Tailgate or accidental opening, General Motors (GM.US) emergency recall of 820,000 pickup trucks.

General Motors (GM.US) is recalling 820,000 newer model trucks in North America because of potential risk of the tailgate unintentionally unlocking and opening. The recall includes trucks from the 2020 to 2024 model years with electrically locking tailgates, as water could potentially enter the external tailgate switch, causing a short circuit when parked. So far, GM is aware of one minor injury incident and three minor property damage complaints related to the recall issue. It is reported that the recall affects approximately 570,000 trucks in the United States and 250,000 trucks in Canada. This is the largest recall for GM in the United States this year and one of the largest recalls to date in 2024. Regulatory agencies in the United States and Canada have stated that if the tailgate opens while driving, unsecured cargo could fall from the truck bed onto the road. GM dealers will replace the external touchpad switch assembly, but vehicles and owners in dealer inventory may have the component disabled until replacement parts are available. GM stated that the replacement parts use a new material that enhances resistance to water ingress. In addition, GM recommends that owners check their tailgate before driving to ensure it is closed and locked. GM states that they are working quickly to address this issue. The recall covers 2020-2023 Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra trucks, as well as the electrically locking tailgate versions of the same heavy-duty trucks from 2020-2024. In November of last year, GM launched an investigation after receiving complaints of unwanted tailgate openings and stated that they had received 136 complaints of the tailgate opening unintentionally.