Bridgewater residents may be interested in a recently announced recall of nearly 370,000 Chevrolet Silverado pickup trucks. General Motors announced the recall just several days before an announcement on the winner of the North American Truck of the Year, for which the Silverado is a candidate. According to GM, the recall affects 303,000 trucks in the United States and another 67,000 in Canada and Mexico.
The recall includes 2014 Silverado and GMC Sierra trucks that have a 4.3-liter V-6 or 5.3-liter V-8 engine. GM trucks with other engine types are not affected. According to the announcement, the recall is due to overheating exhaust components that could lead to an engine compartment fire or a car accident. The company will update engine control software in the recalled trucks to rectify the issue.
So far, there have been eight reported fires due to the overheating problem. GM said three of those fires were in trucks owned by customers. Since the issue is isolated to the 2014 models, it’s possible that many of the affected trucks are either still at dealerships or in transit to a dealership. GM has warned dealers and owners to not let trucks idle for long periods and to watch for check engine lights.
While many serious car accidents are caused by driver error or weather conditions, many are also caused by defective vehicles. The National Highway Safety Transportation Administration has rigid guidelines on when and how a recall should be implemented. While a recall can correct the issue, it still may not be early enough to prevent an accident, injury or even death. Individuals who are injured due to a defective vehicle can pursue compensation for damages related to the accident. An accident attorney could advocate on their behalf in trial or in settlement negotiations to obtain compensation.
Source: CNBC, “Embarrassing setback as Chevy Silverado vies for Car of the Year“, Paul A. Eisenstein, January 12, 2014