DETROIT (WWJ) - A recall involving more than 300,000 General Motors vehicles has been issued after the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) says there's a problem with the tailgate.
According to the auto safety regulator, the Detroit-based automaker is recalling 323,232 of its model year 2020-2024 Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra trucks equipped with power-unlatching tailgates.
In some cases, officials found that when water gets into the tailgates, it can cause a short circuit of the electronic gate-release switch. When this happened, the gate may unlatch suddenly and unexpectedly while driving.
If a driver is hauling unsecured cargo in the truck bed when this happens, it can fall out of the vehicle and create "a road hazard and increasing the risk of a crash."
As stated in the recall, GM received 136 complaints about the tailgates opening unexpectedly. One complaint resulted in a minor injury and three complaints of minor property damage, GM said.
General Motors said dealers will replace the exterior touchpad switch assemblies at no cost to drivers. The company advised drivers to make sure their tailgate is securely closed and latched before hitting the road until repairs can be preformed.
GM dealers were also ordered to stop selling affected trucks the affected parts are replaced.
Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed March 18. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020 or GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782 for further information.
The recall comes on the heels of a safety issue identified in Honda vehicles. Roughly 750,200 Hondas are being recalled because of a faulty switch that is supposed to disable the passenger airbag when a child is in the front seat.
That recall includes: select Honda Pilot, Accord, Civic sedan, HR-V and Odyssey models from the 2020 through 2022 model years, as well as the 2020 Fit and Civic Coupe.
Also included are the 2021 and 2022 Civic hatchback, the 2021 Civic Type R and Insight, and the 2020 and 2021 CR-V, CR-V Hybrid, Passport, Ridgeline and Accord Hybrid.