GM recalling about 900,000 pickup trucks

WASHINGTON – General Motors Corp. said Friday it is recalling about 900,000 pickup trucks worldwide to fix tailgate cables that can corrode and break when loads are placed on them.

The recall involves 1999-2000 models of the Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra trucks. GM said there have been 84 injuries, most of them minor scrapes and bumps, but no crashes or deaths linked to the problem.

GM, the world’s No. 1 automaker, said the galvanized, braided-steel support cables that keep the tailgates in place can corrode or fracture over time because of moisture seeping through cracks in the plastic sheathing of the cable or entering between the cable’s metal strands.

The automaker had recalled about 4 million 2000-2004 pickups worldwide in March 2004 because the tailgates could break without warning. The recall involved a broader range of vehicles, including the Chevrolet Silverado, GMC Sierra, Chevrolet Avalanche and Cadillac Escalade EXT trucks.

GM spokesman Alan Adler said the vehicles covered by the new recall had different materials used in the support cables and involved fewer complaints. He said the automaker decided to issue the recall after “an exhaustive investigation.”

“We worked with [the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration] and agreed to do the recall to get this behind us,” Adler said.

NHTSA had been investigating the vehicles. More than 800,000 of the trucks are located in the United States, and about 90,000 vehicles are in Mexico and Canada. About 3,800 of the recalled trucks were exported to countries around the globe.

Owners are expected to receive recall notices in April, but they can bring their trucks into a dealership for inspection if they suspect problems with the cables, Adler said. Under the recall, dealers will replace the galvanized support cables with ones made with stainless steel.

Most of the injuries stemmed from people sitting on the tailgate or occurred while people were unloading items from the truck bed. The company has advised owners not to sit on the tailgate.

GM said if both cables fractured, the tailgate would drop and strike the top of the rear bumper, which could cause someone standing or sitting on the tailgate to fall.