Dive Brief:
- General Motors has recalled 90,000 vehicles for automatic transmissions that are susceptible to internal valve damage that may cause the front wheels to lock up while driving, which increases the risk of a crash, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
- The recalled models include the 2019-2020 Cadillac CT6; 2020-2021 CT4 and CT5; and 2020-2022 Chevrolet Camaro equipped with 10-speed transmissions.
- Dealers will update the transmission control module software for free on the vehicles to better monitor internal valve performance and detect any excess wear approximately 10,000 miles before a wheel lock-up condition may occur. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed beginning April 21.
Dive Insight:
According to the NHTSA recall report, the transmission control valve may be susceptible to excess wear over time, resulting in a gradual loss of pressure within the valve that can lead to harsh shifting or momentary wheel lockup.
GM was notified about the potential transmission problems on Sept. 27, 2024, after a brand quality manager submitted a report to the automaker’s “Speak Up for Safety” program, which allows employees to report any vehicle quality or safety concerns without the fear of retaliation.
The whistleblower report followed a customer complaint of both front wheels locking up while driving on a 2021 all-wheel-drive Cadillac CT5, resulting in damage to the vehicle. GM replaced the vehicle’s engine and front differential under warranty and opened another investigation of the problem on Nov. 21, 2024.
A GM investigator completed a data analysis of the issue on Dec. 18, 2024. The investigation identified 115 field reports received between February 2022 and November 2024 alleging wheel lock-up potentially related to the condition, including one report of an accident.
Based on these findings, the automaker’s Safety Field Action Decision Authority elected to conduct a safety recall of the vehicles on Feb. 27. An estimated 1% of the recalled models are believed to have internal transmission damage or wear-related issues.
The updated transmission control software, which is being released as a phased launch as it’s made available, is designed to prevent the potential of wheel lock-up by limiting transmission shifts to fifth gear until the next key cycle if internal wear symptoms are detected.
The transmission software update is currently available for the 2020-2021 Cadillac CT4 and CT5 2019 Cadillac CT6 equipped with GM’s 2.0L turbo 4-cylinder engine, the automaker wrote in its notification letter to dealers. Owners of other recalled models will be sent interim notification letters until a software remedy is available, which GM expects will be over the next several months.
“The safety of our customers is the highest priority for the entire GM team, and we’re working to remedy this matter through a software update as quickly as possible,” GM spokesperson Bill Grotz said in a statement to Automotive Dive.
GM issued a previous recall last November to address potential rear-wheel lockup condition for up to 462,000 pickups and SUVs equipped with diesel engines and 10-speed transmissions. But the Camaro and Cadillac models included in this latest recall use a different 10-speed transmission, according to Grotz.
