1988 Chevrolet Suburban V200 Silverado 4x4 3/4 Ton on 2040-cars

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GM natural gas-powered vans recalled due to possible leak

General Motors is recalling almost 3,200 of its compressed-natural-gas powered utility vans because of possible leaks. GM and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) released a notice last week saying that 3,196 Chevrolet Express and GMC Savana CNG vans are on recall, though no accidents have been reported due to the possible issue. The recall is specifically for vans for model years ranging from 2011 to 2014. The recall stems from a potential leak from the compressed natural gas high-pressure regulator, and such a leak could cause a fire or explosion. GM will replace the vehicles' high-pressure regulator in order to fix the problem, will do it free of charge and is instructing owners to contact Chevrolet or GMC customer service to arrange for the parts replacement. Utility vehicle makers like General Motors have pushed for fleet sales of CNG-powered vans and trucks for the past few years and have touted them for their cheaper refueling costs relative to standard gasoline, not to mention the fact that natural gas can be readily sourced from throughout North America (thanks, fracking). According to CNGPrices.com, compressed natural gas sells for about $2.22 a gallon, on average, while the AAA is pegging the average price of gas at $3.34 a gallon. NHTSA has posted information on the recall here. Featured Gallery News Source: NHTSA via Reuters Green Chevrolet GM GMC Natural Gas Vehicles CNG gmc savana

400,000 Chevy, GMC pickups recalled: Side airbags can explode

DETROIT — General Motors is recalling more than 400,000 pickup trucks in the U.S. because the side airbags can explode without warning and spew parts into the cabin. The recall covers certain 2015 and 2016 Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra 1500, 2500, and 3500 trucks. Documents posted Friday by U.S. safety regulators say the airbag inflator can rupture or the end cap can fly off on both sides of the trucks. Documents say three inflators ruptured in 2015 Silverados last month, one in Florida and two in Texas. All three trucks were unoccupied at the time, and GM says it has no reports of injuries. Dealers will replace both side airbag modules. The company says it has a limited number of replacement parts available. Owners will be notified starting Aug. 16 and they'll get a second letter when parts are widely available. About 9,000 of the trucks were recalled last year for the same problem. The company says a manufacturing defect allowed moisture into the inflator while it was being manufactured, causing corrosion. The inflators were made in Mexico by Joyson Safety Systems, the company that took over Takata. Back in April, Silverado and Sierra were among nearly 750,000 GM vehicles in a National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) investigation into non-deploying driver-side airbags. That investigation is ongoing. Takata is responsible for the largest recalls in automotive history, covering about 100 million inflators among 19 major automakers worldwide, including about 67 million inflators in the United States. Nineteen deaths in the U.S. have been attributed to Takata inflators. Only about 50 million of the 67 million recalled inflators in the U.S. have been repaired. This latest recall is a good reminder to go to NHTSA's recalls website and enter your car's VIN. Millions of recalled vehicles still pose a danger to their owners. Yours could be one of them.   Recalls Chevrolet GM GMC airbag Takata airbag recall

Junkyard Gem: 1988 Chevrolet Spectrum Sport Coupe

Before General Motors created the Geo brand for cars built or designed by its overseas partners, the Chevrolet Division put its badges on U.S.-market versions of the Toyota Corolla Sprinter, the Suzuki Cultus and the Isuzu Gemini. Those cars were known as the Nova, the Sprint and the Spectrum, and all became Geos starting with the 1989 model year. Today's Junkyard Gem is one of the last Chevy Spectrums ever sold, found in a Denver self-service yard a few months ago. Midway through 1988, the Chevrolet Spectrum abruptly became the Geo Spectrum and was assigned to the 1989 model year. This car was built in May 1988, making it one of the very last of the pre-Geo Spectrums. The Chevrolet/Geo Spectrum was available as a four-door sedan and as a three-door hatchback, from the 1985 through 1989 model years. For 1988 only, a Spectrum Sport Coupe package, featuring some trim upgrades and these rad decals, could be had on the hatchback. This car was essentially identical to its Isuzu-badged counterpart, the I-Mark. In 1988, the MSRP for the cheapest possible Chevy Spectrum hatchback (the stripped-down Spectrum Express) was $6,495, while its somewhat better-equipped I-Mark twin started at $7,439 (that's $17,128 and $19,617 in 2023 dollars). Meanwhile, the base Hyundai Excel hatchback listed at $5,295 and the Yugo GV cost a hilarious $4,199 ($13,963 and $10,941 in today's money). Power came from this 1.5-liter SOHC four-cylinder, rated at 70 horsepower. A turbocharged version with 110 horsepower was available as well. You could get an automatic transmission in the Spectrum, but this car has the base five-speed manual. This car didn't get the optional air conditioning, but at least it has the traditional Isuzu HVAC control icons featuring blow-dried hair and high-heeled dominatrix boots. Just over 170,000 miles on the odometer. Someone installed a pretty good (for the 1980s) Blaupunkt Charlotte CR148 cassette deck in the dash. This was a necessity if you wanted to enjoy full appreciation of the music of the era. The Spectrum is special! It's as slick as city rain. "I didn't spend a lot of money but with my Spectrum it looks like I did." Joe Isuzu mocked Toyota salesmen when pitching the I-Mark. As was nearly always the case during the 1980s, the JDM ads for the same car were much more fun. They should have recreated this commercial with Spectrums.