At the end of June, General Motors LLC issued a recall of 2011 GMC Canyon and Chevrolet Colorado passenger vehicles. The affected vehicles have a 2.9 or 3.7 liter engine and a four-speed automatic transmission, but fail to conform to requirements set by Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 102, “Transmission Shift Lever Sequence, Starter Interlock, and Transmission Braking Effect.”
Affected vehicles could have been built with an automatic transmission adjustment clip that may not retain the proper position of the shift cable. If the shift cable is not in the proper position, the prndl shift lever may not show the position of the transmission gear accurately. The driver may be able to move the shifter into park and remove the ignition key, but the transmission gear itself may not be in park. As a consequence, the vehicle may not be able to be restarted, and may roll away while the driver and other occupants exit the vehicle.
The recall is expected to begin in mid-July. Owners of an affected vehicle will be instructed to take the vehicle to a GM dealer for a new automatic transmission adjustment clip to be installed at no cost.
Consumers with questions may contact GMC at 1-866-996-9463 and/or Chevrolet at 1-800-630-2438, or the Vehicle Safety Hotline of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) at 1-888-327-4236 or visit http://www.safercar.gov.
If you have purchased a car in California but the vehicle is plagued with persistent problems that impair its use, value, or safety, the vehicle may be a lemon. To learn whether you qualify for a replacement vehicle or a refund of your money under the lemon law in California, contact attorney Howard D. Silver at 1-866-49-LEMON.
