Federal Officials Investigate 2.7 Million General Motors Trucks and SUVs for Brake Defects

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has opened an investigation into 2.7 million General Motors trucks and SUVs over braking ability that may deteriorate over time. According to news reports, the government agency said it has received 111 complaints involving this issue, and nine of them include crashes that drivers have attributed to the potential defect. Two of the crashes have led to injuries. However, NHTSA says it is not aware of any deaths. GM said it is working closely with NHTSA and is continuing to monitor field reports and data on the affected trucks and SUVs.

Recall Details

The vehicles in question are all from the 2015 and 2016 model years and include the Cadillac Escalade, the Chevrolet Silverado 1500, Suburban, Tahoe, GMC Sierra 1500, Yukon and Yukon XL. NHTSA said the problem might stem from the engine-driven brake-assist vacuum pump, which helps bring the vehicle to a stop. With time, the part’s braking assistance could weaken and lengthen stopping distances. Naturally, longer stopping distances increase the risk of a crash.

So far, NHTSA has not ordered a recall for the nearly 3 million trucks and SUVs. But the agency has said the current investigation might require more analysis, which may trigger a recall. Neither GM nor NHTSA offered any suggestions regarding what drivers can do in the meantime to keep them vehicles operating normally. If these vehicles are recalled following the investigation, this would be the second recall totaling more than 1 million trucks this year. In September, GM recalled 1 million 2015 Silverado 1500 models because of an electric steering glitch.

Auto Product Liability Issues

Brake defects have the potential to cause major injury collisions. Faulty brakes put vehicle drivers, passengers and others on the roadway including pedestrians and bicyclists in grave danger. We trust this NHTSA investigation will result in a full-fledged vehicle recall, taking these dangerous and defective vehicles off our roadways.

If you or a loved one has been injured due to a vehicle defect, you may be able to file an auto product liability lawsuit seeking compensation for damages such as medical expenses, lost income, hospitalization and pain and suffering. An experienced auto defect attorney will be able to advise victims regarding their legal rights and options.

Source: https://kval.com/news/auto-matters/us-government-investigating-27m-gm-trucks-suvs