2003 Gmc Sierra 2500hd on 2040-cars

Auto blog

GM recalls half-million full-size SUVs to address seatbelt issue

GM is recalling its redesigned full-size SUV models to address improperly riveted mounts securing the third-row seatbelts that may fail in the event of an accident. The population includes the 2021-2022 Cadillac Escalade and Escalade ESV, 2021-2022 Chevrolet Suburban and Tahoe, and 2021-2022 model year GMC Yukon and Yukon XL, for a total of 484,155 vehicles. "Operators at the supplier’s manufacturing plant may have not properly followed manufacturing processes and inadvertently missed the rivet forming operation," GM said in its defect report to NHTSA. "In certain of these vehicles, the rivet that retains the buckle to the mounting bracket in the left or right side third-row seatbelt buckle assembly may not have been properly formed during the manufacturing process. If the third-row seatbelt assembly is not properly riveted, it may not properly restrain occupants in a crash, increasing the risk of injury." Fortunately, the fix is relatively simple. GM service technicians will inspect the rivets on the rear seatbelt buckle assemblies and replace the entire unit if the rivets are not to spec. Dealer notifications have already been distributed; owners should receive notice start in September. Related video: Cadillac Chevrolet GM GMC Ownership Safety SUV

GM recalls 55,000 trucks, SUVs for separating axles, fuel pump failures

General Motors issued four separate recalls covering eight of its truck and SUV models for issues related to fuel pump and half-shaft failure. In total, the four campaigns include more than 55,000 vehicles spread out over three brands and six model years, but they've sorted themselves neatly into two categories. Let's dive in.  Axle separation Four models are being recalled for potential axle separation: The 2023 Cadillac XT5, 2023 GMC Acadia, 2023 Chevy Blazer and 2023 Chevy Traverse. The number of units affected is incredibly small (10 units each times two recalls, for a total potential population of just 20 cars). In each case, a small number left the factory with half-shaft assemblies that may have been missing the retention rings that keep them in place, possibly allowing the axles to separate or eject from the transmission. In the case of the XT5 and Acadia, it's the right-side axle assembly; Chevy dealers, however, will have to check the left side.  Fuel pump failure Again, we have multiple vehicles being recalled for similar issues, but in this case they're a bit more distinct. The first of these recalls covers the 2021-2022 Chevy Equinox and 2022 GMC Terrain. GM says a supplier-initiated change may have led to fuel pumps shipping with inadequate clearances to allow for the prescribed flow of fuel, meaning the pump could starve the engine. Customers experiencing the issue may see a check engine light and experience engine hesitation. In some cases, the cars may not start at all. Chevy and GMC will replace the units in question with correctly specified pumps.  The second recall covers a fairly specific cross-section of GM's HD truck lines. 2017-2019 Silverado and Sierra HD trucks sold with the diesel engine and a dual-tank configuration may have shipped with a rear fuel pump that is susceptible to fouling by debris, preventing fuel from properly transferring to the front tank, or, in extreme cases, resulting in a collapse of the rear tank. This issue can lead to inaccurate/erratic fuel tank readings, engine hesitation, a check-engine light or failure to start.  In both cases, GM will inspect and replace faulty units free of charge for customers. Expect notifications to be delivered by March.  Related video: Recalls Cadillac Chevrolet GMC Ownership Safety Truck SUV

Chevy Express, GMC Savanna reportedly ending production for 2025

The oldest commercial vans on the market may only have a few years left, according to a report from Autoweek. The news outlet cited a "competitive analysis source" in saying that the Chevy Express and GMC Savanna commercial vans would be discontinued after the 2025 model year. They would then be replaced by a new electric van, likely Ultium-platform based, for the 2026 model year. We reached out to GM for comment, and this is the official statement sent to us: "We have said in the past that as part of GM’s larger EV acceleration plans that we will add two new vehicles to our commercial portfolio. The first is a full-sized battery electric cargo van and the second is a medium-duty truck that will put both Ultium and our Hydrotec hydrogen fuel cell technology to work. We have not disclosed timing, names or shared any other details, so any articles reporting more are purely speculative." The GM vans are mighty old, having been introduced for the 1996 model year. They've barely changed since then, having received just some facelifts and updated powertrains over the years. And with GM's electrification plans, we're not surprised that these vans will be on the way out. We do have some disagreement about the reported timeline for replacement, though. We suspect that the upcoming electric vans will overlap with the old vans for at least a year. The reason being that there are a lot of these vans on the road, and there are a lot of pieces of equipment that fit them. Box vans, buses and more have components that have been designed for the Express and Savanna. If you're a fleet that has invested in these components, you might not be ready to shift over to a whole new platform. So GM will probably want to give fleet buyers one last opportunity to replace any old vans before committing entirely to a new electric van platform. It will also be interesting to see what kind of market the GM electric vans enter. Ford already has its electric Transit on the way, and Stellantis will be launching the Ram ProMaster electric van next year. Those are both based on existing gas-powered vans. And GM itself has already delivered the first of its larger BrightDrop EV600 electric vans to FedEx. The coming GM vans will likely be new platforms, which could give them performance and range advantages, though the Ford and Stellantis vans will have the advantage of being compatible with equipment for the gas variants.