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GM recalls half-million full-size SUVs to address seatbelt issue

GM is recalling its redesigned full-size SUV models to address improperly riveted mounts securing the third-row seatbelts that may fail in the event of an accident. The population includes the 2021-2022 Cadillac Escalade and Escalade ESV, 2021-2022 Chevrolet Suburban and Tahoe, and 2021-2022 model year GMC Yukon and Yukon XL, for a total of 484,155 vehicles. "Operators at the supplier’s manufacturing plant may have not properly followed manufacturing processes and inadvertently missed the rivet forming operation," GM said in its defect report to NHTSA. "In certain of these vehicles, the rivet that retains the buckle to the mounting bracket in the left or right side third-row seatbelt buckle assembly may not have been properly formed during the manufacturing process. If the third-row seatbelt assembly is not properly riveted, it may not properly restrain occupants in a crash, increasing the risk of injury." Fortunately, the fix is relatively simple. GM service technicians will inspect the rivets on the rear seatbelt buckle assemblies and replace the entire unit if the rivets are not to spec. Dealer notifications have already been distributed; owners should receive notice start in September. Related video: Cadillac Chevrolet GM GMC Ownership Safety SUV

GM won't pay owners of recalled cars for lost value

Kenneth Feinberg, the man in charge of the General Motors compensation fund dealing with the its widespread ignition switch woes, has issued an informal, two-letter response to the plaintiffs in more than 70 lawsuits seeking redress for lost resale value of their Cobalts: "No." The cases were recently combined into one, but Feinberg told The Detroit News that the fund will deal "only with death and physical injury claims," and that "perceived diminished value" will get no consideration.
ALG, the firm specializing in establishing residual values, determined that Cobalt owners had lost $300 compared to the segment competition and doesn't envision any long-term effects from the recall situation. Feinberg's statement comes in advance of public details on how the compensation fund will work and adheres to GM's long-held position on the matter. The company has already asked a judge to throw out such suits using the pre-bankruptcy defense, even as it stopped using that defense in cases of injury and death.
With plenty of potential gain from the GM suit, however, don't expect the plaintiffs to give up yet. When Toyota was sued for the same reason during the unintended acceleration debacle, it eventually settled the case for between $1 billion and $1.4 billion just to get it over with. Since the 85 law firms involved in the Toyota litigation took home more than $250 million of that total, we shouldn't expect the attorneys to give up on a GM payout, either.

Sabine Schmitz to compete in WTCC race at Nurburgring, hopes for rain

The World Touring Car Championship is set to return to the Nurburgring this year after a 30-year absence. Who better, then, to lead the pack than Sabine Schmitz? One of the most skilled drivers around the Norschleife, 45-year-old Schmitz has been known to compete in the VLN series and in the 24-hour race at the Nurburgring (which she's won twice), and regularly drives tourists on hot laps around the Green Hell. Nobody can drive the circuit better than Schmitz when the rain starts to fall, and fall it often does in the German spring, but she'll have a new challenge on her hands when she makes her WTCC debut in a Chevy Cruze for the Munnich Motorsport team for the German round next month. It'll be interesting to see how Sabine does in the race, given that she has no experience with the vehicle she'll be driving, but has immense knowledge of the notoriously difficult track. She'll have the chance to acclimate a little during the WTCC test session at the 'Ring later this month, and hopes to compete in one of the two races – in Morocco or Hungary – before tackling her home track in unfamiliar machinery. News Source: WTCC via YouTube, BridgeToGantry.comImage Credit: Newspress Celebrities Hirings/Firings/Layoffs Motorsports Chevrolet wtcc