General Motors issues 4 more recalls covering the Buick Enclave, Chevrolet Traverse and GMC Acadia, Chevrolet Malibu, Pontiac G6 for seatbelt defects wll as shift cable defects.

General Motors is recalling 2.42 million U.S. cars, trucks and SUVs in four separate safety recalls, raising its recall total for the year to more than 13.6 million vehicles.

GM said today that it expects to take a second-quarter charge of about $400 million, mostly to cover the cost of recalls announced during the period. That includes a $200 million charge from five recalls that GM announced late last week.

The recalls announced by GM today include:

• 1.3 million Buick Enclave, Chevrolet Traverse and GMC Acadia large crossovers from model years 2009 to 2014, and 2009-10 Saturn Outlooks, because front seat-belt cables can wear out over time and separate, increasing injury risk in a crash. In a stop-sale notice sent to dealers on Monday, GM said an inspection and repair process for the crossovers "is currently being developed. Parts needed to complete this repair are not available at this time."

• 1.1 million Chevy Malibus from 2004-08 and Pontiac G6 sedans from 2005-08 because of a shift cable in the four-speed automatic transmission that can wear out, "resulting in mismatches of the gear position indicated by the shift lever."

It is an expansion of a recall GM announced in late April for 2007-2008 Saturn Aura sedans, which share a platform with the Malibu and G6. GM said the transmission shift cable might fracture, which could prevent the driver from selecting a different gear, putting the car in park or removing the key from the ignition.

GM said it is aware of 18 crashes and one injury in crashes involving the Malibus and G6s. It previously said it knows of 28 crashes and four injuries involving the Aura models.

• 1,402 Cadillac Escalade and Escalade ESV models from 2015, which went on sale last month, because of a problem with the passenger side airbag that could result in partial deployment in a crash. GM said it has told dealers not to deliver 2015 Escalades and has notified 224 customers via overnight letters, calls and e-mails, instructing them to not let anyone ride in the passenger seat until the vehicle has been serviced. GM said it is unaware of related crashes or injuries.

• 58 Chevrolet Silverado HD and GMC Sierra HD full-sized pickups from the 2015 model year for a fire risk. GM said that retention clips attaching the truck's generator fuse block to the vehicle body can become loose and potentially lead to a fire. GM said it is unaware of related crashes or injuries.

The campaigns increase GM's count since Jan. 1 to 29 recalls covering more than 13.6 million U.S. vehicles, although those figures count some vehicles more than once because they are being called back to fix multiple potential safety defects.

Included in the total is 2.6 million Chevy Cobalts, Saturn Ions and other small cars from the mid-2000s that were built with a faulty ignition switch, which GM has linked to 13 deaths. GM is expected to conclude within a few weeks an internal investigation into its handling of the problem.

Last week, GM agreed to pay a maximum fine of $35 million and to change its internal safety processes as part of a consent decree with NHTSA.

Got a lemon GM Vehicle?

Want a new Chevrolet?

Get www.USLemonLawyers.com

Get Justice

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Known nationwide as a leading Lemon Law attorney, Ronald L. Burdge has represented literally thousands of consumers in "lemon" lawsuits and actively co-counsels and coaches other Consumer Law attorneys. From 2005 through 2018, attorney Ronald L. Burdge has been named as the only Lemon Law Ohio Super Lawyer by Law and Politics magazine and Thomson Reuters Corp., Professional Division. Burdge restricts his practice to Lemon Law and Consumer Law cases. The Ohio Super Lawyer results are published annually in the January issue of Cincinnati Magazine. Ronald L. Burdge was named Consumer Law Trial Lawyer of the Year 2004 by the National Association of Consumer Advocates, the nation's largest organization of consumer law private and government attorneys. "Your impact on the auto industry has been magnified many times over because of the trail you blazed for others," stated NACA's Executive Director, Will Ogburn. Burdge has represented thousands of consumers in Ohio, Kentucky and elsewhere since 1978 and is a frequent lecturer to national, state and local Bar Associations and Judicial organizations. Burdge is admitted to Ohio's state and federal courts, Kentucky's state courts, and Indiana's federal courts. Other court admissions are on a "pro hac" temporary, case by cases basis.