In 2016, CBC News reported that GM planned to recall 473,000 trucks and SUVs in North America. Canadians owned more than 46,8000 of these vehicles. GM reported that the brake pedal could loosen and stop working due to a nut coming loose on the pivot mechanism for the brake pedal. Canadian safety regulators also found that this issue could cause brake lights to stay on for longer than usual. At the time of this initial announcement, GM said they had received no reports of crashes related to the problem.
The U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration later launched a probe. It found that the brake issue was a lot more serious than GM at first believed or reported. According to CNBC, there were 487 reports of the faulty brake pedals leading to longer stopping distances and difficulty pressing the brake pedal. The NHTSA also reported nine incidents of collisions with stationary objects or other vehicles and two injuries. However, these occurred at low speeds.
The vehicles affected by the recall include the following:
- 2017 Cadillac Escalade
- 2017 Chevrolet Suburban and Chevrolet Tahoe
- 2017 GMC Yukon
- 2014 to 2017 Chevrolet Silverado LD
- 2014 to 2017 GMC Sierra LD
Following this U.S. probe, Transport Canada has since launched its own investigation to discover if Canadian drivers were affected, and if so, to what extent. Some experts would argue that reliable braking is especially important in Canada where harsh winters can make driving conditions less than ideal. Difficulties stopping a vehicle in this weather could be especially catastrophic. Transport Canada has not yet released its findings.
* Please note that the information in this article is not intended as legal advice, but rather as a general overview on the subject. If you are seeking legal advice, please consult with a lawyer.
