According to the New York Times, General Motors (“GM”) is recalling almost 6,800 pickups from the 2011 model year because they might roll away even when the automatic transmission’s selector appears to be in “Park.” The automaker also said it recalled 739 pickups and sport utility vehicles because of a possible loss of steering.
The pickups affected by the shift-lever issue are the Chevrolet Colorado and GMC Canyon equipped with the 4-speed automatic and either the 2.9-liter 4-cylinder or 3.7-liter 5-cylinder engine. As per the New York Times, GM told the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (“NHTSA”) that a defective clip could allow the shift lever to appear to be in Park when it was not.
The 739 vehicles being recalled for possible steering problems are the 2011 Cadillac Escalade and Escalade ESV; Chevrolet Silverado, Suburban and Tahoe; and GMC Sierra, Yukon and Yukon XL. GM has reported that the intermediate steering shaft bolts were not properly tightened. It learned of the problem after a Suburban had a steering problem and the vehicle was inspected at a dealership.
The automaker informed NHTSA that the problem could occur on vehicles that were repaired at the assembly plant because “an error in the cab build process required the original cab to be removed and replaced with a new cab.” The proper process was not followed when the new cab was installed.