As revealed by filings with the NHTSA, 4,789 large SUVs and pickup trucks are being recalled by GM due to "inadequate welds" within the front upper control arms.
The defective welds may cause the arms to bend or even break off, which can ultimately compromise steering and handling. The list of affected vehicles contains the 2016 Chevy Tahoe, Suburban, GMC Yukon, Yukon XL, Sierra 1500, Cadillac Escalade, Escalade ESV as well as the 2016-2017 Chevy Silverado 1500.
According to CarandDriver, GM disclosed that the problem was found last month on April 5th when the front left wheel of a Yukon XL cambered beyond its normal limits during an assembly line test. After more tests, GM found that the defect would make the truck "very difficult to drive even at low speeds" and that the control arm could fail at virtually any speed, while steering or braking.
In order to fix the problem,dealers will replace both front control arms on affected cars and perform a realignment at a later date. Vehicles built after April 8th have already been shipped with an improved control arm setup.
GM also had to call back 895,000 full-size pickups for seat belt defects last month, while 426,000 heavy-duty pickups were recalled in February for faulty brake pedals.