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GM recalling 521,817 cars in two campaigns

General Motors is issuing two, separate recalls covering a total of 521,817 vehicles worldwide. The larger campaign covers 468,887 units of the 2011-2012 Chevrolet Malibu. Specifically, 437,045 of these are in the US, and the rest are outside the country. In these sedans, a steel cable that connects the seat belt to the vehicle can fatigue and separate. GM knows of 36 claims about the problem but only one minor injury. According to The Detroit News, this happened when a taxi driver hit his head. To fix things, dealers will replace the "outboard lap mounting bracket," which will move the tensioner rearward. They'll also inspect and if necessary replace the steel cable and lap pretensioner. In the second campaign, 52,930 examples the 2015 Chevy Colorado and 2015 GMC Canyon have seat frame attachment hooks that were installed incorrectly during assembly. GM hasn't received any reports of crashes, injuries, or fatalities about this problem. Dealers will inspect the affected trucks and repair as necessary. GM spokesperson Alan Adler told Autoblog that he didn't yet have a specific date when affected owners would receive official mailings about either of these recalls. GM Statement General Motors is recalling 48,309 2015 model year Chevrolet Colorado and GMC Canyon midsize pickup trucks in the U.S. because certain seat frame attachment hooks were not properly attached to the vehicle body during assembly. Dealers will inspect the potentially affected seats for proper installation and repair if necessary. GM knows of no crashes, injuries or fatalities related to this condition. The total vehicle population of the recall is 52,930 including 4,620 vehicles sold in Canada. General Motors is recalling 437,045, 2011-2012 model year Chevrolet Malibus in the U.S. because the flexible steel cable that connects the safety belt to the vehicle can fatigue and separate over time as a result of occupant movement in the seat. Dealers will replace the outboard lap mounting bracket to relocate the tensioner slightly rearward. Dealers will inspect the cable and, if necessary, replace the lap pretensioner. GM knows of 36 claims, no crashes or fatalities and one minor injury reportedly related to the condition. The total vehicle population of the recall is 468,887 including Canada, Mexico and exports.

GM recalling nearly 4,000 vehicles over airbag concerns

Four different General Motors vehicles from the 2012 model year are being recalled over a potential airbag issue. The driver's side airbag shorting bar in the 2012 Buick Verano and 2012 Chevrolet Camaro, Cruze and Sonic might make contact with the airbag terminals, even during a crash. If so, the airbag won't deploy when it should, possibly increasing injury to the driver.
The recall is expected to begin on February 13 for the 3,896 units that might be affected. GM will notify owners who can then take their vehicles to dealers to have the airbag coil replaced. A bulletin from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration below has more info.

GM CEO Barra says 'we are selling every truck we can build'

DETROIT — General Motors Chief Executive Mary Barra said on Monday the automaker is "selling every truck we can build" and expanding North American truck-building capacity, even as U.S. gasoline prices hit record highs. Barra made her comments during the automaker's annual shareholder meeting. GM is pursuing a two-track strategy: Investing heavily in electric vehicles for North America, China and other markets, and funding those investments by trying to maximize profits from its North American combustion pickup truck and large SUV lineups. Barra said GM is planning higher-priced versions of its Silverado large pickup and its large SUV models. GM and its Detroit rivals Ford Motor Co and Stellantis NV rely heavily on sales of large pickup trucks and SUVs for global profits. High U.S. gasoline prices in the past have undermined consumer demand for relatively inefficient models. Nominal pump prices hit an average of above $5 a gallon for the first time ever last week, the federal government said Friday. GM is ramping up production of EVs. Barra said the Cadillac Lyriq electric sport utility is sold out through 2023. In response to shareholder questions, Barra said the "clear priority" for using cash generated by its operations is to "accelerate our EV plans." She did not rule out share buybacks or other approaches to returning cash to shareholders. GM still expects to increase production this year by 25-30%, despite continuing pressure on semiconductor supplies globally. Barra said GM is working to redesign vehicles to reduce the number of processors required by 95%. Barra serves as GM's board chair and CEO. GM shareholders overwhelmingly rejected a proposal to separate those roles.