Skip to main content

More than 600,000 GM pickups and SUVs being recalled for a braking problem

General Motors has issued a recall for 638,068 Chevrolet and GMC pickup trucks from 2014-2018 and Chevrolet and GMC SUVs from 2015-2020. Also included are the 2015-17 Cadillac Escalades. The recall concerns a faulty wheel speed sensor that could, if it fails, cause the brake to engage on the opposite side of the faulty sensor. This might cause the vehicle to veer to one side unexpectedly at speeds from 41 to 60 miles per hour. So far no injuries have been reported as caused by this problem.

Only vehicles equipped with a 5.3-liter V8 engine, four-wheel drive, with a 3.08-ratio rear axle are included in the recall. GM’s number for this recall is N192261050. Chevrolet and GMC dealers will reprogram the brake system software free of charge.

The recall comes after the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) began investigating the problem last year after getting 111 complaints from owners who reported poor brake performance. The vehicle was tested and engineers were able to duplicate the condition by disconnecting one of the wheel speed sensors.

A failed wheel speed sensor will also activate warning lights for the electronic stability control and anti-lock braking systems and a message will display, “Service StabiliTrak.” A driver can avoid the problem by driving the vehicle in two-wheel-drive until the dealership performs recall repairs. The automaker says the underlying cause of the problem relates to incorrect axle-ratio calibrations in the electronic brake control module which cause the module to incorrectly calculate the speed of a wheel with a failed speed sensor.

An auto recall occurs when a manufacturer or the NHTSA determines that a car model has a safety-related defect or does not comply with a federal safety standard. When this happens, the automaker will alert owners to the problem and usually offer a free repair. When a recall is issued, manufacturers will do their best to contact all affected owners. If you don’t receive a car recall notice, however, you can search through current safety recalls on the NHTSA’s site. And whether you received a letter or not, the manufacturer is still obligated to repair the defect free of charge to you.

Editors' Recommendations

John Elkin
Worked for many off road and rally and sports car publications throughout the 1980s and 1990s. Decided to go look for a…
Scout Motors Electric SUV: rumored price, release date, design, and more
Scout SUV Teaser

There's another electric SUV on the way, and this one comes with a familiar name. Volkswagen is reviving the classic Scout name for a new electric SUV that's billed as being an "RUV," or a rugged utility vehicle. And, it could well prove itself as the best electric SUV in its price range, when it does finally come out.

The new EV isn't due out for quite some time, but there's already a fair bit that we know about it. Curious to learn more? Here's everything you need to know about the upcoming Scout SUV.
Design
There's very little we actually know about the Scout SUV so far, but we do know a little about the eventual design. A few teasers for the upcoming vehicle have been released, showing sketches of both the SUV and the accompanying pickup truck, along with what's presumably the front of the SUV -- though in a dark environment, with little detail.

Read more
Volkswagen ID.GTI concept is another icon reimagined as an EV
Front three quarter view of the Volkswagen ID.GTI concept.

Volkswagen reinvented one of its most iconic models with the ID.Buzz, a modern, all-electric homage to the classic Microbus. But that's not the only fan favorite vehicle currently in the automaker's catalog.

Debuting at the 2023 Munich Auto Show, the Volkswagen ID.GTI concept aims to do for the Golf GTI hot hatchback — VW's signature performance car — what the ID.Buzz did for the Microbus. VW claims a production version has already been given the green light, although it won't say when it will appear.

Read more
Some Tesla fires were reportedly caused by Idalia floods
A Tesla Model Y is seen driving to the left.

As Florida embarks on the difficult work of cleaning up the damage caused by last week’s powerful Hurricane Idalia, local fire crews warned owners of electric cars caught up in floods to immediately move their vehicles away from buildings as a safety measure.

The alert was issued via the Facebook account of firefighters in Palm Harbor, Florida, after reports emerged of electric batteries in two Tesla cars suddenly combusting after exposure to saltwater, CBS News reported, adding that one of the Tesla cars went up in flames as it was being towed by fire crews.

Read more