GM Re-calls 2 million vehicles

[Coventrysucks]

April 25, 2005

General Motors recalling more than 2 million vehicles
By KEN THOMAS
Associated Press Writer

WASHINGTON - General Motors Corp. said Monday it is recalling more than 2 million vehicles, including nearly 1.5 million sport utility vans and pickup trucks that have seat belt design problems.

The recall represented the latest challenge for the world's largest automaker, which last week reported $1.1 billion in losses in the first quarter, its largest quarterly loss in more than a decade.

GM has cited the financial burdens of providing health coverage for its workers and retirees amid lackluster car sales. Sales of the automaker's popular SUVs and large trucks have been off, in part because of high gas prices.

The company said there were only a few minor injuries associated with the six separate recalls and said owners would be formally notified of the problems by mail in the coming weeks.

Among the vehicles affected, the company was recalling 1.48 million SUVs and pickups from the 2003-2005 model years, including the Chevrolet Silverado Crew Cab, Suburban, Tahoe, Avalanche; Cadillac Escalade, Escalade ESV, Escalade EXT, GMC Sierra Crew Cab, Yukon XL, Yukon, and the Hummer H2s.

GM spokesman Alan Adler said the center safety belt in the second row of the SUVs and pickups, typically used for child seats, was riding high on the occupant's stomach or abdomen. He said there could be a reduced protection in that portion of the body in the event of a crash.

Adler said there have been no crashes or injuries connected to the problem.

"We want people, if they have a safety recall, we want them to get it fixed," Adler said.

The company also announced recalls for the following vehicles:

- More than 330,000 1500 Series Chevrolet Suburban and Yukon XL from the 2000-2001 model years for potential overheating of fuel pump wires that could lead to engine stalling. There were no known crashes or injuries related to the problem.

- More than 142,000 1500 Series Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra pickups from the 1999-2002 model years and 2500/3500 Series pickups from the 2001-2004 model years with manual transmissions for parking brake friction. Adler said there were 26 crashes and 1 minor injury connected to the problem.

- More than 69,000 Buick Lacrosse and Buick Allure 2005 models from Canada for a bent clip that holds part of the brake. If the clip comes off, it would lead to brake loss and a crash, Adler said. There has been one minor crash from the issue.

- More than 39,000 Buick Rendezvous and Pontiac Azteks from the 2004 model year for intermittent stalling or failure to start because of a faulty ignition relay. GM said it was aware of one minor crash but no injuries.

- More than 22,000 Saturn L Series Wagons from the 2002-2004 model year because they were built with a center and passenger side rear seat belt anchors that do not comply with U.S. and Canadian safety standards.

The company said the problems will be corrected for free.

In midday trading Monday, GM shares were down 52 cents, or 1.94 percent, to $26.22 on the New York Stock Exchange.

[CHEESE-TACULAR]

ha ha i laugh at this foolish company , but i really need to sell my stocks..

[fpv_gtho]

It sounds alot worse than it probably is, considering the size of the US market, Ford sell more F-150's in the US than the Australian market overall afterall.....

[Spastik_Roach]

Hands up who thinks 2 more GM companies are shutting down in less than 2 years..

[CHEESE-TACULAR]

*raises both hands and pays GM board to do so as well because they are so desprate for money*(not as much as ford though)

[Rockefella]

Bob Lutz and the gang are starting to dig their own grave.. build the cars well the first time, assuming they made them so cheap they're breaking down.

[Jet Black V]

GM is going through some ahrd times but they will recover in the next five years. Or they could go under if they arnt careful

[Vindesh17]

good thing our escalade was an '02 model

[CdocZ]

Just another straw on GM's back...........

EDIT: A big one at that.

[Prius]

i saw a blurb on the news about this.

i'm a little bit glad that GM is going through all these finicial problems because this might wake them up because while the Japanese manufacturers are making usabile reliable fuel efficant vehicles we Americans are making big and unreliabile SUVS.

even as an American I am against the big three because they won't stop with the SUV crap until they nearly go bankrupt then they wake up and will make a fuel efficant Vehicle.


to me with the rising fuel prices, either drop the giant SUV act or go to hell when it comes to the Big three.

BTW did you notice that according to Consumer Reports, most of the big three's SUVS suck at off roading-espically Fords. take the Explorer (or Exploder) for example, it has bluetooth, dvd player, second row console, satillite radio, but it sucks at off roading. I thought SUVS were made to off road, not to massage my feet. come on. While GM also has the H2, whoch is a Tahoe

ahh yes the GMC Tahoe, which is big, ugly slow, and is completely flummixed by snow, dirt, glass clippings, rain, drizzle, soil, or even a light breeze. It's rubbish.

on steroids. it can't off road, but Hummer advertises it as being able to "intimate other drivers" and on ads it is shown taking kids to school (yeah, the reason the mom didn't drive away from the school was because she was out of gas). But really I can give jeep some credit, their cars have a whole lot of nothing, but they are the best rated for off road ability, which is what SUVS were made for. Hell, look ao Toyota's SUV line, according to Consumer Reports, Toyota's SUVS were rated highly for Off Road ability while all the Big Three's SUVS (excluding Jeep) flunked all the off road tests, all they do is guzzle gas. As accodring to Top Gear, they're rubbish.

BTW if you hate Hummers come here
and
check this out Hummer wins worst idea ever award.

HOLLYWOOD— The Hummer H2 has been singled out by the Academy of Moronic Arts and Sciences to receive its most coveted award, the Stupie.™ "We really feel that the H2 pushes the bounderies of stupidity," said Academy head honcho John Elwood. "I mean, they must have had a team of monkeys working around the clock on this stuff!" Runners up for the Stupie™ were acid-washed jeans and Vanilla Ice.

/\ source Hummerdinger.com

[CdocZ]

I just realized something.........isn't this type of thing a HELL of alot like how the muscle car age was ended? Gas prices are skyrocketing, and the Japanese are selling more because their car's are more efficient.

Thank God the SUV age didn't last as long then.

[Prius]

well, there is also the fact that if this is like the muscle car age (which I totaly agree with you on) it will lake it until the big three will be living on governmant loans until they will stop the SUV business and start building fuel efficant cars.

[fpv_gtho]

even as an American I am against the big three because they won't stop with the SUV crap until they nearly go bankrupt then they wake up and will make a fuel efficant Vehicle.

Well as long as SUV's are big sellers in the US i dare say neither GM, Ford or DCX are going to stop making them. SUV's are more likely to actually bring money in compared to some of their other products as on a whole, the market says more people want them.

BTW did you notice that according to Consumer Reports, most of the big three's SUVS suck at off roading-espically Fords. take the Explorer (or Exploder) for example, it has bluetooth, dvd player, second row console, satillite radio, but it sucks at off roading. I thought SUVS were made to off road, not to massage my feet. come on. While GM also has the H2, whoch is a Tahoe on steroids. it can't off road, but Hummer advertises it as being able to "intimate other drivers" and on ads it is shown taking kids to school (yeah, the reason the mom didn't drive away from the school was because she was out of gas). But really I can give jeep some credit, their cars have a whole lot of nothing, but they are the best rated for off road ability, which is what SUVS were made for. Hell, look ao Toyota's SUV line, according to Consumer Reports, Toyota's SUVS were rated highly for Off Road ability while all the Big Three's SUVS (excluding Jeep) flunked all the off road tests, all they do is guzzle gas. As accodring to Top Gear, they're rubbish.

Wake up, what percentage of SUV owners actually take their cars offroading at any rate more than a few times a year? As long as people buy them as image cars, the big 3 arent going to waste development funds making a car that wont be used for its intended purpose.

[IBrake4Rainbows]

I'm a little disheartened by this; GM has not one, not two related vehicles, but many different models on many different lines going wrong. that leads me to think it's a deeper problem than just some minor faults; it's ingrained in the company to do things half-assed.

Not a good look.

[Prius]

it is because GM has a certain chassis that they put a lot of diffrent bodies onto.

For example, the D chassis was the cavalier, but then they rebadged it and now it's the sunfire, and then theres that one Cadillac. so if the Cavalier had a recall, all of those cars would be affected. get it?