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GM Recalls 2021 Full-Size SUVs For Possible Driveshaft Failure

GM and the National Traffic Highway Safety Administration have issued a product safety recall for certain 2021 model year full-size SUVs over an issue related to the rear wheel driveshaft assemblies.

The problem: in affected vehicles, the rear wheel driveshaft assemblies may have internal components that were not heat-treated properly during the manufacturing process. More specifically, the supplier of the driveshafts previously informed GM the affected driveshaft units “may have been manufactured with internal steel recirculating balls that were not properly heat treated.” This can possibly result in total driveshaft failure.

The hazards: a driveshaft failure can lead to a loss of drive power. This could make the vehicle hard to control if the driveshaft fails suddenly, increasing the risk of a crash.

The fix: GM dealers will be instructed to replace the left and/or right rear driveshaft assemblies in affected vehicles. These repairs are covered under a product safety recall and therefore will be performed at no cost to the vehicle owner.

Affected components: rear wheel driveshaft assembly.

Affected vehicles:

Number of affected vehicles: 1,789.

Owners should: GM will mail notification letters to owners of affected vehicles instructing them to make an appointment with their dealer. If owners are unsure whether or not their vehicle is affected by this recall, they can visit my.gm.com/recalls and type in their VIN to see any open recalls or other actions that may be active on it. An owner notification letter mailing date has not been finalized, GM says.

Contacts:

  • GM recall number: N212351030
  • NHTSA campaign number: 22V036000
  • Chevrolet Customer Service: 1-800-222-1020
  • GMC Customer Service: 1-877-248-2080
  • Cadillac Customer Service: 1-800-333-4223
  • NHTSA Toll Free: 1-888-327-4236
  • NHTSA (TTY): 1-800-424-9153

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Sam loves to write and has a passion for auto racing, karting and performance driving of all types.

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Comments

  1. Ah there’s that awesome GM quality control.

    Reply
    1. Sounds like they identified a bad batch and are recalling and fixing affected vehicles, isn’t that what you would want?

      Reply
      1. When receiving a batch of parts a good automaker would randomly inspect a part on each batch to ensure it was built to specification. The whole Bolt fiasco could of been prevented if they did that.
        But na that cost $$$ and we can’t spend any $$$ on quality control and instead must rely on the supplier to notify us.
        Watch out when GM tries to go all Electric. One manufacturing mishap and no Quality Control and hello thousands of homes burning down from EV fires.

        Reply
        1. Yeah, they got to get that body-off-frame for repair quality like Toyota…..

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          1. I’m sure they’d be interested on toyota authority.

            Reply
        2. You obviously have no clue. Gm suppliers as well as ford and Chrysler, are required to certify their product and provide documentation to that effect. Audit testing is required by the supplier. Gm/ford and other automakers do not have the capability to test every part made by their suppliers. If they actually make the part, them they can. This includes Honda, Toyota, Nissan etc.

          Reply
    2. No problem, just make more crap!

      Reply
    3. Actually this is a good thing. During Covid, some supplier processes may not have been monitored as they would normally have been due to employee shortage. If you think this kind of thing is isolated to US automakers, you’re grossly mistaken. There are frequent recalls on Japanese and Korean products all the time. My thinking is that this issue may be isolated to a relatively small batch of halfshafts. People who issue these anal extrapolations and hyperbolic outrage are likely people who’ve never been inside a manufacturing facility in their entire lives. Give your head a shake before spouting off these off the cuff pronouncements and delve into the detail….

      Reply
  2. Should recall the pickups for drivetrain failire

    Reply
    1. What failure?

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  3. Can’t wait for some suburban mom to neglect going into the dealership to get stuck on the freeway yelling to her husband why she can’t trust GM cars anymore and post it on IG. Going to be great publicity

    Reply
  4. GM needs to do a much better job at Quality Control, it’s killing them, their reputation is very spotty. They need to find out how other manufacturers (like Toyota) are not having these same quality control problems. I’m a proud owner of a 2019 Equinox LT but when I read stuff like this it really saddens me. I don’t get it and understand why they don’t fix these issues.

    Reply
    1. They don’t care lol. It’s about $ and $ only. There is a reason companies don’t issue recalls until they are forced.

      Reply
    2. Are you serious? Toyota? The manufacturer who has taken the biggest hit in their reputation? Some still think they are the 80’s and 90’s Toyota but today they have come down to average with everyone else. Money has driven the changes in all manufacturers, Toyota especially. They are no where near the reliable perfect built tough vehicles they once were. Spend a little time on any of the forums and you will see that.

      As vehicles get more complicated and tolerances get tighter it is more and more difficult to catch. This isn’t a GM issue, all brands are finding rogue supplier issues or something that escapes from QQ. It isn’t they are being cheap, that is the last thing they want to do business wise as the cost is significant, it is becoming harder and harder to catch miniscule issues with machines these days.

      Funny how people always like to talk about something they have no idea about and blame on an incorrect party…

      Reply
  5. DRIVESHAFT WALL TUBING TOO THIN? U-JOINT PROBLEM? BAD WELD AT EACH END OF SHAFT?
    THAT IS IT FOLKS.

    Reply
  6. If you think other manufactures not have quality issues You are living in a dream . foreign manufactures may not have the same issues But they DO have them

    Reply
  7. It says right or left drive shaft. Do they mean axle shaft?

    Reply
  8. No issues all with my 2020 Lexus GX460…quality Japanese workmanship, a concept alien to GM engineers.

    Reply
  9. See my comment…. Recalls occur all the time with Japanese and Korean mfgs as well. There was a time when foreign makers would not divulge recallable stuff. Now they need to.

    Reply
  10. My 2021 Suburban is not on the recall list, but has started having similar issues, a grinding noise in the rear end when making tight turns while in 2 wheel drive. Any thoughts?

    Reply

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