After Some Hesitation, General Motors Expands Recall for 10-Speed Transmissions
General Motors has expanded a previous recall for its vehicles containing a 10-speed transmission due to risk of the wheels locking up, according to The Autopian.
The issue was first recalled by General Motors last year, covering over 460,000 vehicles for their rear wheels locking up.
Another 90,000 units have been added into the recall, comprised of the 2019-2020 Cadillac CT6, as well as the 2020-2022 Chevrolet Camaro and 2020-2021 Cadillac CT4 and CT5. Depending on whether the vehicles are all-wheel-drive or rear-wheel-drive, these vehicles may experience sudden lockup of their rear or front wheels.
Documents filed with NHTSA say that the issue is caused by a transmission control valve experiencing excessive wear, resulting in the hydraulic control circuit losing pressure, and harsh gearshifts that can lead to wheel lockups.
Though GM was first made aware of the issue last September, the automaker determined it did not warrant a recall due to it only involving harsh downshifts, and “momentary” wheel lockups lasting less than 150 milliseconds. GM looked into the issue again in November, prompted by 115 reports of wheel lockups, and finally issued a recall.
The transmissions were developed in collaboration with Ford, which spearheaded the design of the 10-speed transmission, while GM led the creation of a nine-speed transmission—the latter of which Ford would decide to not co-opt.
To resolve the issue, GM is having dealers install new software for the transmission control module. It will monitor the transmission control valve’s performance, and alert drivers if excessive wear is detected. The transmission will be limited to fifth gear if wear is detected, as the problem arises when downshifting from eighth gear. GM says the update will notify drivers approximately 10,000 miles before there’s risk of wheels locking up.
