More General Motors Vehicle Recalls: Buick, Chevy Vehicles Recalled for Brake Problems

UPDATE – May 21, 2014: GM has issued two more recalls, bringing the total number of separate recall issues to 27 since January 1, 2014. On May 14 GM announced five separate recalls that impacted approximately three million vehicles. Less than a week later, on May 20, GM announced four more safety flaws that may affect the owners of 2.42 million more vehicles.

The May 14 recalls include:

• 111,000 Corvettes (model years 2005-2007) for defective headlight low beams.
• 19,000 Cadillac CTS (model year 2014) for defective windshield wipers.
• 140,000 Chevrolet Malibu (model year 2014) for defective brake boosts.
• 2.4 million Chevrolet Malibu (model years 2004-2012), Malibu Maxx (2004-2007), Pontiac G6 (model years 2005-2010), and Saturn Aura (model years 2007-2010) for defective brake lamps.
• 477 Chevrolet Silverados (model year 2014) and Chevrolet Tahoes (model year 2015) for defective steering tie-rods.

The May 20 recalls include:

• 1.3 million Buick Enclave, Chevrolet Traverse, and GMC Arcadia full-size crossover SUVs (model years 2009-2014) and Saturn Outlooks (model years 2009-2010) for defective safety lap belt cables.
• 1 million Chevrolet Malibu and Maxx (model years 2004-2008), Saturn Aura (model years 2007-2008), and Pontiac G6 (2005-2008) were added to the April 29 recall for defective transmission shift indicator cables.
• 58 Chevrolet Silverado HD and GMC Sierra full-size pickups (model year 2015) for fire risks due to loose electrical connections in the engine compartment.
• 1,400 Cadillac Escalades and Escalade ESVs (model year 2015) for defective passenger-side front air bags.

General Motors (GM) recently issued a vehicle recall for 8,500 Buick and Chevy sedans because of a faulty assembly in the car’s braking system. While there are remedies for this defect, it does pose a serious risk to the owners of these vehicles, and it’s possible that an accident could result from the problem.

Buick and Chevy Brake Problems

The brake defect affects 2014 Buick LaCrosse and Chevy Malibu sedan models. During the car’s manufacturing, GM installed rear brake rotors on the front brake system. Rotors are what brake pads press against in order to stop a vehicle. Rear brake rotors are about 7 mm thinner than front rotors for the models. Because of this difference, there is more of a risk of overheating with the affected vehicles. If the brakes overheat, they can fail to stop the vehicle, leading to serious accidents. The mistake shortens the life of the brake pads as well.

Out of the cars that GM believes could carry the mistake, 8,208 were sold in the U.S., while 209 were sold in Canada, and 173 in Mexico. Additionally, the company believes that most of the affected vehicles are still on the dealer’s lot awaiting sale. Only 1,694 of the cars are believed to be in the possession of consumers. General Motors sent a letter about the vehicle recall to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) on May 7.

This is the19th GM vehicle recall involving around 5.4 million cars for the year 2014. Most famously, GM recalled around 2.6 million vehicles for an ignition system defect that can result in the car’s engine shutting down unexpectedly. The ignition defect has been linked to at least 13 deaths already.

Steps GM is Taking to Rectify the Problem

The company will send out letters to affected owners notifying them of the recall within 60 days of its notice to the NHTSA. Owners can bring their car into their local dealer to have an inspection performed on the brake system. If the problem is present, the dealer will replace the rotors at no charge. GM is also offering courtesy vehicles to the affected owners.

If you have more questions about this recall, you can contact GM or the NHTSA at the following numbers:

• Buick: 1-800-521-7300
• Chevrolet: 1-800-222-1020
• NHTSA: 1-888-327-4236

How the Law Can Help Victims of Defective Auto Products

Federal law requires that a recall be issued when a safety defect exists in a vehicle. A safety defect can be any problem with the car’s performance, construction, or material that creates a risk to the occupant’s safety. For a recall, the problem needs to affect a defined group of vehicles.

If you were in an accident related to a defective car, you may be able to file a lawsuit against the company for your damages. Generally, manufacturers are strictly liable for their products in Colorado regardless of the reasonable care they place into making the product. The car accident injuries need to be directly caused by the defect for the lawsuit to be valid.

The Law Office of D.J. Banovitz helps accident victims in Denver. Call 303-300-5060 for a free consultation about your accident.