It’s almost like Groundhog Day: Wake up, check news, report on another GM recall. This time it’s one of the newer GM platforms, the Epsilon-platformed Chevrolet Impala and Cadillac XTS that have been sold since 2013. The parking brake can remain partially activated after release, causing heat buildup, sparks, and if ignored long enough, flames. This recall affects about 217,000 vehicles sold since production, and GM isn’t aware of any crashes, injuries or deaths associated with the issue. The recall couldn’t come at a worse possible time for General Motors, who is reeling from a laundry of list of recalls, including one for ignition switches that has become a quagmire for the company. In total, General Motors has recalled almost 30 million vehicles this year.
We do have one question: How can someone drive a car and not notice that a brake somewhere is dragging? That’s something that’s pretty noticeable: the acceleration suffers, turning suffers and there’s that lovely smell of cooked brakes wafting through the car to indicate that there might be a problem. It takes effort to ignore a brake that’s hanging up long enough that it catches fire. While the recall is certainly another black eye for the manufacturer, this is the type of mechanical issue that an attentive driver should be able to pick up on long before the words “caught on fire” have to be uttered.
I think you answered your own question there, Bryan. The answer is the same inattentive drivers that your Mechanic Meme friends post pictures of brake rotors worn down to the fins. They don’t notice brakes making horrid noises for literally months and months.
GM is doing what the typical company in the middle of bad mess of law suits does. Over-recall. These cars two years ago would’ve probably only gotten a service bulletin and this fixed when the car came in for some other service.
Having worked in a dealer service center I can confirm this is exactly how it works. I agree that GM is being over cautious and covering their six.
Brakes convert momentum into heat via friction, thereby bringing the vehicle to a stop. If sufficient friction is generated and the car catches on fire, then it will certainly become incapable of moving. In other words, brakes which cause the car to burn & become immobile are, in reality, profoundly (albeit permanently) effective. Now, where is that nurse, I need my medication…
The vast majority of drivers on the road are totally oblivious to anything that isn’t the radio. If the sound they hear isn’t the latest Lil’ Sleazy or Snoop Diggy Doggy song they won’t pay any attention. Every week, several times a week, I have to flag another driver down to let them know they are running on an almost completely flat tire. I am generally rewarded with either a blank, idiotic stare or the “one finger salute.” These same people would absolutely drive until it burst into flames and then quickly blame someone else for their stupidity.