General Motors recalls nearly 820,000 pickup trucks

By Eva Rothenberg, CNN

New York (CNN) — General Motors is recalling nearly 820,000 pickup trucks over a potential safety issue involving tailgates.

The automaker says that the electronic latch mechanism used to open the gate of some 2020-2024 Chevy Silverado and GMC Sierra truck beds might short circuit if water gets into the tailgate. That means the gate could inadvertently open while the car is parked, leading unsecured property in the bed to fly out when unaware drivers hit the road.

General Motors did not immediately respond to CNN’s request for comment.

In a report posted on the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s site, General Motors said it received more than 130 complaints of the tailgate opening while the car was being driven. But the company said the gate can only open when the vehicle is parked.

“(The) control logic in the body control module (BCM) would prevent release of the tailgate latch when the vehicle is in gear, even if the BCM receives a release signal from the exterior touchpad switch,” the company wrote, warning owners to make sure they manually close their tailgate before driving until the recall is complete.

General Motors said it received one complaint of minor injury and three of minor property damage.

The recall encompasses more than 570,000 vehicles sold in the United States and about 249,000 sold in Canada. Dealers will replace the exterior switch that opens the tailgate with material that is more water resistant.

General Motors said it will begin letting customers know whether their car is affected on March 18.

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