2022 GM Recalls and Safety Alerts

Seat belts have been mandatory in vehicles in the U.S. since 1968, and they have saved hundreds of thousands of lives during that time. In fact, more than half of the nearly 24,000 people killed in traffic accidents in 2020 were not wearing seat belts.

However, if a seat belt is to protect you, it has to work properly.

That said, General Motors is recalling 484,155 model year 2021-2022 Cadillac Escalades & Escalade ESVs, Chevrolet Suburbans & Tahoes, and GMC Yukons & Yukon XLs with third-row seats.

The rivet that retains the buckle to the mounting bracket in the left or right side third-row seat belt buckle assembly may have been improperly formed.

Because a deformed rivet may not properly restrain an occupant, the risk of injury in a crash is higher.

What to do

Fortunately, the automaker has a fix. Dealers will inspect the rivet head formation on both the left and right side third-row seat belt buckle assemblies and replace seat belt buckle assemblies -- as necessary -- free of charge.

Owners will be notified by mail starting around September 26, 2022.

If you want further information, you may reach Chevrolet customer service at (800) 222-1020, Cadillac customer service at (800) 458-8006, and GMC customer service at (800) 462-8782.

GM's number for this recall is N222372380.

General Motors is recalling 242 model year 2022 Chevrolet Silverados and GMC Sierras equipped with an accessory sport bar.

The accessory sport bar contains a high-mounted brake light that may not function. In addition, it may block the vehicle's existing high-mounted brake light.

An inoperative high-mounted brake light can reduce visibility to other drivers and increase the risk of a crash.

What to do

Dealers will inspect the installation of the accessory bar and provide the correct vehicle wiring -- if necessary -- free of charge.

Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed on August 15, 2022.

Owners may contact GM's customer service at (888) 988-7267 or Chevrolet customer service at (800) 222-1020. GM's recall number for this recall is N222368110.

General Motors is recalling 28 model year 2022 GMC Acadia All-Wheel Drive (AWD) vehicles and Cadillac XT5s & XT6s.

The fuel tank rollover valve may not provide a proper seal in a rollover crash.

A fuel tank rollover valve that does not properly seal can result in a fuel leak in a rollover crash, increasing the risk of a fire.

What to do

Dealers will inspect the fuel tank and replace the fuel tank shell if the rollover valve is found to be dislodged or missing for free.

Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed on August 8, 2022.

Owners may contact GMC customer service at (800) 462-8782 and Cadillac customer service at (800) 458-8006. GM's number for this recall is N222366070.

General Motors is recalling 736 model year 2022 Cadillac XT5s & XT6s, and GMC Acadias.

The left-rear suspension toe link may have been tightened improperly, which could result in a loose or separated toe link.

A loose toe link can separate and cause a loss of vehicle control, increasing the risk of a crash.

What to do

Dealers will inspect the left-rear suspension and replace the fastener if it is loose or missing free of charge.

Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed on August 1, 2022.

Owners may contact Cadillac customer service at (800) 458-8006 or GMC customer service at (800) 462-8782. GM's number for this recall is N222364330.

Highway travelers may soon find it easier to charge their electric vehicles. General Motors has announced a new deal with the Pilot Company (Pilot and Flying J) to build out a network of fast charging stations at up to 500 of Pilot’s travel centers across the U.S.

The charging stalls will be provided and maintained by EVgo, which is also working with GM to add more than 3,250 fast chargers in American cities and suburbs by the end of 2025 to help the automaker meet its goal of 42,000 charging stations.

“We are committed to an all-electric, zero-emissions future, and ensuring that the right charging infrastructure is in place is a key piece of the puzzle,” said Mary Barra, GM Chair and Chief Executive Officer. “With travel centers across North America, Pilot Company is an ideal collaborator to reach a broad audience of EV drivers.”

What EV owners can expect 

The basic framework for many of the Pilot charging stations will feature overhead canopies to help protect EV drivers from the weather while they’re charging their vehicles. There will also be pull-through capabilities for larger vehicles, like electric pickup trucks and SUVs pulling trailers.

The charging stations won’t be limited to GM electric vehicle owners, but those drivers will get special perks like exclusive reservations and discounts on charging their EVs.

Pilot is also adding some perks that it hopes EV owners will find attractive. Its “New Horizons” will include a $1 billion upgrade to its travel centers, where it will offer more premium amenities like free Wi-Fi, expanded seating and lounge areas, updated and modernized restrooms, and on-site restaurants – all things that the company feels will be a welcome addition for travelers to enjoy while their vehicles are charging. 

General Motors is recalling 235 model year 2022 Cadillac XT6 vehicles.

The brake fluid reservoir cap may be missing the warning label.

Without a warning label, the brake fluid may be unintentionally contaminated by debris. This can affect brake performance and increase the risk of a crash.

What to do

Dealers will inspect the brake fluid reservoir cap and replace it -- if necessary -- free of charge.

Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed on July 18, 2022.

Owners may contact Cadillac customer service at (800) 458-8006. GM's number for this recall is N222369130.

General Motors is recalling 74 Autoliv Front-Driver Airbag Modules, part numbers 20928235 and 20928242, that were sold as replacement parts for certain model year 2011-2012 GMC and Chevrolet vehicles.

The driver's air bag inflator may explode during deployment due to a manufacturing defect.

An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants, resulting in serious injury or death.

What to do

Dealers will inspect and replace the front-driver air bag module -- as necessary -- free of charge.

Letters notifying owners of the safety risk are expected to be mailed on July 5, 2022. A second letter will be sent once the remedy is available.

Owners may contact GM customer service at (888) 988-7267 or Chevrolet customer service at (800) 222-1020. GM's number for this recall is N222364860.

General Motors is recalling 221 model year 2021 Chevrolet Malibus, model year 2022 Chevrolet Equinoxes and Blazers, and Cadillac XT4s.

The driver's seat cushion frame may have an improper weld in the power tilt-adjustment mechanism.

An improperly welded seat frame may not adequately restrain the driver in a crash, increasing the risk of injury.

What to do

Dealers will inspect the driver's seat and replace the cushion frame -- as necessary -- free of charge.

Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed on July 5, 2022.

Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at (800) 222-1020 or Cadillac customer service at (800) 458-8006. GM's number for this recall is N212356050.

General Motors is recalling 1,534 model year 2022 GMC Canyon and Chevrolet Colorado vehicles that were equipped with a manual passenger seat. 

The company says the front passenger seats in affected vehicles may have a hook attachment that was not properly welded during manufacturing. This could allow the hook to separate from the inboard track of the seat frame. 

This issue could lead to a passenger not being properly restrained in the event of a crash, increasing the risk of injury.

What to do

Dealers are being advised to inspect the front passenger seat in recalled vehicles and replace the cushion frame, if necessary, for free. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed on July 11, 2022. 

Consumers may contact GMC customer service by phone at 1-800-462-8782 or Chevrolet customer service by phone at 1-800-222-1020 for more information. 

GM's number for this recall is N222368320. 

General Motors is recalling 39 model year 2022 Chevrolet 4500HD, 5500HD, and 6500HD vehicles due to an issue with their brake lines.

The company filed a report stating that the pressure-sensor fitting of the primary hydraulic brake line assembly in affected vehicles may not be tightened correctly. This could cause brake fluid to leak and extend the distance required to stop the vehicles, increasing the risk of a crash. 

GM says dealers will tighten the brake pressure switch, bleed the brake system, and top off the brake fluid in affected vehicles free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed on July 5, 2022. 

Consumers can contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020 for more information. GM's number for this recall is N222368230.

General Motors is recalling 2,687 model year 2015 Buick Enclaves, Chevrolet Traverses, and GMC Acadias.

The driver's air bag inflator may explode during deployment due to a manufacturing defect.

An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants, resulting in serious injury or death.

What to do

Dealers will replace the driver's air bag module free of charge.

Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed on May 30, 2022.

Owners may contact Buick customer service at (800) 521-7300, Chevrolet customer service at (800) 222-1020, or GMC customer service at (800) 462-8782. GM's number for this recall is N222366190.

General Motors is recalling 89 model year 2020-2022 Chevrolet Traverse and model year 2021-2022 Buick Enclave vehicles.

The harness connector to the left or right side roof rail air bag may have incompatible electrical terminals, which could prevent the air bags from deploying in a crash.

Roof rail air bags that do not deploy as intended increase the risk of injury in a crash.

What to do

Dealers will replace the harness connector to the roof rail air bags free of charge.

Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed on May 16, 2022.

Owners may contact Buick customer service at (800) 521-7300 or Chevrolet customer service at (800) 222-1020. GM's number for this recall is N212352140.

General Motors is recalling 1,236 Truck Hero tri-fold hard tonneau covers and tri-fold soft tonneau covers sold as accessories for 2019-2022 Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra 1500, 2500, and 3500 series trucks.

The tonneau cover may become loose from the rails of the pickup bed and detach from the vehicle while the vehicle is being driven.

A tonneau cover that detaches from a moving vehicle can become a road hazard, increasing the risk of a crash.

What to do

Dealers will inspect the tonneau covers and -- if the cover is the hard tri-fold tonneau -- will replace the tonneau rails and clamps and add a tether.

For soft tri-fold tonneau covers, updated instructions, additional labeling, and a tether kit will be provided.

Repairs will be performed free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed on May 16, 2022.

Owners may contact GM customer service (888) 988-7267. GM's number for this recall is N222359640.

General Motors and Honda have entered into a partnership to build a new series of electric vehicles. That alone is an interesting development, but what’s even more interesting for consumers is that the price for those EVs is expected to be under $30,000 – almost half the price of what Kelley Blue Book says EVs were selling for late last year.

The GM-Honda EV series is expected to go on sale in 2027 starting in North America. Compact crossover vehicles will be manufactured under the partnership -- a type of vehicle that both automakers are familiar with; GM has the Chevy Blazer, Equinox, and Tahoe, and Honda has the CR-V, HR-V, and Pilot. The compact crossover segment is also the largest in the world, with an annual volume of more than 13 million vehicles. That affords the companies a better chance of addressing the automotive market’s sweet spot.

Affordability will be a key issue if automakers want to turn the corner on EVs. The market for these vehicles continues to grow, but buyers are typically older and make more than $100,000 annually – a fact not lost on GM or Honda. In a call with reporters, GM's Ken Morris said the two companies expect their co-developed EVs to be priced below $30,000.

“GM and Honda will share our best technology, design and manufacturing strategies to deliver affordable and desirable EVs on a global scale, including our key markets in North America, South America, and China,” said GM chair and CEO Mary Barra.

“Honda is committed to reaching our goal of carbon neutrality on a global basis by 2050, which requires driving down the cost of electric vehicles to make EV ownership possible for the greatest number of customers,” added Honda president and CEO Toshihiro Mibe.

Advancements with EV batteries

The companies said one of the biggest benefits that brought them together is their desire to find a way to build batteries that are more affordable and “next generation.” For that element, the focus will be based on a new global architecture using next-generation Ultium battery technology.

General Motors recently called its Ultium Charge 360 a “holistic charging experience.” It claims that its process can remove any headaches that a car owner might encounter if they decide to buy an electric vehicle.

Not to be left out, Honda says it’s also making progress with batteries. The company says its all-solid-state battery technology is a candidate to become the core element of future EVs and that it has already established a demonstration line in Japan for all-solid-state batteries and is making further progress toward mass-production.

General Motors is recalling 681,509 model year 2014-2015 Chevrolet Equinox and GMC Terrain vehicles.

The ball joints in the windshield wiper module may corrode, causing one or both windshield wipers to fail.

Inoperative windshield wipers can reduce visibility in certain driving conditions, increasing the risk of a crash.

What to do

Dealers will inspect the wiper module and repair or replace it -- as necessary -- free of charge.

Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed on May 2, 2022.

Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at (800) 222-1020 and GMC customer service at (800) 462-8782. GM's number for this recall is N212352530.

General Motors is recalling ten model year 2022 GMC Hummer EVs.

The taillight software in affected vehicles can cause one or both rear taillights to become inoperative or remain fully or partially illuminated.

A taillight that fails to illuminate or illuminates incorrectly may reduce the visibility of the vehicle or communicate incorrect information to other drivers, increasing the risk of a crash.

What to do

Dealers will inspect and replace -- as necessary -- the left and/or right rear taillight assemblies.

Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed on April 25, 2022.

Owners may contact GMC customer service at (800) 462-8782. GM's number for this recall is N222359830.

General Motors is recalling 740,581 model year 2010-2017 GMC Terrain vehicles.

A reflection caused by the headlight housings may illuminate areas above the vehicle and outside the driver's view with excessively bright light.

The bright reflection may cause a glare for other drivers, reducing their visibility and increasing the risk of a crash.

What to do

The remedy is currently under development.

Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed on April 23, 2022.

Owners may contact GMC customer service at (800) 462-8782. GM's number for this recall is N222363740.

General Motors is recalling 1,789 model year 2021 GMC Yukons & Yukon XLs, Cadillac Escalades & Escalade ESVs, and Chevrolet Suburbans & Tahoes.

The rear wheel driveshaft assemblies may have internal components that were not heat-treated properly.

Driveshafts that have not been heat-treated properly could lead to driveshaft failure. In turn, this could cause a sudden loss of drive power, increasing the risk of a crash.

What to do

Dealers will replace the left and/or right rear driveshaft assemblies free of charge.

An owner notification letter mailing date has not been finalized.

Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at (800) 222-1020, Cadillac customer service at (800) 458-8006, or GMC customer service at (800) 462-8782. GM's number for this recall is N212351030.

General Motors is recalling 4,271 model year 2010-2013 Buick Lacrosses, model year 2012-2013 Buick Regals, and model year 2013 Chevrolet Malibus sold or ever registered in Connecticut, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia, or Wisconsin.

The vehicles may have rear toe links that received an improper amount of electrocoating (e-coat) corrosion protection, which could cause the e-coat to become brittle and break away when contacted by road debris.

Over time, the e-coat may chip away, exposing the metal toe link and making it more susceptible to corrosion. Corrosion may eventually cause the toe link to thin and ultimately fracture.

A rear toe link fracture may reduce the driver's ability to control the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.

What to do

Dealers will replace the rear suspension toe links and adjuster fasteners free of charge.

Interim notification letters notifying owners of the safety risk will be mailed on February 7, 2022. A second notice will be sent once a remedy is available.

Owners may contact Buick customer service at (800) 521-7300 or Chevrolet customer service at (800) 222-1020. GM's number for this recall is N212346640.

General Motors is recalling 626 model year 2019-2021 GMC Sierra 1500s and Chevrolet Silverado 1500s with certain accessory road tires and a 17" spare tire.

The 17" spare tire provided with the vehicle is not compatible for use with the accessory wheels, which can cause the anti-lock brake system (ABS) to not function properly under certain conditions.

An ABS system that does not function properly can increase the risk of a crash.

What to do

Dealers will provide a new 17" spare tire and wheel assembly that is compatible with the accessory wheels free of charge.

Dealers will also apply a new spare tire information label and provide owners with an owner's manual insert clarifying which spare tire to use with the accessory road tires and with the 17" original tires.

Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed on January 31, 2022.

Owners may contact GM customer service at (800) 462-8782 or GMC customer service at (800) 462-8782. GM's number for this recall is N212346510.

When Toyota announced its North American year-end 2021 sales figures on Tuesday, it had lots to crow about – namely, knocking General Motors (GM) off the throne as the top-selling automaker in the U.S. It’s the first time a foreign automaker has taken first place in America.

The company not only added that title to its resume, but it will hang on as the number one seller of electrified vehicles for the 22nd consecutive year. Its Toyota Camry, Highlander, RAV4, Sienna, Tacoma, and Lexus NX will also keep their trophies as the best-selling models in their respective segments. Toyota also earned the most Kelley Blue Book Awards in 2021, with its RAV4 named car of the year.

However, the short-term forecast is a bit cloudy. In 2021, the company sold 2,332,262 vehicles, 11.5% more per day than it did in 2020. However, it comes hobbling into 2022 with reports that its December U.S. 2021 sales were down 30.2% when compared to December 2020.

How Toyota pulled it off

Toyota – just like every other automotive company – had to live through supply chain knee-capping and a cataclysmic chip shortage in 2021, both of which were brought on by the pandemic. The difference for Toyota was that it just managed the situation better.

How? That’s the question ConsumerAffairs put to Bill Rieke, Adjunct Instructor for Supply Chain Management at the Williams College of Business at Xavier University in Cincinnati.

“Toyota, which is the automotive pioneer for ‘just-in-time’ manufacturing, has proactively moved away from this pure ‘lean’ management approach,” Rieke said. “Instead they have built resiliency into their production planning to be more like ‘just-in-case’ which has served them well during Covid-19 allowing them to have broader access to computer chips and other parts necessary to build and sell a complete car.”

Consumers frustrated by chip shortage

GM may have also made Toyota’s rise easier if consumer opinions count. Redell, of Farmington, Mich., recently chided the company for how it handled a situation when he brought in his Cadillac for service. 

“I was told by the Service Advisor that they have no vehicles for loaners due to the chip shortage. But furthermore I was told that I can go and rent a vehicle at Enterprise or whatever and then contact GM to see if I could be reimbursed,” Redell wrote. 

“As a frustrated customer I asked the Service Advisor [why] as a customer who has a bumper to bumper warranty, what if I don’t have the income to be able to rent a vehicle at this time. The Service Advisor had nothing to say.”