General Motors (GM) is recalling 740,000 trucks, sedans and SUVs due to a problem with the headlights.
The automaker said that "under a combination of certain preconditions," the vehicles' daytime running lights may not deactivate when the headlights are on, potentially causing excess glare, according to a filing with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
Daytime running lights are secondary exterior lights designed to make the vehicle more visible in the daytime. These give off a bright white light using light-emitting diodes, or LEDs, and are designed to turn off when the headlamps are engaged.
If the daytime running lights don't deactivate when the headlamps are turned on, the filing said, "the resulting glare could increase the risk of a crash."
The list of recalled vehicles includes:
2020-2023 Cadillac CT4;
2020-2023 Cadillac CT5;
2021-2021 Buick Envision;
2022-2023 Cadillac Escalade/Escalade ESV;
2022-2023 Chevy Silverado;
2022-2023 Chevy Suburban;
2022-2023 Chevy Tahoe;
2022-2023 GMC Sierra 1500;
2022-2023 GMC Yukon/Yukon XL.
An Earlier Problem With Daytime Running Lights
GM became aware of the problem in October when a GM vehicle-controls engineer submitted a report to the company's safety program. The report aimed to determine whether additional vehicles had been affected by a software issue that had been found in certain model-year 2021 full-size SUVs.
GM recalled 338,735 SUVs in November due to a similar issue with daytime running lights.
The company found that the body-control-module software in those vehicles, again "under a combination of certain preconditions," could fail to deactivate the daytime running lights when the headlamps were on.
Dealers will update the software, or it will be updated online.
GM Dealers were notified about the condition on Dec. 8 and owners will be notified on Jan. 23.
In September GM recalled 95,231 vehicles over faulty rearview-camera systems.
The recall affected vehicles with the optional Surround Vision feature. In these vehicles, the connection of the cable that transmits images from the rearview camera to the dashboard touchscreen may be loose. So the signal from the camera may be interrupted.
In April, GM issued a recall for 681,509 vehicles, including 2014-2015 Chevrolet Equinox and 2014-2015 GMC Terrain SUVs. The move concerned windshield wipers that could fail to clear obstructions on the windshield that were blocking the drivers' view.
GM Battery Joint Venture Gets $2.5B DoE Loan
Separately, on Dec. 12, the U.S. Department of Energy finalized a $2.5 billion loan to Ultium Cells, the EV battery joint venture between GM and South Korean battery company LG Energy Solution.
This was the first loan for battery-cell production under its Advanced Technology Vehicles Manufacturing program.
“This loan will jumpstart the domestic battery cell production needed to reduce our reliance on other countries to meet increased demand and support President Biden’s goals of widespread EV adoption and cutting carbon pollution produced by gas-powered vehicles," Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm said in a statement.
In October, GM reported stronger-than-expected third-quarter earnings, while reiterating its full-year profit outlook, as higher car prices helped fuel record sales for the biggest U.S. automaker.
GM sold just under 555,600 cars over the three months ending in September, a 24% from last year and a tally that reclaimed the nine-month U.S. lead over Toyota (TM), which bested both Ford (F) and GM in total 2021 sales for the first time since 1931.
