June 19, 2021 — A General Motors recall has been issued for more than 135,000 Buick Encore GX and Chevrolet Trailblazer vehicles even though there are no defective parts or components.
GM says customers aren’t following the directions for positioning the emergency jacks, a problem that has caused 21 jacks to break.
The 2020-2022 Buick Encore GX and 2021-2022 Chevrolet Trailblazer vehicles have directions in the owner’s manuals about how to position the jacks on the vehicle frames. But not reading the instructions can cause the jack to be mispositioned which can cause the jack to fracture under load.
A GM 2021 Chevrolet Trailblazer test driver reported a jack broke in March which caused the automaker to open an investigation. Engineers determined the jack broke because the test driver didn’t follow the directions and the jack was mispositioned.
During the investigation GM learned about 21 field reports which claimed the jacks failed.
“Although the jack is sufficiently robust when used appropriately and per the included instructions, failures can still occur due to customer usage.”
GM says there aren’t enough replacement emergency jacks available for all the recalled vehicles. The automaker says if an owner needs to use the jack, the customer should forget the jack and instead call Chevrolet roadside assistance at 800-243-8872 or Buick roadside assistance at 800-252-1112.
General Motors dealers will replace the recalled jacks with newly designed jacks, and undelivered vehicles will have the jacks removed prior to deliveries. GM will eventually announce a customer service action to equip those vehicles with new jacks.
Buick Encore GX and Chevrolet Trailblazer owners should watch for recall notices which will be mailed July 26, 2021.
Owners may contact Buick at 800-521-7300 or Chevrolet at 800-222-1020. GM’s recall number is A212335470.