— By this time we all have to wonder if the fat lady is warming-up her voice outside the headquarters of General Motors. Bringing the total number of recalled vehicles to about 13 million in the past five months, GM today announced four separate recalls of 2.4 million vehicles for numerous defects.
Buick Enclave, Chevy Traverse, GMC Acadia, Saturn Outlook
GM says almost 1.4 million vehicles are recalled because the front seat belt cables can break over time. The flexible steel cable connects the seat belt to the vehicle and it's this cable that can wear down every time someone moves around in the seat.
The automaker has told dealers to stop selling new or used models of the affected vehicles until they are repaired.
Chevrolet Malibu, Pontiac G6
Over 1 million model year 2004-2008 Chevy Malibu and 2005-2008 Pontiac G6 cars have transmission shift cables that can wear out and break. The cars are equipped with 4-speed automatic transmissions and once the cable breaks, the driver may not be able to select a different gear, remove the key from the ignition or place the car in park.
GM knows of 18 crashes and one injury related to the defect. Dealers will replace the shift cable and attachment bracket.
The Malibu and G6 were recently recalled for a totally different issue. Five days ago GM recalled 2.4 million model year 2004-2012 Chevrolet Malibu, 2004-2007 Chevrolet Malibu Maxx, 2005-2010 Pontiac G6 and 2007-2010 Saturn Auras for problems with a wiring harness.
The harness defect caused brake lights to fail when the brake pedal was applied, or the brake lights could illuminate even though the brake pedal wasn't depressed. Additionally, other important features of the car could be disabled, including cruise control, traction control, electronic stability control and panic braking assist operation.
Six days ago the 2014 Malibu was recalled because a brake vacuum hose could come loose and cause a loss of braking ability. Shortly before that, the 2014 Malibu was recalled because rear brake rotors were installed on the front of the cars.
Cadillac Escalade, Escalade ESVs
Over 1,400 brand new 2015 Cadillac Escalades and Escalade ESVs have air bags that could fail in a crash. GM says a faulty weld could fail to keep the passenger air bag attached to the instrument panel.
GM has stopped all sales of the 2015 Escalade and Escalade ESV and informed current owners to not let occupants sit in the front passenger seat until repairs are made.
Chevy Silverado HD, GMC Sierra HD
In the smallest recall, 58 model year 2015 Chevy Silverado HD and GMC Sierra HD pickups could potentially catch fire because of loose retention clips. The clips attach a 220-amp generator fuse block to the body of the truck and an out-of-position fuse block could cause a fire.
GM reports no crashes or injuries related to the faulty clips.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has not released a schedule of when the recalls will begin.
Read what owners have complained the most about concerning the vehicles named in today's recalls:
