Phantom Braking Triggers Recall Of 62,000 Chevy Colorados And GMC Canyons

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An issue with the automatic emergency braking system in certain GM mid-size pickups has led to a recall of nearly 62,000 units across Canada, the U.S. and Mexico.

A truly international problem, it was first noticed in China, where a report was submitted to GM’s Speak Up For Safety program in September 2023. Ultimately, it determined that a defect with the front camera module was causing problems there.

After investigating the issue, GM sought to determine if vehicles in other markets were equipped with the same problematic camera module. They found that 46,708 Chevrolet Colorados and 9,047 GMC Canyons from the 2023 model year were equipped with it in the U.S.

Read: Nearly 63,000 Ford Mavericks Face Instrument Cluster Blackouts

Ultimately, GM determined that the cameras could detect an obstacle despite there being none. That can cause the automatic emergency braking system to trigger, slowing the vehicle for no apparent reason, a condition that is popularly referred to as “phantom braking.”

234 Complaints, Including 4 Accidents

The suddenness of this issue, coupled with the lack of warning for other drivers on the road, poses a significant problem. There is a risk of collisions with trucks stopping unexpectedly. GM is particularly concerned, given that there have been 234 field complaints related to this issue in the U.S. Additionally, four accidents have been reported, three of which resulted in minor injuries.

As a result, the 2023 Chevrolet Colorado and GMC Canyon will be recalled across North America. In addition to the 55,755 vehicles units that need to be fixed in the U.S., another 4,500 will need a repair in Canada, as well as 1,500 in Mexico, per Autonews.

The vehicles will receive a software update that corrects the front camera’s calibration, and should prevent phantom braking from occurring, GM claims. The update will be installed by dealer at no cost to the owner.