2019-2024 Silverados Recalled Over Brake Issue
A new recall was issued by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration yesterday, affecting 62,468 vehicles that may be at risk of catching fire. According to the NHTSA recall documents, Chevrolet Silverado Medium Duty pickups (4500HD, 5500HD, 6500HD) produced from 2019-2024 may have a fault within their brake pressure sensor assemblies that could lead to a brake fluid leak. In the worst cases, after this brake fluid leaks into the brake pressure switch and causes a short circuit, a fire can break out. As a result, “owners are advised to park outside and away from structures until the recall repair is complete.”
Chemical Issues Could Cause Fire
Chevrolet
The recall places the blame for the issue on the use of an unauthorized chemical by the supplier of the brake assembly, and it appears to be something that GM has been working on for some time. A recall was issued in April 2023 to address a fragmenting zinc sealant that could interfere with a diaphragm that prevents brake fluid from leaking into the sensor wiring harness. Then, in October of 2024, a quality manager flagged an issue with a 2023 Silverado Medium Duty pickup “that was exhibiting unintended brake pump activation.” This vehicle was not covered by the earlier recall, and when another similar report was filed over a 2021 vehicle, GM knew there was an issue.
The automaker investigated in January 2025, and in March, it asked its supplier (Akron Rubber Development Lab) to test its components. Testing was completed by the end of April, by which point GM’s investigator identified one alleged fire among 160 potentially related reports, prompting the recall. No accidents or injuries related to the issue have come to GM’s attention.
Only A Handful Of Vehicles Expected To Be Impacted
Related: 132,000 Lincoln Aviators Recalled for Parts That Could Fly Off While Driving
Vehicles that were already recalled under the April 2023 notice will need to be repaired again, and owners can expect to receive notification letters in the mail from July 28, with secondary letters to be mailed once a remedy is available. When it is, dealers will replace the brake pressure switch wire harness free of charge. Fortunately, although all owners impacted by the recall should play it safe and park outside and away from buildings, only around 1% of the recalled vehicles are expected to be affected. Silverado Medium Duty trucks from the 2024 model year are not affected since they were “produced with a brake switch wire harness that includes a silicone sealant.”
This new recall follows one that was issued at the end of last month for Cadillac Lyriq EVs that could have blank touchscreen displays, an issue that first appeared in 2022. Whether it’s a novel EV or an old-school workhorse, recalls are just a part of production, and GM can at least take comfort in the knowledge that it’s having a much better time with the NHTSA than Ford.
Chevrolet
