that have an unanswered recall problem and these could lead to billions in product liability lawsuits.