General Motors is recalling nearly 800,000 trucks that have been found to suddenly lose power steering, potentially causing drivers to lose control of their vehicle.
The problem, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, can be triggered when a vehicle is using a lot of electrical power, including during low speed turns. If the trucks’ power levels drop below a certain point, power steering can be suddenly disabled. The sudden steering jolt can cause drivers to lose control.
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The recall impacts certain 2014 Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra pickup trucks. It encompasses about 690,000 trucks in the U.S. And another 100,000 in Canada and other countries. The same models were impacted by a recall last year that impact 3.64 million vehicles with faulty airbag software.
It’s a sizable recall but not huge, and it pales in comparison to GM’s biggest, when the automaker recalled 6.6 million cars with faulty engine mounts in 1971. The new recall also highlights just how much cars have changed in recent years. GM says a software update is all that’s needed to fix the issue, so the cost for the automaker is likely to be modest.
