DETROIT (AP) — General Motors is recalling more than
38,000 Chevrolet Impala police cars in the U.S. and Canada because a
part in the front suspension can crack and cause a crash.
The
recall affects police cars from the 2008 through 2012 model years. The
lower control arm in the suspension can fracture, causing sudden changes
in handling that could make the driver lose control, GM said in
documents posted Saturday on the National Highway Traffic Safety
Administration website.
Impalas sold to the public have some
different suspension parts and are not affected by the recall, spokesman
Alan Adler said. "We tested for durability on the civilian Impala, and
we believe there are no issues," he said.
GM doesn’t know of any
crashes or injuries from the problem. If a fracture occurs, a squeal or
chirp is likely to come from the tire area at low speeds, GM said in the
documents.
The company will replace the lower control arms at no
charge to police departments. Parts are available, and departments can
call dealers to schedule repairs, Adler said.
The problem was
discovered after GM got reports from several police fleets that the
lower control arms had cracked near a bushing sleeve. GM began
investigating the problem in February, and in July, GM engineers had
traced the problem to lower control arms that the company started using
in the middle of the 2008 model year, the documents said.
All the cars were built at GM’s factory in Oshawa, Ontario.
Copyright 2012 The Associated Press.
DETROIT (AP) — General Motors is recalling more than
38,000 Chevrolet Impala police cars in the U.S. and Canada because a
part in the front suspension can crack and cause a crash.
The
recall affects police cars from the 2008 through 2012 model years. The
lower control arm in the suspension can fracture, causing sudden changes
in handling that could make the driver lose control, GM said in
documents posted Saturday on the National Highway Traffic Safety
Administration website.
Impalas sold to the public have some
different suspension parts and are not affected by the recall, spokesman
Alan Adler said. "We tested for durability on the civilian Impala, and
we believe there are no issues," he said.
GM doesn’t know of any
crashes or injuries from the problem. If a fracture occurs, a squeal or
chirp is likely to come from the tire area at low speeds, GM said in the
documents.
The company will replace the lower control arms at no
charge to police departments. Parts are available, and departments can
call dealers to schedule repairs, Adler said.
The problem was
discovered after GM got reports from several police fleets that the
lower control arms had cracked near a bushing sleeve. GM began
investigating the problem in February, and in July, GM engineers had
traced the problem to lower control arms that the company started using
in the middle of the 2008 model year, the documents said.
All the cars were built at GM’s factory in Oshawa, Ontario.
Copyright 2012 The Associated Press.