General Motors Recalls 69,000 Cars For Bad Shifter
General Motors is recalling over 69,000 vehicles over a bad shifter that could cause the cars to roll away after being parked.
The problem affects the cars’ steering columns, according to a report by the automaker on Friday.
The Huffington Post reports that the recall affects some 2013 models of the Chevrolet Silverado, Suburban, Tahoe, Avalanche, and Express. The GMC Yukon, Sierra, and Savana are included as is Cadillac’s Escalade.
GM announced that the vehicles affected were build with faulty park lock cables or malformed steering column lock gears. The danger happens when the cars roll away after the driver has left the vehicle, according to Reuters, who obtained a copy of the documents General Motors filed with the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
The majority of the 69,000 vehicles affected by the GM recall are believed to still be either on dealer lots or in transit to dealers. The company is also not aware of any accidents or injuries that have been caused by the defect.
The American car company added that they only expect on in 1,000 of the recalled cars to have the defect. About 55,000 of the affected cars are in the US, while 6,310 are in Canada and 7,084 are exports. 670 of them are currently in Mexico.
The defect allows a driver to shift from the park position while the key is either completely removed from the ignition or in the “off” position. The transmission can also be shifted from the park position if the brake pedal is depressed while the key is in the “off” position.
After testing the vehicles to see if they have the problem, General Motors will replace the steering column, if needed. The company will begin mailing letters to vehicle owners on January 22 to notify them of the recall.
