A bumpy ride for GM as steering malfunction triggers more recalls

General Motors (GM) is probably paying the price for not learning from past mistakes; what else could explain the recurring technical glitches that put road safety at stake? A year after a serious snarl in the power steering system required GM to recall thousands of vehicles in America, the automobile juggernaut this week recalled about a million pickup trucks and SUVs after the same problem caused several accidents.

According to the company, the freaky software glitch that makes the steering return abruptly when the voltage dips caused about 30 crashes involving some of its 2015 model pickups and SUVs, in which at least two persons were hurt.

GM this week recalled about a million pickup trucks and SUVs after a steering problem caused accidents

“These vehicles may experience a temporary loss of electric power steering, followed by a sudden return, especially during low-speed turning maneuvers. The loss and sudden return of EPS assist typically happens within a 1 second period and is caused by an electrical/software issue,” stated a communiqué from the company.

The list of vehicles being recalled includes GMC Sierra 1500, Chevy Tahoe, Chevrolet Silverado, Chevrolet Suburban, GMC Yukon and Cadillac Escalade. The faulty power steering systems will be repaired free of cost by the dealers and the software will be updated.

The recall follows a safety investigation initiated by the company about three months ago, involving scrutiny of customer complaints, tests and engineering analyses. According to GM, drivers of the affected pickups and SUVs experience difficulty in maneuvering the vehicles, mostly while moving at low speeds.

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Being the largest automaker in the world, GM has rolled out an exceptionally large number of vehicle models, including Buick, Chevrolet and Cadillac. However, it is doubtful if the century-old company has perfected the art of auto-making. In recent years, GM products have performed poorly in ratings.

The auto sector witnessed a series of recalls in the recent past after various anomalies ranging from faulty seatbelts to electrical malfunction were detected on vehicles manufactured by industry-leaders like Ford (F), Toyota and BMW.

Of late, GM shares have been on a losing streak, falling about 12% over the past 12 months and 18% since the beginning of the year. The stock, which lost further momentum this week, traded broadly flat Thursday.

After Toyota, it’s Ford: Notable vehicle recalls in the past three months