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GM tells 2021 Chevy Express and GMC Savana owners to park vans outside due to fire risk

GM is telling owners of certain 2021 Chevrolet Express and 2021 GMC Savana work vans to park them outside and away from other vehicles and structures due to a fire risk. Additionally, the company is recalling 10,154 of the vans it believes to be at risk of catching fire. The breakout is 7,891 for Chevy and 2,223 for GMC.  Only vehicles equipped with the 6.6-liter V8 (the new-for-2021 engine option) are included in the recall, and it’s limited to vans produced on or prior to December 7, 2020. The problem stems from some anti-rotation tabs on the positive battery terminal that are too close to a fuse block assembly attachment post. This lack of clearance could cause the tabs to come into contact with the fuse block, causing a short circuit. GM points out that a short-circuit of this nature could cause battery drain or lead to a fire under the hood. Your warning for the time being will come in the form of a low battery voltage warning, or you might just wake up with an unexpected dead battery. GM says that it first opened an investigation into this problem on January 26 this year after it was notified of an underhood battery fire on a 2021 Express. The investigation found three other underhood fires and concluded that these fires were originating from the positive battery cable attachment near the fuse. This recall was officially posted on March 11 this year, and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration just sent a notification out to the media yesterday. The fix is a relatively simple one. Dealers are going to remove a portion of the anti-rotation tab on both positive battery cable terminals near the fuse block assembly attachments. This increases the clearance and eliminates the risk of fire, GM says. The job will be done under warranty, and GM says it will begin contacting owners for recall work on May 3 this year. Recalls Chevrolet GMC Safety Minivan/Van Commercial Vehicles

GM sees 'strong year' in 2018, then gold in Chevy Silverado for 2019

DETROIT — General Motors said on Tuesday it expects earnings in 2018 to be largely flat compared with 2017, but that profits should pick up pace in 2019 as its revamped line of high-margin pickup trucks hits the U.S. market. The 2018 earnings outlook was above market expectations, sending GM shares up more than 3 percent in premarket trading. "GM had a very good 2017 as we continued to transform our company to be more focused, resilient and profitable," GM Chief Executive Mary Barra said in a statement. "We are positioned for another strong year in 2018 and an even better one in 2019." GM and its Detroit rivals, Ford and Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, are bringing on new trucks at a time when overall U.S. new vehicle sales have been falling, but truck sales continue to grow as consumers abandon passenger cars in favor of pickups, SUVs and crossovers. GM on Saturday fired a new round in the battle for profits from one of the U.S. auto industry's most lucrative segments when it showed a new generation of its Chevrolet Silverado pickup truck at the Detroit auto show. The new Silverado, a highlight of the event, is the successor to GM's best-selling vehicle in North America. Sales of the current Silverado rose nearly 2 percent to 585,000 vehicles in 2017. In the coming months, the company will also reveal a revamped GMC Sierra pickup truck. U.S. new vehicle sales fell 2 percent in 2017 after hitting a record high in 2016, and are expected to drop further in 2018 as interest rates rise and more late-model used cars return to dealer lots to compete with new ones. GM said on Tuesday that while it retools a factory in Ft. Wayne, Indiana, to make the new pickup trucks, it will shift some production to an Oshawa, Ontario, plant in order to avoid missing sales in a hot market for the vehicles. The No. 1 U.S. automaker said it will record a $7 billion non-cash charge for its fourth-quarter 2017 earnings related to deferred tax assets. GM said it expects capital expenditure in 2018 of around $8.5 billion, about $1 billion of which will go toward funding self-driving car technology. Last week, the company said it is seeking U.S. government approval for a fully autonomous car — one without a steering wheel, brake pedal or accelerator pedal — to enter the automaker's first commercial ride-sharing fleet in 2019. GM said it expects 2017 earnings per share at the high end of its previously forecast range of $6 to $6.50.

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Discussion Topics for Autoblog Podcast Episode #321
Unibody Ford Ranger replacement