New GM recall adds 2.4 million more vehicles

General Motors added 2.4 million American vehicles to its growing recall list Tuesday, bringing the total number it has recalled to 13.6 million this year.

The company has yet to release a detailed list of how many Canadian vehicles might be affected, but an analysis of numbers provided to CBC by the automaker suggest there could be as many as 170,000 cars, SUVs and pickups in Canada affected by the new recall.

In the U.S., the recalled vehicles include:

• 1,339,355 Buick Enclave, Chevrolet Traverse, GMC Acadia full-size crossovers from the 2009-14 model years and Saturn Outlooks from 2009-10 because front safety lap belt cables can fatigue and separate over time. 
• 1,075,102 of the previous generation four-speed automatic transmission Chevrolet Malibu sedans from the 2004-08 model years and the Pontiac G6 from the 2005-08 model years because of a shift cable that could wear out over time, resulting in mismatches of the gear position indicated by the shift lever.  
• 1,402 Cadillac Escalades and Escalade ESVs from the 2015 model year because an insufficiently heated plastic weld that attaches the passenger side airbag to the instrument panel assembly could result in a partial deployment of the airbag in the event of a crash.
• 58 Chevrolet Silverado HD and GMC Sierra HD full-size pickups from the 2015 model year because retention clips attaching the generator fuse block to the vehicle body can become loose and lead to a potential fire.

The company says it isn't aware of any fatalities related to the new recalls, but it expects to take a $400-million charge in the second quarter as a precaution, to repair the vehicles.

In February of this year GM announced the recall of millions of cars for faulty ignition switches that can turn off while the car is moving, rendering the airbag inactive, among other problems. GM says it's aware of 13 fatalities related to that defect, but trial lawyers suing the company say the death toll is at least 53.

Ever since, GM has been forthright about all potential safety issues in its fleet. But that's led to millions of vehicles being recalled and has the company poised to shatter its record for number of vehicles recalled in a single year.

Last week, GM was fined a record $35 million by the U.S. government for not disclosing what it knew about its safety issues in a timely manner.