General Motors (GM) has announced a recall of 82 Chevrolet Express and GMC Savana vans due to concerns that they may not provide adequate protection for drivers in the event of a collision.
In a filing with federal safety regulators, GM stated that “an impact beam located in the driver’s side door may have improper welds at the beam’s front connection point to the door.” If this beam fails to function correctly during a crash, the vans will not offer the side-impact protection they were designed to provide.
Fortunately, GM is not aware of any accidents or injuries related to this issue. The problem was discovered by a factory technician during an inspection of a van under construction. The company was able to pinpoint the issue to vehicles manufactured within a specific timeframe.
According to GM, “Up to 94 of these suspect vehicles were not contained at GM’s assembly plant. Eighty-two of these vehicles are in the U.S.” To rectify the issue, dealerships will correctly weld the impact beam.
Recall repairs are always performed at no cost to vehicle owners, a requirement by law. While manufacturers make every effort to contact all owners affected by a recall, some may not receive the information.
