Recall Alert: 185,903 GM Trucks

GM has issued a recall for 185,903 pickups, including the Chevrolet Colorado from the 2004-09 model years, the GMC Canyon from the 2004-09 model years, the 2006 Isuzu I-280, the 2006 Isuzu I-350, the Isuzu I-290 from the 2007-08 model years and the Isuzu I-370 from the 2007-08 model years, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

The recall is due to a brake-lamp switch that may not work because of contamination in the switch. This could mean that the brake lamps won’t work or will stay continuously lit, either of which could pose a safety hazard to other drivers who can’t see what the driver intends to do.

The recall applies to vehicles either originally sold or registered in Alabama, Arizona, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Mississippi, Nevada, New Mexico, Puerto Rico, South Carolina, Texas, U.S. Virgin Islands and Utah.

GM says the new component for the switch will not be available until February 2010, so it will offer special coverage for all registered vehicles. Owners who have problems can get free repairs but must return to a dealership when the newly designed parts become available. The inspection and replacement part will both be free.

Owners may contact Chevrolet at 800-630-2438, GMC at 866-996-9463, Isuzu at 800-255-6727 or the NHTSA vehicle safety hotline at 888-327-4236.

2009|Chevrolet|Colorado

2009|GMC|Canyon

It's Official: No More Isuzus for the U.S.

The company known more for its fictional 1980s spokesman, Joe Isuzu, than its cars is officially out of the new-car game. Even though most Isuzu dealers closed up shop long ago, some were still selling the company’s pickup trucks and SUVs throughout 2008, to the tune of more than 7,000 units.

But no longer; while Isuzu will still sell commercial trucks in the U.S. and offer service on its past products, it will no longer sell new vehicles as of Jan. 31.

As we work our way through all the details of the upcoming Detroit auto show, this bit of news doesn’t really seem to impact the automotive landscape. If you have fond or not-so-fond memories of Isuzu, let us know in the comments.

No Lie: Isuzu to End Sales in North America (KBB)

Isuzu Closing Doors in U.S.

Isuzu began notifying its dealers Wednesday that next year the Japanese automaker will stop selling its entire consumer lineup, including the midsize Ascender SUV derived from the Chevrolet Trailblazer and the midsize i-290 and i-370 pickup trucks derived from the Chevy Colorado.

One source said he wasn't sure consumers would even notice, since Isuzu only sold 7,098 vehicles in the U.S. last year. Isuzu sells only SUVs and trucks here, no cars.

Sales will stop after Jan. 31, 2009, but service will not, the automaker said. Consumers who own an Isuzu SUV or truck will continue to be offered service and warranty work, company spokesman Chip Letzgus said. He wouldn't provide details on how that will work until all dealers have been told how the service program will work.   

There are 200 Isuzu dealers in the U.S., but only about a dozen are stand-alone Isuzu stores. The rest are duals with other brands, many Chevrolet, which is why those dealers can continue to service the vehicles; both are rebadged Chevrolets.

Recall Roundup: Volvo XC90, Land Rover LR3 and More

It’s never fun to get a recall notice in the mail, but it is better to know about them as soon as humanly possible. Here are the latest recalls we have to report.

The big news this week is that owners of most 2003 - 2006 Volvo XC90 SUVs will have to take their car to the dealership for two repairs. One is significant, involving steering components that may make the vehicle hard to steer. This will impact about 109,000 XC90s. The other fix, involving wiper arms that may not function properly in severe weather, affects roughly 122,000 XC90s from the same model years.

Volvo is also recalling about 16,000 S40s and V50s equipped with the T5 turbo engine from the 2004 - 2006 model years for a fuel line repair.

In other recall news: