General Motors announced on Friday that it had instructed its dealers to stop selling certain Chevrolet Cruze compact cars for an undisclosed issue. The affected cars are 2013 and 2014 Cruze models equipped with a 1.4-liter turbocharged gasoline engine.
However, GM said the cars are not being recalled and that the action only covers affected models that are unsold on dealer lots. The 1.4-liter turbo engine makes up about 60 percent of Cruze sales, according to GM.
“I can just confirm that we put a stop-sale in last night,” GM spokesman Alan Adler was quoted as saying by Reuters. He didn’t provide details on why the decision was take, but said stop-sale orders can happen for various reasons. Stop-sale orders usually mean the dealers need to do something to the vehicle before it can be sold.
The Cruze is GM’s top-selling car in the U.S., with sales of 248,224 units in last year. The model is also available with a 1.8-liter naturally aspirated engine and a 2.0-liter turbo. One Chevrolet dealer contacted by Reuters confirmed the alert to stop selling the 1.4 liter turbo models but said no further details had been provided by GM.
Last month, the automaker recalled 1.6 million older models worldwide, including the Cruze’s predecessor, the Cobalt, to replace faulty ignition switches that can be knocked out of the “run” position while driving, turning off the engine and disabling airbags and electrical components.
GM CEO Mary Barra will testify next week before the House of Representatives and Senate to explain why the problem did not result in a recall earlier despite first noted within the company in 2001.
By Dan Mihalascu
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