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GM under fire from safety advocates over braking problem caused by recall fix

Safety experts are lambasting General Motors over what they say is the automaker’s slow notification of owners of certain 2019 sedans and trucks that a recall fix could cause power braking to fail and increase the risk of a crash, the Detroit Free Press reports.  GMÂ’s original recall in December targeted about 550,000 Cadillac CT6 sedans and Chevrolet Silverado 1500 and GMC Sierra 1500 pickups, all from the 2019 model year, over potentially defective electronic stability control and antilock brakes. In that case, GM said the errors would not show up as a diagnostic warning on the instrument cluster. But after GM had done recall work on 162,000 vehicles, about 1,700 owner have complained that their power brakes didnÂ’t work after they had the recall done and then used the OnStar app to start their vehicle. GM then issued a supplemental fix for customers whoÂ’d already had their vehicles serviced. In this case, a diagnostic warning should illuminate saying either “Service Brake Assist” or “Service ECS,” which GM says is a signal that a customer should not drive the vehicle and instead call their dealer, which will tow the vehicle and have it repaired. Safety advocates say the automaker hasnÂ’t gone far enough to protect customers. “The fact that you could potentially start a vehicle and not have brakes is a pretty risky proposition,” Sean Kane, president of the Safety Research and Strategies, which works on auto issues for plaintiffs and governmental organizations, told the Freep. “The fact that they wouldnÂ’t notify owners (sooner) is pretty stunning.” GM told the Freep it was required to notify the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and file paperwork before it notified customers about the original recall, which was made Dec. 12. It then had to investigate and resolve the problem created by its original recall fix before alerting customers. GMÂ’s call center and dealers are contacting the remaining 900 customers who havenÂ’t yet had the update made to the original recall repair. GM also hired a vendor to send recall letters to the 550,000 customers affected by the original recall notifying them about the update. There are no known injuries or deaths related to the problem. Read the Freep story here.

Chevy Malibu Hybrid wins 2016 Connected Green Car of the Year

From the Washington Auto Show today, Green Car Journal's Ron Cogan announced three different fuel-efficient vehicle awards. They were: 2016 Connected Green Car of the Year: Chevy Malibu Hybrid 2016 Luxury Green Car of the Year: Volvo XC90 T8 2016 Green SUV of the Year: Honda HR-V The Volvo was nominated in two categories, but it did not win the Connected Green Car of the Year. Speaking of non-winners, the other green SUV finalists were the BMW X1 XDrive28i, Hyundai Tucson, Mazda CX-3, and Toyota RAV4 Hybrid. The other Luxury Green Car finalists included the BMW x5 xDrive40e, Lexus RX 450h, Porsche Cayenne S E-Hybrid, and the Mercedes-Benz C350e. Finally, the Audi A3 e-tron, BMW 330e, Toyota Prius, and Volvo XC90 T8 were the runners up for Connected Green Car. 2016 Connected Green Car of the Year, Green SUV of the Year, Luxury Green Car of the Year Winners Announced WASHINGTON, Jan. 21, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Green Car Journal has announced the winners of its prestigious 2016 Green Car Awards at a press conference held today during the Washington Auto Show's Public Policy Day in Washington DC. Distinguished as 2016 Luxury Green Car of the Year™ is Volvo's new XC90 T8. The Chevrolet Malibu Hybrid tops the field as 2016 Connected Green Car of the Year™ and Honda's HR-V earns Green Car Journal's 2016 Green SUV of the Year™. "These are stand-out vehicles in an increasingly sophisticated and appealing field of 'green' cars," said Ron Cogan, editor and publisher of Green Car Journal and CarsOfChange.com. "To make the cut as a finalist is a real achievement in itself considering the considerable competition in the market today. Rising to the top as award winners means these three exceptional vehicles set a benchmark in the auto industry's effort to create vehicles that are desirable and efficient, while also achieving environmental milestones so important for our driving future." The Green Car Awards are a key feature of The Washington Auto Show, the "public policy show" on the auto show circuit and one that puts a priority on safety and sustainability. "We are extremely proud of our partnership with Ron Cogan, whose eagerly anticipated suite of awards help shape the national conversation on the innovations that will drive our industry and country forward," said Geoff Pohanka, chairman of The Washington Auto Show.

GM workers in Oshawa walk out in protest of plant closure

TORONTO/MONTREAL – Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Monday expressed his "deep disappointment" in General Motors' decision to close its Oshawa plant, a move Canadian officials only learned about on Sunday and which led workers to walk off the job on Monday. GM said the closure affects a total of 2,973 assembly line jobs. GM's total employment in Canada is 8,150 direct jobs. Workers in the Unifor trade union walked out of the Oshawa plant "in protest," ahead of a meeting with GM about the announcement, a union spokeswoman said. "I've moved my family twice for this company and they do this to me," a tearful worker told CBC TV as he left the plant. Currently, the Oshawa plant builds the Cadillac XTS and Chevy Impala sedans. Under Unifor's four-year contract signed in 2016, GM must give the union a year's notice before closing the plant. The automaker intends to close the plant in December, 2019. A 2015 study commissioned by Unifor, which represents GM employees, estimated that shutting the plant would eliminate 4,100 direct jobs and reduce Ontario's gross domestic product by C$1.1 billion. But Jerry Dias, president of Unifor, said the move amounts to a breach of the automaker's contract with its employees. "We have a collective agreement that says they're not closing any of our facilities ... so we will do anything by any means to make sure that they live up to their word," Dias said at a news conference. Dias said the contract between Unifor and the company forbids GM from closing any of its Canadian plants during the contract period, which ends in September 2020. "They are not closing our damn plant without one hell of a fight." Canadian officials promised to aid auto workers affected by the 2019 closure, part of a wider restructuring by the automaker that will cut production of slow-selling models and slash its North American workforce. "I spoke with GM (CEO) Mary Barra to express my deep disappointment in the closure," Trudeau tweeted on Monday. "We'll do everything we can to help the families affected by this news get back on their feet." GM workers have been part of the heart and soul of Oshawa for generations - and we'll do everything we can to help the families affected by this news get back on their feet. Yesterday, I spoke with @GM's Mary Barra to express my deep disappointment in the closure.