Pickups have become much more technologically advanced these days, and even heavy-duty trucks have nifty features like a push-button power tailgate. However, for certain Chevrolet and GMC owners, that feature has become a bug.
General Motors is recalling 128,966 Chevrolet Silverado 2500 and 3500s from the 2020-2024 model years, in addition to 194,266 GMC Sierra 2500 and 3500s from the same period, over a short circuit that could develop in the power tailgate release button.
The Detroit carmaker says that under certain circumstances, water can make it into the button’s internals, causing a short circuit. Unfortunately, the automaker doesn’t specify what those circumstances are.
Whatever the case, a short circuit could cause the tailgate to lower of its own volition, while the vehicle is in park. Although some consumers have complained that their tailgate lowered while they were driving, GM claims that the vehicle’s control logic wouldn’t allow the tailgate to lower while the truck was driving, regardless of what the button was requesting.
It posits that in those cases, the tailgate actually lowered while the vehicle was in park, and the owner didn’t notice until the vehicle was in motion. Therefore, it recommends that owners of the trucks involved in the recall check their tailgates before taking off.
Read: Over 142,000 Ram Pickups Don’t Have Self-Canceling Turn Signals
GM is already aware of three incidents of minor property damage, and one minor injury relating to this issue. Naturally, if you’re driving around with stuff in your bed, and you don’t know that your tailgate is down, your things could become projectiles on the road. Fortunately, the tailgate will remain closed if the owner latches it manually before starting on their journey.
To remedy this issue, GM has launched a recall and will start reaching out to owners on March 18. They will be asked to return their truck to a nearby dealer, where the exterior touchpad switch assembly will be replaced with a new one that is more resistant to water. This update will be made free of charge to the owner.
