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GM Recalls Certain Heavy-Duty Trucks Over Shorting Brake Pressure Modulator Valve

Early last month, a fire technical expert submitted an issue to the Speak Up For Safety Program after becoming aware of an underhood fire involving a 2021 model year GMC Sierra 2500. The workhorse caught fire at the Flint plant where the heavy-duty Silverado is also manufactured.
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A second Sierra 2500 experienced an underhood fire on September 13th, according to General Motors. Both vehicles had been parked outside, awaiting shipment, and both had been exposed to heavy rainfall the day before each fire. CT and X-ray scans revealed a gap between the bolt head and brake pressure modulator valve, thus indicating a water leak.

How could this happen? Well, both vehicles had been subject to temporary production process changes that involved the offline replacement of the electronic brake control module. The post-fire analysis concluded that the fire propagated from this area, which is why a stop-delivery order and a recall had to be issued for a handful of trucks. More specifically, 451 vehicles were held at the factory, and 3,241 vehicles have been recalled.

Dealers have already been instructed to replace the brake pressure modulator valve at no cost to the customer. The replacement BPMV is an assembly that contains the electronic brake control module with the proper seal to prevent water intrusion. According to documents filed with the federal agency, GM will notify owners of the issue on November 15th.

Owners are further advised to “park outside and away from other structures until the repair is completed.” That speaks volumes about the fire hazard of this condition, which says a lot about the automaker’s nosediving quality.

As a brief refresher, Chevrolet had to recall every Bolt produced from 2017 through the 2022 model year. All 141,685 units, to be more precise. Adding insult to injury, owners were recommended to park 50 feet (15 m) away from other cars or structures to reduce potential damage in the event of a fire.
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 Download: GM HD Trucks recall over shorting BPMV (PDF)

About the author: Mircea Panait
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After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well.
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