Chevy truck owners in Texas may have heard that while General Motors waits to find out if its 2014 Chevrolet Silverado pickup will win the coveted title of North American Truck of the year, it also announced that it is recalling nearly 400,000 trucks. The recall is for both the near-twin GMC Sierra model and the new Chevy Silverado due to a possible fire hazard. Both models have been earning widespread acclaim following a complete design overhaul for the 2014 model year.
According to General Motors, there have been eight fires in the trucks, and three of those involved vehicles owned by GM customers. Affected trucks are at risk for engine compartment fires or overheating exhaust components due to faulty engine control software. The software will be reprogrammed in the recalled vehicles to reduce the risk of fire. A fire in the engine compartment could result in a car accident if it occurred while a truck was on the road.
The recall is for 2014 GMC Sierra and 2014 Chevrolet Silverado models with 5.3-liter V-8 and 4.3-liter V-6 engines. Trucks equipped with 6.2-liter V-8 are not subject to the recall. In all, 67,000 trucks sold in Canada and Mexico and 303,000 trucks sold in the U.S. are being recalled. Due to the timing and size of the recall, many of the trucks may still be on dealer lots or in transit as opposed to in customer’s possession.
A defective car part that causes an accident may leave the manufacturer liable in a personal injury or class-action lawsuit. Recall information may help connect a car involved in an accident to a manufacturer if the accident is suspected to have been caused by a faulty component or part.
Source: CNBC, “Embarrassing setback as Chevy Silverado vies for Car of the Year“, Paul A. Eisenstein, January 12, 2014
