MINNEAPOLIS - General Motors is recalling 3 million cars and trucks worldwide to fix five different safety problems that have triggered hundreds of complaints and some injuries, but no deaths.
Most of the vehicles -- 2.7 million -- are in the U.S., and include GM's redesigned pickups. Also included: 140,067 new Chevrolet Malibus for brake issues, reported Wednesday.
Indeed, it seems the dark cloud hanging over the entire industry won't pump the brakes. This year is on course to set a record for recalls. Weeks ago, Paul Koscielski said he discovered there was an open recall on his Chevy Cruz for a potentially defective right front axle shaft. The defective part on his vehicle was repaired Wednesday.
"It took about six weeks to get the part," Koscielski said. "I'd rather have a recall than be on the highway and have something happen."
Doug Sprinthall, the new and used vehicle operations director for Walser Automotive Group, said it seems some consumers are more accepting of the recalls.
"There have been more recalls in the last 10 years than ever," Sprinthall said. "Part of that is because the standards have increased. And what people are willing to accept and not accept has changed."
Sprinthall said the Walser Automotive Group represents 10 different brands and all have had a recall in the last six months.
"Some of them are really, really minor and some are fairly significant," he said.
To find out if your vehicle has a recall you will first need the VIN number. You can find it in three locations. Typically it is inside of the driver's door. If you don't see it there, check the upper left corner on the dash board of your vehicle. It will also be located on the title of your vehicle. With that information, a dealer can tell you whether your car has been recalled.
A list of recalls are also located on the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's website.
Sprinthall also said recalls can be frustrating for the customer but most dealerships try to ease the frustration.
"Our job is to execute the recalls as quickly as we can," he said. "The factories pay the dealers to do the work. It gets expensive for the manufacturer."
GM says it will take a $200 million charge in this quarter for the cost of the recalls.
The recalls:
- 2,440,591 previous-generation passenger cars for tail lamp malfunctions.
- 477 full-size trucks from the 2014 and 2015 model years for a tie-rod defect that can lead to a crash.
- 103,158 previous generation Chevrolet Corvettes for loss of low-beam head lamps.
- 19,225 Cadillac CTS 2013-2014 models for windshield wiper failures.
- 140,067 Chevrolet Malibus from the 2014 model year for hydraulic brake booster malfunctions.
Even though recalls can become exhausting, Koscielski said these days cars are complicated instruments. He almost expects something to go wrong.
"I've been driving since the 70s and there have been recalls since the 70s," Koscielski said. "I think we pretty much accept it."
