DETROIT -- General Motors is issuing two more recalls, both on the 2015 Chevrolet Corvette, according to stop-delivery orders sent to dealers today.
The recalls, GM’s first in more than a month, bring its total number for the year to 67. They cover problems with airbags and parking brake cables on a total of nearly 2,800 cars, though very few have been sold to customers, a GM spokesman said.
Neither recall has been announced publicly yet, and parts are not available for the airbag repair. They come amid strong sales of the redesigned Corvette Stingray, forcing dealers to turn down potential buyers until the problems are resolved. GM sold 2,679 Corvettes in August vs. 655 during the same month last year.
The airbag recall covers about 2,000 Corvettes, many of which are still at the plant in Bowling Green, Ky. According to the stop-delivery order, the driver’s side airbag in those cars could separate from the steering wheel in a crash, increasing the potential for injuries. Dealers will be instructed to replace the airbag module with a revised version.
The second recall covers about 800 Corvettes, 700 of which are on dealer lots. GM said the cars were “built without one of the rear parking brake cables fully seated and engaged. That means the parking brake will only operate on one of the rear brake drums, reducing its operational capability and potentially allowing the car to roll away if parked on a steep hill. The defect means the cars would violate federal rollaway-vehicle standards.
Both problems were discovered in recent weeks, the GM spokesman said. They are the first recalls affecting the 2015 Corvette, though four others cover earlier model years of the car.
They come after GM CEO Mary Barra said during a visit to India that the automaker is substantially done issuing recalls on older vehicles as a result of a months-long comprehensive safety review. GM has recalled more than 29 million vehicles this year, almost single-handedly setting a new one-year record for the auto industry.
The safety review began after GM recalled 2.6 million Chevrolet Cobalts, Saturn Ions and other small cars for faulty ignition switches, a problem tied to at least 13 deaths and 54 crashes.
GM dealers have replaced more than 1 million of the ignition switches as of Sept. 4, according to a GM website with information about the recalls.
Mike Colias contributed to this report.
