General Motors Co. said Friday that it is recalling more than 69,000 trucks and vans because of a defect that could let the vehicles roll off after they are parked, according to Reuters.
http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/01/04/us-gm-recall-idUSBRE9030HK20130104
The vehicles under the recall potentially have a steering column flaw, either “a fractured park lock cable or a malformed steering column lock actuator gear,” Reuters reported, citing documents filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
The defects mean that a vehicle could just roll away once the driver has left it.
There haven’t been any accidents yet stemming from the defect, according to Reuters, which also said that General Motors believes most of the affected trucks and vans are in dealer lots or on their way to dealers. The automaker claims that only about one in a 1,000 recalled vehicle will have the defect, Reuters reported.
Some 55,000 of the recalled vehicle are in the United States.
The recall involves: 2013 Cadillac Escalades, Escalade EXT and Escalade ESV SUVs; Chevy Express vans; Silverado and Avalanche pickups; Tahoe and Suburban SUVs; GMS Savanna vans; Sierra pickups; and Yukon and Yukon XL SUVs.
Reuters reported that if a vehicle has the defect, a driver could go from “park” when the key is out of the ignition or the key is in the “off” position. In addition, according to Reuters the transmission could be taken out of “park” when the brake pedal is applied while the key is in the “off” position, or the key could be turned to “off” and taken out even if the shift isn’t in “park.”