General Motors has issued a recall for the Buick Encore GX and Chevrolet Trailblazer due to an issue with the emergency jack.
A safety report published by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reveals that the emergency jack used by the Encore GX and Trailblazer may fracture if not positioned as directed in the vehicle owner’s manual. That could be bad news if someone was changing a wheel or, even worse, was under the vehicle.
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The safety report notes that a GM test driver reported a broken jack during a durability test on a 2021 Trailblazer. A GM validation engineer then reported the issue through GM’s Speak Up for Safety program on March 31, 2021 and GM opened an investigation into the matter on April 20. GM soon confirmed the jack had failed because it had been mispositioned under the car. The automaker also identified 21 field claims alleging the same issue.
The recall impacts 55,996 Buick Encore GXs that were built between March 23, 2020 and June 3, 2020 as well as 79,404 Chevrolet Trailblazers built between March 16, 2020 and May 8, 2021.
To resolve the issue, dealerships will simply replace the plastic jack with a new one made from metal that is less susceptible to failure through misuse. Dealers were made aware of the issue on June 10 and owners will be notified on July 26.
