GM recalls 56,000 pickups in U.S. over unexpected braking linked to 4 accidents

WASHINGTON — General Motors is recalling nearly 56,000 midsize pickups in the U.S. over an issue that could cause the automatic emergency braking system to activate unexpectedly.

The issue has been linked to 234 complaints in the U.S. between Nov. 29, 2022, and Feb. 6 of this year, four of which involved accidents and three involved minor injuries, according to a recall report submitted Feb. 22 to NHTSA.

The recall covers certain 2023 Chevrolet Colorado and GMC Canyon vehicles. Globally, GM said about 61,700 vehicles are affected, including 4,500 in Canada and 1,500 in Mexico.

The front camera module system on those vehicles might falsely detect an obstacle, triggering the automatic emergency braking system to engage and causing the vehicle to abruptly stop or slow.

To fix the issue, dealers will update the front camera module software.

“General Motors is voluntarily recalling certain model year 2023 Chevrolet Colorados and GMC Canyons due to rare instances where the front camera module, under certain conditions, improperly causes an automatic emergency braking event,” GM spokesperson Bill Grotz said in a statement to Automotive News. “The safety and satisfaction of our customers are our highest priorities, and we’re working on a quick resolution.”

In January, GM said it was delaying the first sales of about 15,000 2024 GMC Canyon and Chevrolet Colorado pickups to ensure that the software on the vehicles functions properly.

The Detroit automaker said the stop-sale was not related to a safety issue.

Grotz said the recall of the 2023 model-year pickups is separate from the stop-sale of the 2024 model-year vehicles.

All 2024 model-year pickups will have updated front camera modules before reaching customers, he said, adding that the stop-sale has been lifted and dealers are delivering vehicles to customers.

So far this year, GM has issued five recalls, affecting more than 379,000 vehicles in the U.S., according to NHTSA data.