Accident Reconstruction Network > News > March 2005 >03/22/05

Accident Reconstruction News Article

GM recalls 25,000 commercial trucks, 916 SUVs

DETROIT, March 22 (Reuters) - General Motors Corp. (GM.N: Quote, Profile, Research) will recall more than 25,000 commercial trucks due to electrical wiring which could wear thin and accidentally set off the airbags, a spokesman said on Tuesday.

The recall is the latest for GM, the world's largest automaker, which recalled more than 10 million vehicles in 2004. The industry saw a record number of recalls in the United States last year, due in part to tougher federal safety requirements, greater use of electronics prone to malfunction, and the growing number of vehicles on the road.

GM manufactured some of its Chevrolet and GMC medium-duty commercial trucks from the 2003 to 2005 model years without protective covering for electrical wiring, the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) said on its web site.

The wiring, located under the driver's feet, could wear over time and trigger the airbags to deploy, causing injuries, NHTSA said.

GM dealers will inspect the trucks and replace the wiring if necessary, NHTSA said.

GM has also recalled 916 large sport utility vehicles because they were built without a brake part, which could cause the brakes to fail, GM said.

GM said only five of the SUVs, which includes the 2005 Chevrolet Suburban and Tahoe and the 2005 GMC Yukon and Yukon XL, were delivered to customers, all of which were commercial businesses. GM notified those customers and recovered the vehicles, spokesman Alan Adler said.

###

Back to Accident Reconstruction News