Since our auto products liability law firm’s last blog post on the vehicular defects plaguing General Motor, the manufacturer has announced even more recalls. The latest rounds include 490,000 pickup trucks and sport-utility vehicles over a possible oil leak, including the Chevrolet Silverado 1500 (2014 model), GMC Sierra 1500 (2014 model), Chevrolet Suburban (2015 model), the Chevy Tahoe (2015 model), Yukon XL (2015 model), and GMC Yukon (2015 model). The automaker reports that some of the vehicles may have an insecurely fitted transmission oil cooler line, which could result in a fire. Already, there are reports of three incidents although none of injuries.
GM also recalled around 172,000 Chevrolet Cruzes with a 1.4-liter turbocharged gasoline engine (2013 and 2014 models) because of a right front axle half shaft that might separate or fracture. If the auto part breaks while the car is running, the power to its wheels could decrease, eventually causing the vehicle to slow to a stop. Breakage while a vehicle is parked on a hill could compel the auto to strike another object or car or even pedestrians. Warranty data reports several dozen fractures, although no crashes or injuries have been linked to the auto defect.
Please contact our GM auto defects lawyers at The Gilbert Law Group® to find out whether you may have reason to pursue a personal injury or wrongful death case. We make it our business to go after automakers whose unsafe auto parts and vehicles have caused serious injury incidents to our clients or their loved ones.
Just last week, GM recalled another 971,000 vehicles globally over its ignition switch problem that is linked to at least 13 fatalities. Included are numerous if not all model years of the Chevrolet Cobalt, Chevrolet HHR, Saturn Sky, Saturn Ion, Pontiac Solstice, and Pontiacs G5.
The automaker noted that even the newer models manufactured after 2007 that have a redesigned ignition switch that was replaced with older parts may have a defect. Additionally, some 95,000 faulty switches that were sold to parts wholesalers and dealers as replacement switches have also been recalled.
The New York Times says that all the recalls by GM for 2014 are now at 4.8 million—not the best developments for the company after just coming out of bankruptcy and appointing Mary T. Barra as its head and the first female chief executive of a large automaker. Since then there have been seven auto recalls. There is data also about a possible link between airbags in GM cars and over 300 deaths involving this device that did not deploy. GM has just recalled about 1.5 million cars over faulty air bags.
The automaker admits that it knew about ignition switch problems for over a decade. (Under National Highway Traffic Safety Administration rules, a car manufacturer should notify the government of safety problems within five days of discovery.)
Meantime, Barra is scheduled to appear before the US Congress on Tuesday to answer questions about the faulty ignition switches. Also to face scrutiny by lawmakers over the problem is David Friedman, who is NHTSA’s acting head.
Our ignition switch defect attorneys have been pursuing auto products liability on behalf of our clients for decades. Contact The Gilbert Law Group® today.
