General Motors Stops Selling 2015 Chevrolet Colorado, 2015 GMC Canyon To Fix Airbag Problem

UPDATE Oct. 13, 10 p.m.: GM spokesperson Alan Adler issued this statement to International Business Times regarding the 2015 Chevrolet Colorado and 2015 GMC Canyon stop sale order: "The stop sale on the Chevrolet Colorado and GMC Canyon was lifted on Oct. 3, less than 48 hours after it was put in place because a software fix for the issue was released to dealers and the plant. Shipments resumed on Saturday, Oct. 4, and have been continuing since. There will still be a recall for 2,432 trucks that were built with the incorrect air bag wiring but by the time the recall begins, many of the trucks will have already had the 20-30 minute software reprogramming done. There are 138 vehicles in customer possession that will be part of the recall."

Original story begins here:

As General Motors and Ford prepare to face off this fall with new pickup truck releases, GM has asked dealers to stop selling the midsized 2015 Chevrolet Colorado and 2015 GMC Canyon, which were just starting to be delivered to dealers, to fix incorrectly wired airbag connections. There have been no reported injuries or fatalities related to the problem.

While the recall affects only about 2,200 vehicles of the over 30 million GM has recalled so far this year, this is the company’s most important 2014 launch and the recall is an embarrassment as it moves back into the midsized pickup truck segment following a two-year absence.

GM said Friday it’s rushing letters by FedEx to the approximately 50 customers that have bought the new midsized pickups. The company says the airbags in the trucks deploy in two stages upon impact, but a wiring error reversed the deployment sequence. “This condition will cause the driver airbags to not function as designed," GM said.

The interrupted launch comes as the new 2015 Ford F-Series full-sized pickup is due out soon that could lure some customers away from the mid-sized truck segment. The Toyota Tacoma is the country’s best-selling small pickup truck and its highly anticipated next-generation 2016 model is due out within 12 months.

Any enduring issues with the new Canyons or Colorados could cause customers to wait for Toyota’s next Tacoma or push them toward the Nissan Frontier. Catching the problem early could also work to GM’s advantage if no other issues arise with the new trucks because so few of them have made it into customers’ hands.

Americans have been moving away from mid-sized trucks as they opt for their full-sized counterparts or SUVs. But small-truck sales are expected to rebound to about 300,000 a year by 2017, from 244,000 this year, according to IHS Automotive.

The Detroit automaker has said it will add 750 new jobs and an extra shift at its Wentzville Assembly Plant in Missouri after the holidays to meet dealer demand for its two new trucks. GM says it has received orders for 30,000 Colorados, far more than it had expected. Dealers have also reserved 14,000 Canyons.