General Motors has issued a massive recall affecting over 1 million light-duty pickup trucks and SUVs. The automaker filed the safety recall notice with the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration on September 7.
The defect: In total, 1,015,918 vehicles could be affected by defective electric power steering.
“When the system voltage drops below 8.8 volts for more than 1 second—e.g., during low-speed turns—EPS assist is disabled until voltage returns to 9 volts for a minimum of 40 milliseconds, at which point EPS assist returns,” the GM recall says.
The hazards: Should the power steering fail, the vehicle will revert to manual steering suddenly, which increases the risk of a crash. Affected models include the 2015 Chevrolet Silverado, Tahoe, Suburban, 2015 GMC Sierra, Yukon, and 2015 Cadillac Escalade.
Affected components:Â electric power steering (ESP)
Affected vehicles: 2015 model year:
Number of vehicles affected:Â 1,015,918
Breaking down the affected models, the GM recall says the following number of models are affected:
- 450,711 Silverados
- 109,151 Yukons
- 186,083 Sierras
- 45,270 Escalades
- 79,505 Suburbans
- 145,198 Tahoes
The fix:Â To remedy the problem, GM will instruct dealerships to re-flash the EPS module software. The re-flash will allow for reduced amperage levels to ensure the EPS does not shut off during low-voltage situations.
Photos by Steven Pham
Owners should:Â await notification from GM. The automaker planned to notify dealers of the recall on September 7 but did not provide a date for when it will begin notifying affected customers.
Owners can also contact GM customer service with questions by using the following information.
Contacts:
- Chevrolet Customer Service:Â 1-800-222-1020
- GMC Customer Service:Â 1-800-462-8782
- GM Recall Number: 18278
- NHTSA Toll Free: 1-888-327-4236
- NHTSA (TTY): 1-800-424-9153
- NHTSA Website: www.safecar.gov
- NHTSA Recall Number:Â 18V586000
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