General Motors to recall 33,700 vehicles to rectify transmission issues

General Motors Co (GM) yesterday said that it will recall about 33,700 vehicles globally to rectify a transmission-related software problem that could increase the risk of a crash.

The recall affects Buick LaCrosse full-size cars and Cadillac SRX crossover SUVs from the 2013 model year.

The Detroit-based carmaker said that the problem may cause the transmission to unexpectedly slip from manual to automatic mode, which could increase the risk of a crash.

GM will recall 26,582 vehicles in the US, 1,300 in Canada, while the remaining from Mexico, the Middle East and China.

The Buicks were built from 25 April 2012 through 6 March 2013, while the Cadillacs were built from 29 May 2012 through 18 February 2013.

The US National Highway Transportation Safety Administration said the vehicles failed to comply with Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards related to engine braking. A software problem may cause the transmission to inadvertently shift into sport mode, removing any transmission-related engine braking effect, which could increase the risk of a vehicle crash.

The automaker however said there are no reports of crashes or injuries related to the issue.

Apart from this recall, GM is also recalling 48 compressed natural gas-powered versions of the 2011-model Chevrolet Express full-sized vans to address a potentially incorrectly built pressure relief vent pipe that could allow natural gas into the passenger compartment and increase the risk of an explosion or fire.

All the vans were sold to three US fleet customers and one dealer.