GM Issues Additional Safety Recalls; Puts Cost at $200 Million

The recall bug bites General Motors again, as the automaker issues five safety recall campaigns today targeting 2.7 million vehicles in the U.S. to fix problems ranging from defective taillamps on discontinued models to faulty steering items on some its newest products.

GM says the callbacks reflect a new emphasis on safety at the automaker, where recalls this year have reached double digits and affect more than 11 million vehicles.

The biggest and most highly charged campaign involves some 2.2 million U.S. small cars from the previous decade no longer in production, but linked to 13 deaths and 32 crashes because of a defective ignition switch.

GM took a $1.3 billion charge in the first quarter to cover costs related to recalls in the January-March timeframe, and says today it will write down another $200 million in the second quarter to cover costs related with the latest drives.

“Customer safety is at the heart of how GM designs and produces vehicles, and these announcements are examples of two ways we are putting that into practice,” Jeff Boyer, vice president -Global Vehicle Safety at GM says announcing today’s actions.

“We have redoubled our efforts to expedite and resolve current reviews in process and also have identified and analyzed recent vehicle issues which require action,” he adds. “These are examples of our focus to surface issues quickly and promptly take necessary actions in the best interest of our customers.”

GM says the largest of the five new recalls involves 2.4 million ’04-’12 model-year Chevrolet Malibus, the ’04-’07 Chevy Malibu Maxx, ’05-’10 versions of the Pontiac G6 and Saturn Auras from the ’07-’10 model years.

The automaker says it must make modifications to the brake lamp wiring harness, a problem that led to “several hundred complaints,” as well as 13 crashes and two injuries but no fatalities. GM earlier issued a technical service bulletin and a small recall to address the defect on those vehicles from the ’05 model year.

The second recall addresses some Chevy Corvette models from the ’05-’07 model years for potential loss of low-beam headlamps, while the third callback targets a batch of ’14 Malibus with 2.5L engines and stop/start systems to fix hydraulic brake boosters that can fail and lead to greater pedal effort and extended stopping distances.

The fourth recall affects some ’13-’14 model Cadillac CTS sedans. The windshield wiper system may fail after a jump-start to the car when the wipers are active but restricted by elements such as ice and snow.

The final recall involves some ’14 Chevy Silverado and GMC Sierra large pickups and ’15 model-year Chevy Tahoe large SUVs. The steering-wheel tie rod could separate from the steering rack and cause a crash.

The recalls also affect a reported 201,000 vehicles sold in Canada.

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