GM Recalls 2 Million Vehicles

DETROIT April 25, 2005; Reuters reported that General Motors Corp. said it was recalling more than 2 million vehicles to fix a variety of potential safety defects, most of them on cars and trucks sold in the United States.

GM, which led the auto industry in U.S. recalls last year, said the largest of the latest safety actions included nearly 1.5 million full-size pickup trucks and sport utility vehicles from the 2003-2005 model years with second-row seat belts that may be difficult to properly position across passengers' hips.

GM said it voluntarily conducted that recall, although it had no reports that the belts caused or contributed to any injuries, and an analysis indicates a very low likelihood of problems occurring.

"Recalling these vehicles to provide improved routing of the lap belt is an important precautionary measure," Bob Lange, GM's director of structure and safety integration, said in a statement.

The recall includes some of GM's top-selling pickup trucks and SUVs, including the model year 2003 to 2005 Chevrolet Suburban, Chevrolet Tahoe, Hummer H2, Cadillac Escalade, GMC Yukon, GMC Yukon XL and the crew cab versions of the Chevrolet Silverado and the GMC Sierra.

GM dealers will repair the safety belts for free.

The recall is one of the largest for GM since March last year when the world's largest automaker recalled more than 4 million full-size pickup trucks to replace tailgate support cables that may corrode and fracture. That led to a record year in recalls for GM, which ran counter to recent claims that it has improved the quality of its cars and trucks.

GM also announced five other recalls on Monday. They include a recall of 332,202 of the 1500 Series Chevrolet Suburban and Yukon XL SUVs from the 2000 and 2001 model years for possible overheating of fuel pump wires that could lead to engine stalling, failure to start, a possible fuel leak and inaccurate fuel-level readings. Owners will be notified when repair parts are available, GM said.