GM has issued a recall on 55,000 2013-model-year Chevrolet, GMC, and Cadillac trucks and SUVs for potential steering column problems.
The Problem: General Motors will recall certain trucks and SUVs built in November and December 2012 because the steering-lock cable may be fractured or the lock actuator may not have been built correctly. If so, the driver could accidentally move the vehicle's transmission out of Park without pushing the brake pedal and without a key in the ignition. Alternatively, drivers could remove the key and think they had selected Park when the transmission was still in another gear. This could allow the trucks to roll away unexpectedly while parked, possibly hitting other vehicles or people. So far, GM claims it hasn't received any reports of crashes or injuries from this problem.
The Fix: GM plans to inspect the steering columns of affected vehicles and replace them if necessary. The automaker says only about one in 1000 vehicles will exhibit the steering-lock problem, and most of the models are still on the way to dealerships or unsold in dealer inventories. Customers who have purchased an affected vehicle will be notified by mail starting January 22.
Number Of Vehicles Potentially Affected: A total of 54,686 2013 models, including 1402 2013 Cadillac Escalade SUVs; 1029 2013 Chevrolet Avalanche trucks; 4231 2013 Chevrolet Express vans; 27,301 2013 Chevrolet Silverado light- and heavy-duty trucks; 2315 2013 Chevrolet Suburban SUVs; 3974 2013 Chevrolet Tahoe SUVs; 996 2013 GMC Savana vans; 10,632 2013 GMC Sierra light- and heavy-duty trucks; and 2836 2013 GMC Yukon and Yukon XL SUVs.