Photo: Buick
General Motors and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) are conducting a recall for certain Chevrolet Trailblazer and Buick Encore GX crossovers in the United States, over something quite unusual.
A bulletin released earlier this month by the safety agency states that “the emergency (plastic) jack […] can fracture while in use”, if “not positioned as directed in the vehicle owner’s manual”, as its construction “may not be sufficiently robust”.
If the jack fails while under load, then the car could collapse, which would injure people near or under the vehicle. The Detroit giant did not say whether they are aware of any injuries related to this problem, blamed on the supplier, Taejung Industrial, of South Korea.
There are 135,000 vehicles in total, with a 100% estimated defect rate, that will have to be driven back to the dealers, including 55,996 Buick Encore GX crossovers, made from March 23, 2020, to June 3, 2021, and 79,404 Chevrolet Trailblazers, assembled between March 16, 2020, and May 8, 2021. GM claims that they have started using a different jack design in production on April 26.
Dealers will replace the jack with a new one free of charge. Vehicles that haven’t been sold already and feature this potentially dangerous accessory will have it removed prior to delivery. As all cars are covered by the manufacturer’s warranty, so owners who have bought a new jack because the old one failed will not be reimbursed.
The automaker has already informed its dealer network nationwide earlier this month, and will reach out to the owners by or on July 26, which is also when the recall is expected to kick off.
The GM number for the safety campaign is A212335470, and those who want to get in touch with them will have to use it. Buick can be reached at 1-800-521-7300, and Chevrolet at 1-800-222-1020.
If the jack fails while under load, then the car could collapse, which would injure people near or under the vehicle. The Detroit giant did not say whether they are aware of any injuries related to this problem, blamed on the supplier, Taejung Industrial, of South Korea.
There are 135,000 vehicles in total, with a 100% estimated defect rate, that will have to be driven back to the dealers, including 55,996 Buick Encore GX crossovers, made from March 23, 2020, to June 3, 2021, and 79,404 Chevrolet Trailblazers, assembled between March 16, 2020, and May 8, 2021. GM claims that they have started using a different jack design in production on April 26.
Dealers will replace the jack with a new one free of charge. Vehicles that haven’t been sold already and feature this potentially dangerous accessory will have it removed prior to delivery. As all cars are covered by the manufacturer’s warranty, so owners who have bought a new jack because the old one failed will not be reimbursed.
The automaker has already informed its dealer network nationwide earlier this month, and will reach out to the owners by or on July 26, which is also when the recall is expected to kick off.
The GM number for the safety campaign is A212335470, and those who want to get in touch with them will have to use it. Buick can be reached at 1-800-521-7300, and Chevrolet at 1-800-222-1020.
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