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GM Will Have To Recall 727,000 GMC Terrain SUVs With Too Bright Headlights, Says NHTSA

When carmakers screw things up, they have to fix them, and that’s why we have recalls. Some of them are for serious problems that can cause loss of human life, involving critical components, like the headlights. GM is trying for years to avoid a recall for the headlights of the GMC Terrain SUV, but NHTSA begs to disagree.
GM will have to recall 727,000 GMC Terrain SUVs with too bright headlights 20 photos
Photo: GM
GM will have to recall 727,000 GMC Terrain SUVs with too bright headlightsGM will have to recall 727,000 GMC Terrain SUVs with too bright headlightsGM will have to recall 727,000 GMC Terrain SUVs with too bright headlightsGM will have to recall 727,000 GMC Terrain SUVs with too bright headlightsGM will have to recall 727,000 GMC Terrain SUVs with too bright headlightsGM will have to recall 727,000 GMC Terrain SUVs with too bright headlightsGM will have to recall 727,000 GMC Terrain SUVs with too bright headlightsGM will have to recall 727,000 GMC Terrain SUVs with too bright headlightsGM will have to recall 727,000 GMC Terrain SUVs with too bright headlightsGM will have to recall 727,000 GMC Terrain SUVs with too bright headlightsGM will have to recall 727,000 GMC Terrain SUVs with too bright headlightsGM will have to recall 727,000 GMC Terrain SUVs with too bright headlightsGM will have to recall 727,000 GMC Terrain SUVs with too bright headlightsGM will have to recall 727,000 GMC Terrain SUVs with too bright headlightsGM will have to recall 727,000 GMC Terrain SUVs with too bright headlightsGM will have to recall 727,000 GMC Terrain SUVs with too bright headlightsGM will have to recall 727,000 GMC Terrain SUVs with too bright headlightsGM will have to recall 727,000 GMC Terrain SUVs with too bright headlightsGM will have to recall 727,000 GMC Terrain SUVs with too bright headlights
GM has been embroiled for years in a dispute with the NHTSA over the headlights of the 2010-2017 GMC Terrain. According to an investigation, the lower beam headlamps can create “glare to other motorists driving in proximity” in certain weather conditions. More specifically, “a reflection from the headlamps’ housing is directed 80 degrees outboard and 45 degrees upward” with intensity as high as 450 to 470 candela or three times as bright as allowed at these measurement points.

GM filed a petition to dismiss the problem in 2019, saying that “the reflection has no effect on vehicle safety for oncoming or surrounding vehicles.” Only one customer complained that “the left headlamp seems to have a portion of the light that shines up in the trees at near a 45-degree angle” and there is no record of any crashes or injuries related to the problem, according to GM.

NHTSA denied GM’s request on Friday, saying that manufacturers should not wait for deaths or injuries to occur in their vehicles before they carry out a recall. “Most importantly, the absence of a complaint does not mean there have not been any safety issues, nor does it mean that there will not be safety issues in the future. The fact that in past reported cases good luck and swift reaction have prevented many serious injuries does not mean that good luck will continue to work,” is NHTSA’s reasoning.

In light of this petition denial, GM will have no choice but to recall the affected vehicles and provide a free remedy for the 726,000 GMC Terrains involved. This means GM will have to replace the headlamps (or at least the reflectors for all the GMC Terrain SUVs sold in the U.S. According to Reuters, some vehicles have already gotten headlights parts that do not cause glare. Allegedly, the problem was solved for 2018 and later models.
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About the author: Cristian Agatie
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After his childhood dream of becoming a "tractor operator" didn't pan out, Cristian turned to journalism, first in print and later moving to online media. His top interests are electric vehicles and new energy solutions.
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