2014 Gmc Sierra 1500 on 2040-cars

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GMC Terrain headlight recall fix is a sticker

This GMC Terrain recall over a headlight issue has gone from fascinating to absurd. It started when GMC discovered the headlights on the 2010-2017 Terrain were out of compliance with Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS). A pinpoint of low-beam light was being reflected off the high-beam reflector. This bounced a tiny sliver of bright light up into the trees and the sky beside the road, not into oncoming traffic. GMC did the right thing, reporting the noncompliance to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Because the sliver of light was coming from the low beams and was four times brighter than the maximum allowable low beam brightness, the NHTSA told GMC to recall 740,581 units of the SUV. GMC asked for an exemption, admitting the bright spot could cause glare while noting the errant beam didn't affect other road users. The automaker hadn't received any complaints, only a comment from one owner saying the lights put a bright spot in the trees on the other side of the road. The NHTSA denied the request. GMC began notifying owners in April that they'd need to come in for a fix once a fix had been developed. That's the fascinating part. The absurd part, which Tire Meets Road uncovered, is that the fix is a "Headlamp Applique Kit." Which is a piece of frosted tape applied to the outside of the headlight that lets low-beam light through and tamps down any potential glare from the caroming beam. Notice that the parallelogram of frosted tape matches the L-shaped frosted area along the inside of the headlight housing. That portion was already a feature of the lamp, as can be seen in our 2016 Terrain Denali Quick Spin. The repair needs a trip to the dealer for a tech to place a positioning template over the headlight and put the applique kit in the proper spot. GM's instruction kit says the whole thing should take 0.2 of an hour, or 12 minutes—about the time it it would take to get checked into and out of the dealership service department. Owners aren't impressed, some calling the fix unnecessary and ridiculous, and the tape should make it clear that GMC feels the same way. Some owners have said they're going to skip the recall. Those drivers will find that just as GMC couldn't escape the legal ramifications, neither can they. Local motor vehicle bureaus keep track of recall compliance.

Chevrolet Silverado reportedly getting the GMC Sierra's MultiPro tailgate

GMC reinvented the pickup tailgate when it added a six-way option named MultiPro to the current-generation Sierra it introduced in 2019. It kept this clever feature to itself as a way to differentiate the Sierra from the Chevrolet Silverado, but a recent report claims it will begin sharing it in the not-too-distant future. Enthusiast website GM Authority learned from anonymous sources familiar with Chevrolet's product plans that the Silverado will soon receive its own version of the MultiPro tailgate. It will be called either MultiFlex or Multi-Flex, a name Chevrolet has already trademarked, and it was initially scheduled to make its debut for the 2021 model year. Its arrival might be delayed until the 2022 model year due to the coronavirus pandemic, however. Chevrolet's Silverado and GMC's Sierra are nearly identical under the sheet metal, so adding the latter's six-way tailgate to the former will be a relatively straightforward and cost-effective process. Interestingly, GM Authority wrote engineers could add a seventh function to the tailgate, though it didn't reveal what they have in store. It's also not sure whether both trucks will get the new feature, or if it will exclusively be offered on the Chevrolet. 2022 will bring major updates to the Silverado and the Sierra, potentially including — as we've previously reported — an independent rear suspension. Interior upgrades will allegedly be part of the mid-cycle changes, too, but we still don't know if the Silverado will receive the tough carbon fiber cargo box available in the Sierra. In the meantime, motorists in the market for a Sierra will temporarily have fewer options to choose from. GMC has asked its dealers to stop taking orders for the regular- and double-cab variants of the truck, according to a separate report from GM Authority. Putting the slower-selling regular- and double-cab trucks on hiatus will allow dealers to build up their inventory of crew-cabs, which sell far better and are in relatively short supply. These restrictions will remain in effect until the 2021 model year, which starts on September 14 for double- and crew-cab models and on September 21 for regular-cab trucks. All three body styles will be available in 2021. Related Video:

GM to squeeze out more production capacity for midsize trucks

General Motors was predicting a strong showing for the Chevrolet Colorado and GMC Canyon before they debuted, and demand among dealers for the midsize trucks even exceeded company's expectations. The positive situation has left GM with a problem, though: finding ways to increase capacity for the pickups at the Wentzville Assembly plant in Missiouri. With a third shift already running, GM has continued to look for ways to build just a few more of the trucks at the plant. The company has plans to hire as many as 1,000 more workers for the Saturday and Sunday shifts to construct an additional 2,000 pickups a month, according to unnamed insiders at the factory speaking to Automotive News. The little adjustments even extend to getting rid of an unpaid break to add 18 minute of assembly time over the course of a day, which equals about 3,500 more vehicles a year. All of this effort comes because the trucks are in such high demand. According to GM's figures, the company has delivered a combined 35,720 units of the Colorado and Canyon from January through April 2015, and the Chevy was the fastest-selling truck in the US for the previous three months. In May, it spent an average of just 12 days in showrooms before being snapped up. And even better for the company, 43 percent of these buyers came from other brands. According to Automotive News, the most popular trade-ins have included the Ford F-150, Toyota Tacoma, and Dodge Dakota. Related Video: