Tuesday, April 26, 2005

2005 Chevy Tahoe

GM plans to recall 2 million vehicles

Seat belt trouble, fuel pump wires and parking brakes are latest problems.

By Jeff Plungis / Detroit News Washington Bureau

What's being recalled 2003-05 Full-size SUVs and crew cab pickups 2000-01 Chevrolet Suburban, GMC Yukon XL 1999-2002 Chevy Silverado, GMC Sierra pickup 2005 Buick Lacrosse 2004 Buick Rendezvous, Pontiac Aztek 2002-04 Saturn L Series wagon What to do • If you do not receive a letter in the next few weeks, contact your dealer for information. • Log on to www.mygmlink.com to register your vehicle. You will receive electronic notices, including service reminders and recalls affecting your vehicle. Error processing SSI file Comment on this story Send this story to a friend Get Home Delivery

WASHINGTON -- General Motors Corp., which led the industry in recalls last year, announced six recalls Monday, affecting more than 2 million vehicles.

The recalls -- to fix seat belts, stalling problems and other defects -- are the latest challenge for GM, which last week announced a $1.1 billion first-quarter loss.

The cost of notifying customers and repairing the vehicles could cost the automaker tens of millions of dollars.

The largest of the recalls announced Monday involves the seat belt in the center of the back seat in 10 large pickups and SUVs, covering 1.5 million vehicles.

A loop that routes the belt over the lap is placed too high, GM said, putting the belt over the stomach instead of the hips. It could lead to internal injuries in a crash.

Owners of the affected trucks will be notified by letter, said GM spokesman Alan Adler. No mailing has been established.

At the dealer, the belt loop will be relocated to ensure that the belt rides lower across the lap.

GM said it was conducting the recall after discovering the problem during testing. It has not received complaints and it knows of no injuries that have occurred due to the design flaw.

"Our commitment to promoting safety and to reminding everyone to buckle up properly on every trip led us to this decision," said Robert Lange, executive director of structure and safety integration.

The recall affects the Chevrolet Silverado Crew Cab, Suburban, Tahoe and Avalanche; the Cadillac Escalade, Escalade ESV and Escalade EXT; the GMC Sierra Crew Cab, Yukon and Yukon XL; and the Hummer H2 from the 2003, 2004 and 2005 model years.

The move comes less than a week after the federal government announced a probe that could lead to the recall of 3.1 million pickups to repair tail gate cables. GM recalled 4.1 millions pickups last year to repair a similar problem.

This year, GM has recalled 3.4 million vehicles worldwide, including 2.9 million in the United States. In the first four months of 2004, GM recalled 9.1 million worldwide, including 8.5 million in America.

GM announced five other recalls Monday:

• The Chevrolet Suburban and Yukon XL from 2000 and 2001 for possible overheating of fuel pump wires that could lead to stalling, failure to start, fuel leaks or inaccurate fuel level readings. The recall covers 332,202 vehicles.

• The 1500 series of the Chevy Silverado between 1999-2002 and GMC Sierra pickups, the 2500 and 3500 series, between 2001-04, to repair the parking brake. The recall only affects trucks with manual transmissions, a total of 142,585 vehicles. Friction can lead to parking brake failures, which could allow unattended vehicles to move, GM said.

• A brake problem with 69,037 2005 Buick Lacrosse and Buick Allure (sold only in Canada) sedans has led to a recall to repair a clip that secures the brake pushrod to the brake pedal arm pin. The clip could bend and come off, causing loss of braking power.

• The Buick Rendezvous and Pontiac Aztek SUVs are being recalled to repair a faulty ignition relay. Failure could cause intermittent stalling or the inability to start. The campaign affects 38,078 vehicles from the 2004 model year.

• Rear seat-belt anchors that failed to meet U.S. and Canadian safety standards led to the recall of 22,115 Saturn L Series Wagons from the 2002 through 2004 model years.

Last year saw 30.6 million vehicles recalled in the United States, a record.

The slew of recalls raises questions about GM's claim that quality is improving. J.D. Power and Associates, which surveys consumers and ranks automakers on initial quality and dependability, said last year that GM manufactured 28 different models that ranked in the top three of their respective segments.

"The average initial quality of new cars and trucks has increased significantly over the past several years," said John Tews, spokesman for J.D. Powerand Associates. "General Motors and the other domestic automakers have shown steady improvement in initial quality over that period."

Cadillac was second among nameplates in initial quality, behind Lexus. Overall, GM customers reported 120 problems per 100 vehicles in the survey; the industry average was 119.

GM's Adler attributed the large number of recalls to greater scrutiny by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, closer monitoring of warranty claims and an active public, which frequently now exchanges information on potential design problems over the Internet.

"I think it's greater vigilance across the board," Adler said.

GM shares fell 2 cents to close at $26.75 in Monday trading.

You can reach Jeff Plungis at (202) 906-8204 or jplungis@ detnews.com.