The Recall Desk
Our severity:SevereNHTSA·14V252000·Announced 2014-05-14

GM Recalls 2004-2012 Vehicles for Electronic Stability Control Defect

General Motors is recalling 2004-2012 Chevrolet, Pontiac, and Saturn vehicles because a wiring issue can disable crash avoidance features like traction control.

What this means for you

Our assessment, not the agency’s: severity 4/5 (Severe).

The hazard poses a serious risk of illness, injury, or structural failure. Stop using the product immediately and contact the manufacturer for a refund or repair.

Our severity reasoning: The recall involves a structural vehicle defect that disables crash avoidance features like electronic stability control, increasing the risk of a crash, which aligns with the 'Severe' criteria for significant injury risk.

Plain-English summary

General Motors LLC is recalling approximately 2.4 million model year 2004-2012 Chevrolet Malibu, 2004-2007 Chevrolet Malibu Maxx, 2005-2010 Pontiac G6, and 2007-2010 Saturn Aura vehicles. The recall covers vehicles manufactured between May 16, 2003, and October 11, 2012. The defect involves increased resistance in the Body Control Module (BCM) connection, which can cause voltage fluctuations in the Brake Apply Sensor (BAS) circuit.

These electrical fluctuations can result in several safety issues, including brake lights illuminating without the brake pedal being pushed, brake lights failing to illuminate when the pedal is pushed, difficulty disengaging cruise control, and the ability to move the gear shifter out of 'PARK' without pushing the brake. Most critically, the defect can disable crash avoidance features such as traction control, electronic stability control, and panic braking assist. Any of these failure conditions increases the risk of a crash.

Dealers will correct the issue free of charge by attaching the wiring harness to the BCM with a spacer, applying dielectric lubricant to the BCM and harness connector as well as the BAS and harness connector, and relearning the brake pedal home position. The recall began on August 18, 2014. Owners may contact General Motors customer service at 1-800-222-1020 (Chevrolet), 1-800-762-2737 (Pontiac), or 1-800-553-6000 (Saturn). GM's number for this recall is 13036.

The recalled product

Product
CHEVROLET, SATURN, PONTIAC MALIBU, AURA, G6, MALIBU MAXX
Brand
CHEVROLET
Manufacturer
General Motors LLC
Category
Vehicle — Sedan
Hazard
Affected units
2,440,524

Is your product affected?

Check your packaging against the codes below. If any of them match, the product is part of this recall.

Model numbers (4)

  • MALIBU
  • AURA
  • G6
  • MALIBU MAXX

Distribution

Distributed nationwide across the United States.

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