GM Recalls Almost 230,000 Chevys, Buicks, Caddys and GMCs Over Braking Issue

General Motors has issued a recall for nearly 230,000 vehicles in North America due to a fault with the rear brake caliper pistons.

According to GM, improperly chromed rear brake caliper pistons can cause gas to form in the braking system’s hydraulic circuit, resulting in a soft brake pedal.

These brake calipers are sourced from Germany’s ZF group and were recently caught up in a near-identical recall issued by Fiat Chrysler Automobiles for 154,000 Dodge and Jeep vehicles.

GM’s recall report states that the “manufacturer of the brake pistons failed to properly chrome and temper the brake pistons during the manufacturing process. In this condition, hydrogen gas can remain trapped in the piston body.”

ZF had been investigating similar reports of brake caliper issues from Audi, Volkswagen and BMW, but failed to notify GM of the issue until June 14.

GM’s recall affects 210,628 vehicles in the United States and 19,385 in Canada. They are 2018 and 2019 model years of the Chevrolet Bolt, Cruze, Equinox, Impala, Malibu and Volt, Buick LaCrosse, Cadillac XTS, and GMC Terrain.

GM says it is not aware of any crashes or injuries caused by the issue. However, it will bleed the rear brakes of affected vehicles as necessary to remove any gas as a precautionary measure.