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GM recalling 117,000 sedans, crossovers, SUVs, pickups and vans

General Motors has issued a stop-sale to dealers and has notified the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration of its intention to recall 117,000 vehicles in the United States, Canada and Mexico. Of those vehicles, only 4,500 are at dealerships.
The affected vehicles include the Cadillac CTS and Chevrolet Impala sedans, fullsize SUVs (Cadillac Escalade, Chevy Tahoe and Suburban and GMC Yukon and Yukon XL), Lambda-platform crossovers (Chevy Traverse, Buick Enclave and GMC Acadia), heavy-duty pickups (Chevy Silverado HD and GMC Sierra HD) and fullsize vans (Chevy Express and GMC Savana). The sedans and body-on-frame SUVs include model years 2013 and 2014, while the CUVs, heavy-duty pickups and vans are limited to MY2014.
GM confirmed the recall to Autoblog via an emailed statement (which we've included below). According to the statement, the issue at hand in what is the company's 69th recall of 2014 covers the chassis-control module. Automotive News is reporting that a problem in the chassis-control system could cause a short in the module, which could cause the engine to stall or fail to start. The fault could also affect the trailer-brake control, provided it's equipped.

United States drivers buying fewer Mexican-made cars

Crossovers and pickup trucks are not only growing in market share, they're also more profitable than cars. A crossover on the same platform as a sedan retails for thousands more, despite similar components. It's one of the reasons we've seen automakers rapidly shifting production of their sedans and hatchbacks to Mexico, where cheap labor preserves the thin profit margins on these inexpensive vehicles. But as the market continues to shift in the United States, Mexico is getting burned by its lack of product diversity. The country's auto exports, which are heavy on cars, suffered a 16-percent drop last month, Automotive News reports. In total, year-over-year exports fell from 233,515 to 197,020 last month, while year-to-date exports are down by 7.4 percent, from 922,029 to 854,118. The number one culprit? America – which usually accounts for 75 percent of Mexico's exports – and its appetite for crossovers and pickup trucks bolstered by cheap gas prices. While Mexico does build some light truck models – AN specifically calls out the Ram 2500, Honda HR-V, GMC Sierra, and Toyota Tacoma as export leaders – the vast majority of vehicles rolling out of its factories are sedans and hatchbacks. In fact, the three biggest drops in Mexican exports came from companies whose south of the border factories only build cars – Ford (Fusion/Lincoln MKZ and Fiesta), Mazda (Mazda3), and Volkswagen (Golf and Jetta). Mexican Automotive Industry Association President Eduardo Solis told AN the export shortfall will likely be sorted out sooner rather than later, thanks to a pair of new factories – a Kia car factory and an Audi SUV plant – that are coming online by year's end. The two facilities will add around 100,000 vehicles to the country's export totals, which Solis said should leave the industry on the verge of breaking another export record in 2016. But how sustainable will these record-breaking years be? Slapping an "Hecho en Mexico" sticker on a new German SUV won't be enough to change the fact that Mexico's product mix is tilted too heavily towards body styles that are not growing in volume. Mexico's record-breaking export years probably aren't at an end, but we'd argue they're certainly under threat. News Source: Automotive News - sub. req.Image Credit: Omar Torres / AFP / Getty Images Plants/Manufacturing Ford GMC Honda Mazda RAM Volkswagen Truck Crossover SUV Mexico

2021 GMC Canyon AT4 Off-Road Performance Edition is ready to hit the trail

GMC introduced a more capable Canyon AT4 named Off-Road Performance Edition that gains modifications like skid plates and a beefier suspension. It can venture further off the beaten path, but it won't get there faster. Based on the AT4, which is already better suited to venturing into the woods than the standard Canyon, the Off-Road Performance Edition gains a taller suspension and loses its sizeable front air dam to offer a 30-degree approach angle. GMC knows adventurers will be tempted to put that figure to the test, so it also added skid plates made with 5/32-inch aluminum to protect the radiator, the front differential, the steering gear, and the oil pan. Full-length rock rails on both sides shield the rocker panels from expensive encounters with boulders and other obstacles. Finally, the Off-Road Performance Edition stands out from the AT4 with specific 17-inch wheels painted in gloss black, black AT4 logos, and black exhaust tips. 31-inch Goodyear Wrangler tires come standard. Changes in the cabin are limited to floor liners. Out back, the cargo box receives a spray-in liner. Don't look for Ram 1500 TRX-like performance, because it doesn't sound like GMC made any major mechanical modifications to the Off-Road Performance Edition. Power comes from a 3.6-liter V6 that sends 308 horsepower and 275 pound-feet of torque to the four wheels via an eight-speed automatic transmission and an automatic locking rear differential provided by Eaton. AT4 buyers can order a 2.8-liter Duramax turbodiesel four-cylinder with 181 horsepower and a stout 369 pound-feet of torque on tap for an additional $4,375, but there's no word yet on whether this fuel-saving engine will be available on the Off-Road Performance Edition, too. GMC's 2021 Canyon AT4 Off-Road Performance Edition will go on sale later in 2020, though pricing information hasn't been announced yet. For context, the standard AT4 costs $39,395 in its most affordable configuration.