General Motors Corp. Thursday said it was recalling more than 4 million full-size pickup trucks to replace tailgate support cables that may corrode and fracture.
The massive recall, a blow to recent claims of improved quality at the world’s largest automaker, covers certain 2000-2004 Chevrolet Silverados and GMC Sierras as well as some 2002-2004 Chevrolet Avalanche and Cadillac Escalade EXT trucks.
The company said about 3.7 million of the vehicles are in the United States, 325,000 are in Canada, and 93,000 are in Mexico.
GM has reported 430 complaints about one or both of the tailgate support cables breaking on the trucks, which became the target of an upgraded investigation by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration late last month.
In a statement on Thursday, GM also reported 134 “minor injuries” linked to the tailgate problem, which it earlier identified as the source of more than 61,000 warranty claims.
No crashes or fatalities have been reported due to the faulty tailgates, GM said.
GM has recalled roughly 7 million vehicles due to potential safety problems since the start of February, including the full-size pickups which account for a huge chunk of its automotive profits.
The recalls, while not uncommon for a mass market automaker, run counter to GM’s recent assertions that its quality has improved dramatically.
