General Motors has issued a major recall affecting 3.46 million pickup trucks and SUVs in the United States.
The defect: according to General Motors, the engine-driven vacuum pump in affected vehicles may lose power over time, resulting in reduced vacuum pressure and thus reduced braking performance. This problem was actually first brought to the public’s attention by Transport Canada, which issued a recall for about 300,000 affected vehicles in Canada earlier this year over the faulty pumps.
The hazards: GM says the braking performance in the vehicles may be reduced, but only in “rare circumstances.” If braking performance is reduced, the vehicle may require “increased brake pedal effort, leading to a hard brake pedal feel, and potentially increased stopping distance.” GM says it has linked 113 crashes and 13 injuries to the problem.
Affected vehicles:
- 2014-2018 Cadillac Escalade
- 2014-2018 Chevrolet Silverado
- 2014-2018 Chevrolet Tahoe
- 2014-2018 GMC Sierra
- 2014-2018 Chevrolet Suburban
- 2014-2018 GMC Yukon
Affected parts: vacuum brake assist pump and electronic brake control module.
Number of affected vehicles: 3.46 million in the United States. GM previously issued a recall for 300,000 trucks in Canada for the same problem.
The fix: GM dealers will reprogram the electronic brake control module, which will improve how the system utilizes the brake boost assist when the vacuum pump assist is depleted.
Owners should: owners affected by this recall should wait for GM to contact them, at which point they will be instructed to make an appointment with their dealer’s service center. They can also contact GM customer service with questions by using the information below.
Contacts:
• Chevrolet Customer Service: 1-800-222-1020
• GMC Customer Service: 1-800-462-8782
• Cadillac Customer Service: 1-800-333-4223
• NHTSA Toll Free: 1-888-327-4236
• NHTSA (TTY): 1-800-424-9153
• NHTSA Website: www.safecar.gov
• NHTSA campaign number: 19V645000
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Comments
Wasn’t there just an article poking fun at the Ram’s recall over quality issues, claiming GM’s products were superior? I’m pretty sure you jumped the gun on that one ?
I don’t think it was a quality issue, they made the tailgate deploy to cushion the impact of the Chevy without brakes rear ending them. Hopefully it doesn’t take GM too long to fix this. I hate the “hey your vehicle isn’t safe, buy we can’t fix it for you for a while” recalls.
That literally made me laugh out loud, RAMtroll !!!!
Yeah I had to trade off my GMC 2017 HD before winter because GM couldn’t figure out how to put in a block heater !!!
Its the year 2020 and we are paying $77,000 for a truck that GM cant put a block heater in !!
What the h3ll is going on at GM ?
Put a heater yourself or move south where you don’t need one. I did over 55 years ago, and I never need block heaters, defrosters, or winter tires.
My 2017 GMC Sierra has a block heater..I live in Montana..have yet to need it..its starts right up even at 39 below sitting outside. Neighbor has 2018 Ram..its in the dealer almost monthly for all kinds of problems…
Both Eric and Raymond Ramirez,
I live in South Dakota so about the same as Montana ( or close at times )
Anyway I have installed hundreds of block heaters in vehicles and equipment over the years so I guess I could have done it again, since an over 100 year old auto company cant figure it out any longer !
And I also haven’t need a block heater for a wile on the Duramaxes to start so I agree with you Eric on that, however I like to plug all my equipment in when its very, very cold if its outside just for longevity !!
And I wish Raymond Ramirez that more people who cant figure out how to live here would move south, and by the looks of things it is happening, and good lock in the future with that !!!
So the only thing that is concerning me of pissing me off is.
I bought a $70,000 block heater and I paid for a $70,000 block heater, so I want a block heater !!
You know how people like me don’t like unions, we don’t like regulations, we don’t like stupid laws, ETC.
Well just this kind of stuff is what causes those things !
So in our state you have to have certain qualifications to sell certain stuff.
Lets take insurance for example, you cant sell insurance in our state unless you pay the claims ETC. It keeps the fraud down !!
But why isn’t this fraud ?
Why isn’t this false advertising ?
I wasn’t told up front when I paid the $70,000 for my block heater that I would not be able to use it, maybe I would have bought another $70,000 block heater that I could use !!!
And even if it is recalled, like it is, Its fraud if an insurance company will not pay a claim if you paid the premium, so how is this different ?
I was told I would get a block heater, so I want a block heater.
So if I install my own block heater, I am paying for a block heater twice, taxes on a block heater twice ETC.
So what I am saying, to all the auto manufactures out there,
If your selling a vehicle that the gear shifter, the heated seat, the block heater , the tail gate, the brakes, the steering, the transmission, and all the $hit that IS NOT GOING TO WORK !!
Tell me that before I pay for it.
But after I pay for something, how is it that you get to keep my money, making you money and I cant even use what I paid for.
At least when you say you cant use your stuff, you could say,
It will cost $200.00 to install a block heater, here is $200,00 !!
But NO, you keep my money and I don’t get what was sold me.
And that’s fraud !!!!!
I’m going to add one more thing.
I also don’t like tariffs.
I also don’t like government programs, even the farm program !
Even the chicken tax tariff on the trucks coming to the US !!
If you cant compete, go broke, that’s capitalism correct ?
So let the Germans make us a d@m HD truck so when I spend almost $80,000 for a truck I get an $80,000 truck I can use.
And I would be done with this American made legally sold junk !!!
But as we speak do to the government, we have no choice but to buy a choice of three, flawed junk products.
Look what the Germans and the Japanese did to the rest of are US made junk !!!!!
If you can’t keep up, go broke again and stay there, and like some here like to say,
Let the grown ups make the trucks !!!!
If Ram Trucks can’t even make a tailgate that works properly, GM can’t even make a braking system that works properly.
Easy on your words, GMA. You’ve just shot your own foot with that one.
We cover the news, as it is… sometimes with some personality.
If you don’t like the coverage or the personality, don’t let the X button hit you you as you close it down. No one is forcing you to stay.
Tools like William are missing the forest for the trees in a big way.
If GMA actually had some kind of agenda, don’t you think they would not cover these GM recalls or try to spin them in some way that makes them come out ahead? They didn’t do any of that… so maybe the guys who are shooting their own feet are the likes of William who can’t take the heat. Oh I don’t know, just a thought.
Also, love the way Alex just comes right out and says it like it is. He’s one of the few remaining auto reporters who isn’t afraid to fire back at the obvious trolls and give them a piece of his mind and for good measure. Some might not like it but I respect for that.
This is not good at all. Hope we don’t ever hear that GM was trying to keep this under wraps.
Would be a really bad look for them to say the least.
What does that even mean in todays world ” keep it under wraps ”
I would guess there were customers well, well, well, early on that have had troubles and called the horrible nonexistent GM customer support number to point out there failed brakes !!!!
So is that deemed as keeping it under wraps ???
Every day there are honest trustworthy GM customers calling the horrible GM customer support line just to get ridiculed as complainers !!!!
When are people here on this site and at GM going to figure out that when the customer calls you with a problem ————–
More than likely ————
You have a problem !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
What is so hard to figure out here !!!!!
In my opinion, I would bet this could have been fixed long ago, if when the first 100 customers who called the horrible nonexistent gm customer support number would have been listened to by a person on the other end of the phone who knew anything about a vehicle !!!!!!!
Most of the people I have talked to just close the case # without even pushing it any farther !!!
GM just cant figure out how to communicate with the customer ——
And the dealer —— customer ——- GM ——– communication, has never and will never work !!!!
The dealers now days just have little skin in the game, as they sell all brands to make $$$$$$$$
Just my opinion.
@lifelongGMowner
In my view, keeping it under wraps would be knowing NHTSA is investigating this and GM trying to steer the Investigation as to not get an Official Government Recall.
Hope that was not the case. Would be an extremely bad look for GM especially at this time.
I’m not going to guarantee anything, but perhaps this could have been a procedure performed as a TSB, and it’s more widespread than they thought, so they probably just brought on the Recall. Of course that also depends on who Transport Canada is. I’m assuming they’re Canada’s NHTSA.
I think I got a letter from GM regarding this a few months ago? Something about extending warranty? The last oil change svc writer told me they were replacing something that could cause a hard feeling in brake pedal. Sounds like same issue? Maybe it’s been repaired already?
No one is keeping anything under wraps.
Today corperations generally speak little or make any statments on issues under invlestigation. The legal side of things today has driven most honest people and companies into no comment mode as anything you stay can be used against you.
The reality is with the way the legal system works you can take anyone to court and basically hold them hostage for a settlement as it is cheaper than fighting. Because of this companies have to remain silent as the investigations are done and not to give any more amunition to the legal folks to use against them to try to pry more money out for them in the name of class action that benefits the lawyers and not really anything for the owners.
This is no different than if you were in an accident. No matter if you are at fault or not you are told to remain silent anymore. Any admissions could be used against you in court even if you are innocent or the victim.
But as we can see here GM is working with the goverment to deal with this and fix the issue though it affected a very small number of vehicles out of millions built.
Fca can’t get a tailgate right, huh? Sounds not as bad as P.O.S. GM not getting their ignition switches and brakes right…gm authority is full of it.
Looks like we hit a nerve!
Huh ? My Brakes seem to work fine after 55000 miles. Did a couple 60-0 runs yesterday to confirm stopping distance with brake fully applied, it’s around 100 feet. There was no warping, squealing, or hesitation.
Is there a recall coming for the rear window defroster in the Silverado… something about the wiring harness? I heard the Silverados were recalled for Canada, why not USA as yet?
What is the big deal here? Sounds like a easy fix by reprograming the brake module. Remember the 6.4l powerstrokes that needed their ecm reprogramed because there was 4′ flames coming out of the exhaust? If this was a ford you would probably have to pull the cab to get to the module. I build crashed Duramax and powerstroke pickup and the fords are the most complicated to work on. Ford makes a heavy duty truck but they also ride like a tank.
“The Defect” states “faulty vacuum pump”. Then it reads “the engine driven vacuum pump loses power over time”. What is that? It also reads “vacuum pressure”? What!
It definitely was not an engineer that wrote this recall. Then the fix is software only?
My 2017 had the software fix but it didn’t fix the problem…