Category Archives: General Motors

News about General Motors automobile manufacturer. News about General Motors recalls, technical service bulletins (TSB), and problems regarding General Motors vehicles.

Your Cadillac CTS Could Be A Lemon

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In most cases, the Cadillac CTS is a reliable vehicle, but over the years there has been a pattern of problems that owners have been dealing with. Below are some common problems affecting GMs’ Cadillac CTS vehicles:

Cadillac CTS Dash Cluster Problems

In February 2022, a class-action lawsuit was filed against General Motors over issues with its Cadillac User Experience (CUE) system. This lawsuit was originally filed against GM in the U.S. District for Southern California back in 2019 by owners of Cadillac vehicles equipped with its CUE infotainment system. Plaintiffs alleged cars equipped with Cadillac CUE have touchscreens that are prone to delaminating and cracking, making them impossible to use.

Other Cadillac CTS Dash Cluster Problems Include:

  • Dash Cluster Is Completely Dead
  • Dashboard / Speedometer Lights Continually Blinking
  • Gauges Become “Stuck”
  • “Starting Disabled Remove Key” Warnings

Cadillac CTS Rear Differential Problems

Over the years, the Cadillac CTS model has received many complaints about differential problems. They have recently been recalled for roll pins in the rear-axle differential that could fatigue and crack. If these pins break while the vehicle is driven, it could cause the rear to lock up, creating a dangerous driving situation. Other differential problems include a rear axle pinion seal that could experience a fluid leak. If the fluid leaks low enough, a lack of lubrication could lead to increased differential noise and eventual failure.

Symptoms Of A Bad Rear CTS Differential

  • Vibrations that increase in intensity as you speed up.
  • Grinding Gears
  • Whining Noises
  • Metal Shavings In Differential Fluid

Cadillac CTS Check Engine Light Flashes

When your Cadillac CTS “Check Engine Light” goes on, you don’t immediately stop your vehicle and turn off the engine, unless you are experiencing engine performance issues such as poor acceleration or rough idling. The engine light warning could be a minor issue or it could mean something more serious. For most Cadillac CTS owners, it means a trip to the car dealership to investigate the issue and get the light turned off.

Common Cadillac CTS Check Engine Light Problems include:

  • Faulty Steering Wheel Position Sensor
  • Loose Or Damaged Gas Cap
  • Faulty Mass Air Flow (MAF) Sensor
  • Oxygen Sensor Failure
  • Catalytic Converter Failure
  • EVAP (Evaporated Emission Control System) Leak
  • EGR Exhaust Gas Re-circulation Valve Failure
  • Dirty Spark Plugs Or Damaged Spark Plug Wires
  • Vacuum Leak

If your vehicle is experiencing repeated problems it could be a Lemon. Know your Lemon Law Rights. If you have any questions about your rights and the California Lemon Law, please call our office at 1-888-395-3666 and get some great Lemon Law advice!

Our firm has 30 years of experience in dealing with nearly every kind of manufacturer of motor vehicles and have represented thousands of clients throughout the state of California. When we submit a demand on your behalf, the manufacturer is more likely to respect the legitimacy of your claim and our long experience in handling such matters.

GMC Hummer EV High Voltage Battery Leak

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General Motors (GM) has decided that a battery defect exists in certain 2022-2023 GMC Hummer EVs and 2022 BrightDrop EV600s. While GM works to develop a fix for this condition, owners will receive interim notifications alerting them of the problem. Once a remedy becomes available, GM will send a second notification with a time frame for repairs.

GM first became aware of the problem in July 2022 after receiving Speak Up For Safety (SUFS) submissions relating to potential electrocoating and urethane sealing issues in certain Hummer EV battery packs. After further investigation, two manufacturing errors were identified.

  1. Under cured electrocoating along certain portions of the battery tray.
  2. Improper urethane seal repair could result in poor urethane seal adhesion in battery packs built during specific build windows.

According to the defect report, flanges on the battery pack enclosure may have been improperly primed or electrocoated, inhibiting proper adhesion of the urethane sealant. If water enters the battery pack enclosure and causes a battery pack malfunction, one or more malfunction indicator lamps may illuminate and the driver information center will display a warning message.

GM is aware of two field reports and a relevant report involving a GM test vehicle. All three vehicles had water leaks at urethane seals that had been repaired by the battery pack supplier during pack assembly. Water inside the battery packs triggered the vehicles’ onboard diagnostics, and the drivers received notification of a battery-pack malfunction.

GM is not aware of any accidents, injuries, or fires related to this condition. GM’s Safety Field Action Decision Authority (SFADA) decided to conduct a safety recall on vehicles containing packs with potentially improperly repaired urethane seals.

The remedy is currently under development. Interim letters notifying owners of the safety risk are expected to be mailed on November 28, 2022. Second letters will be sent once the remedy is available. GM’s number for this recall is N222380031 and the NHTSA campaign number is 22V-771.

Chevy Equinox And GMC Terrain Driver Seat Squeaks And Rattles

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General Motors (GM) will be contacting the owners of certain 2022-2023 Chevrolet Equinox and 2022 GMC Terrain SUVs because the driver’s seat in these vehicles may have a defect that could affect the drivers safety. The vehicles involved are equipped with powerd driver seats without the memory function.

GM became aware of the problem in July 2022 during noise testing at their assembly plant, after a driver seat frame height adjust pivot bolt was discovered on the floor of one of the test vehicles. The problem was brought to the attention of GM’s Speak Up For Safety program and inspections of vehicles at GM assembly plants and parts returned to the supplier was initiated. GM identified several stripped or loose pivot bolts in power seat frames produced by the supplier between June 30, 2022 and July 15, 2022, and decided to conduct a safety recall.

According to the defect report, the seat frame supplier assembly process did not detect improperly torqued bolts. As a result, the driver seats in these vehicles may have a stripped or loose bolt at the seat frame height adjust pivot. If the seat frame height adjust pivot bolt comes out of the pivot joint, the seat structure may not properly restrain the occupant during an accident and could increase the risk of injury. Vehicle occupants may hear squeaks or rattles coming from the driver’s seat, and/or the seat may feel loose.

Owners will be asked to return to their dealers to have the driver’s seat inspected and replace the seat cushion frame, if necessary. GMC’s number for this recall is N222377890 and the NHTSA campaign number is 22V-724.

If your vehicle is experiencing repeated problems, it could be a Lemon. Know your Lemon Law Rights. If you have any questions about your rights and the California Lemon Law, please call our office at 1-888-395-3666 and get some great Lemon Law advice!

Cadillac, Chevy & GMC Seat Belt Buckle Assembled With Improper Rivets

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General Motors (GM) will be contacting the owners of certain 2021-2022 Cadillac, Chevrolet, and GMC SUVs equipped with third-row seating. These vehicles may have been manufactured with an improperly formed mounting bracket rivet that may not restrain an occupant during an accident.

The vehicles affected by this problem include:

2021-2022 Cadillac Escalade
2021-2022 Cadillac Escalade ESV
2021-2022 Chevrolet Suburban
2021-2022 Chevrolet Tahoe
2021-2022 GMC Yukon
2021-2022 GMC Yukon XL

In May 2022, a GM dealership received a customer complaint about the separation of the third row seat belt assemblies in their 2021 Chevrolet Suburban. The problem was submitted to GM’s Speak Up For Safety program and a formal investigation was opened. During this investigation, another seven additional field reports were found that could be related to this condition. Further investigation into the problem determined that operators at the seat belt buckle assembly supplier’s manufacturing plant may have not properly followed manufacturing processes and as a result, may have missed the rivet forming operation. In July, GM’s investigator met with the seat belt buckle assembly supplier to determine the scope of potentially affected parts. On August 4, 2022, GM’s Safety Field Action Decision Authority (SFADA) decided to conduct a safety recall.

According to the defect report, the rivet that retains the buckle to the mounting bracket in the left and/or right side third-row seat belt buckle assembly may not have been properly formed during the manufacturing process. If the assembly is not properly riveted, it will not restrain occupants during an accident and could result in increased injuries.

Owners receiving recall notices will be asked to return to their GM dealer to have the rivet head formation on both the left and right side third-row seat belt buckle assemblies inspected and replace seat belt buckle assemblies, as necessary. GM’s number for this recall is N222372380 and the NHTSA campaign number is 22V-617.

2022 Chevy Silverado And 2022 GMC Sierra High Mount Brake Light Defect

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Certain 2022 Chevrolet Silverado and 2022 GMC Sierra vehicles equipped with a high-mounted brake light accessory sports bar, may fail to meet the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) for lamps, reflective devices and associated equipment.

General Motors (GM) first became aware of the problem in April 2022, when a GM engineer observed an accessory sports bar installation problem on a 2022 Chevrolet Silverado. The problem was reported to GM’s Speak Up For Safety (SUFS) program and a formal investigation was opened. The investigation reviewed customer field data and found 15 claims related to this condition

According to the defect report, some 2022 Chevrolet Silverado and 2022 GMC Sierra trucks may have a dealer-installed accessory sports bar that contains a high-mounted stop lamp that will not operate as intended when installed according to the provided instructions. The installation of the bar also blocks the vehicle’s existing high-mounted stop lamp. If the high-mounted stop lamp is not working or is not visible to other drivers, it will increase the risk of an accident.

The instructions for wiring the accessory sports bar is not compatible with the electrical design of certain 2022 Silverado and Sierra trucks. 2019-2021 model year vehicles and 2022 model year vehicles built with the previous electrical architecture (RPOs J21 and AMK) are not affected by this problem. This accessory is not intended for use on 2500/3500 series vehicles.

GM is not aware of any accidents or injuries associated with this condition. Investigators analyzed sales records to identify potentially affected trucks and over the counter sales and have decided to conduct a noncompliance recall. Approximately 242 vehicles are affected.

Owners receiving notices will be asked to return to their Chevy or GMC dealer to have the installation of the sports bar inspected and repaired as necessary. GM’s recall number for this recall is N222368110 and the NHTSA campaign number is 22V-463.

2018-2020 Buick Regal
Loss Of Power Brake Assist

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General Motors (GM) has determined that certain 2018-2020 Buick Regal vehicles may have a software defect that could affect the power brake assist system. Because of this error, these vehicles fail to meet the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS) for “Braking Systems”.

In April 2022, a brake performance issue on a 2019 Opel Insignia, a sister vehicle of the Buick Regal, was brought to the attention of GM’s Speak Up For Safety (SUFS) program. An investigation was opened and the problem was found to be a software issue. According to the defect report, a software error could cause the hydraulic brake boost to fail and not respond to a loss of brake vacuum pressure. Tests conducted on a Buick Regal by GM, showed that stopping distance following the loss of vacuum brake pressure could exceed FMVSS 135 requirements by 1-5 percent.

Field data has identified four claims received by GM in which the vehicle’s invalid vacuum pressure diagnostic trouble code (DTC) was set and the hydraulic brake boost was disabled. None of these claims involved an allegation that the condition contributed to a crash, and GM is not aware of any crashes or injuries relating to this condition. In June, GM’s Safety Field Action Decision Authority (SFADA) decided to conduct a non-compliance recall.

According to the defect report, a loss of vacuum brake assist pressure will cause these vehicles to exceed the stopping distance requirements. If the vehicle’s vacuum-power brake assist partially or fully fails, braking events may require additional stopping distance, depending on the brake pedal force applied by the driver. Increased stopping distances could increase the risk of a crash.

NOTE: During a partial or full loss of vacuum brake assist, the vehicle may display a message in the Driver Information Center, a malfunction warning light may illuminate and the driver may notice increased brake pedal resistance.

Owners receiving notices will be asked to return to their dealers to have the EBCM software updated in their vehicles. The NHTSA campaign number for this recall is 22V-465.

Cadillac, Chevrolet & GMC Vehicles Investigated For Airbag Safety Problem

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Automotive Defect Investigation
The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) have opened a Preliminary Evaluation (PE21-010) to investigate complaints of malfunctions with the driver frontal air bags in certain Cadillac, Chevrolet and GMC vehicles.

The ODI has received fifteen consumer complaints about certain vehicles experiencing an airbag warning light illumination and/or a failure of the airbag to deploy during an accident with significant frontal damage. Nine of the consumer complaints say the air bag malfunction indicator lamp (MIL) was illuminated and six of the incidents had significant frontal damage with failure to deploy the airbags.

A TSB, issued in March 2021, addresses air bag MIL illumination accompanied by diagnostic trouble codes B0001-1B or B0012-0D. It also reports rust particles in the connection terminal interface of the driver airbag inflator as the cause of the airbag MIL illumination. Illumination of the airbag MIL under these circumstances may result in a non-deployment of the driver’s airbag during a frontal collision and increased risk of injury to the driver.

The vehicles under investigation include:

2020-2021 Cadillac CT4
2020-2021 Cadillac CT5
2020-2021 Cadillac Escalade
2020-2021 Cadillac Escalade ESV
2020-2021 Cadillac XT5
2020-2021 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
2020-2021 Chevrolet Silverado 2500
2020-2021 Chevrolet Silverado 3500
2020 Chevrolet Silverado 4500HD
2020 Chevrolet Silverado 5500HD
2020 Chevrolet Silverado 6500HD
2020-2021 Chevrolet Suburban
2021 Chevrolet Suburban 1500
2020-2021 Chevrolet Tahoe
2020-2021 GMC Sierra 1500
2020-2021 GMC Sierra 2500
2020-2021 GMC Sierra 3500
2020 GMC Sierra Denali
2020-2021 GMC Yukon
2020-2021 GMC Yukon XL

ODI have opened this preliminary investigation to determine the scope and severity of the potential problem and to fully assess the potential safety-related issues. If the investigation results in a recall, an estimated 749,312 vehicles could be affected.

Chevy Bolt Battery Problem Update

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General Motors is still rolling out new batteries for the troubled Chevy Bolt electric vehicle, albeit very slowly. We are hearing from clients and potential clients that dealerships are putting them on “wait lists” for the new battery but are not hearing again from the dealership. The dealerships give the owner no times table for getting their new battery as well. Obviously, this is very frustrating for consumers who are tired of figuring out ways to safely charge their EV. To date, we have only heard of the new batteries actually being installed in the 2017 – 2019 year models, but not for any 2020-2021 models. The good news is that once the battery has been installed, consumers seem to be happy with the new battery giving them a longer range than the original. More importantly, we have not heard of any problems associated with the new battery. This is good news for consumers.

With that said, we are still accepting Chevy Bolt cases, regardless of whether the new battery has been installed, and we continue to achieve favorable settlements with General Motors. Many of our settlements are for cash, allowing the consumer to receive compensation while being allowed to keep the vehicle.

Please call us at 1-888-395-3666 for more details about this problem.

Chevrolet Bolt EV

Here is a summary of the defect.
General Motors recalled all of their Chevrolet Bolt EVs because there is a manufacturing defect affecting the battery cell. The problem is aggravated when the battery is charged to a full or nearly full state after it has been substantially depleted. The battery could overheat and catch fire, causing damage to the vehicle and structures around it. As a temporary solution, GM asked owners to reprogram their hybrid propulsion control module to limit a full charge.

The safety recall from the NHTSA states the following:
As an interim remedy, dealers will reprogram the hybrid propulsion control module to limit full charge to 90%. Until this interim is completed, customers should enable either “Hilltop Reserve” (for 2017-2018 model year vehicles) or “Target Charge Level” (for 2019 model year vehicles) using their vehicle’s infotainment center. These two features will limit the vehicle’s state of charge to 90% until the HPCM2 software re-calibration is applied. If customers are unable to successfully make these changes or do not feel comfortable making these changes, they will be advised to not park their car in their garage or carport until after they have visited their dealer.