NEWS:   GM recalls pickups, SUVs

Detroit Free Press -- November 20, 2007 --  General Motors Corp. recalled 69,000 Chevrolet, GMC and Pontiac pickups and SUVs and more than 20,000 Saturn cars for repairs including adding interior safety foam and fixing a timing chain.

The recall by the world's largest automaker covers 57,100 Chevrolet Equinox and Pontiac Torrent SUVs from the 2007 model year, and 11,974 2001-model Chevy Silverado and GMC Sierra trucks and 20,514 Saturn L-Series cars, the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said on its Web site.

GM will install extra foam in the windshield pillars of the Equinox and Torrent SUVs that aren't equipped with roof air bags or a sunroof, to lessen the risk of head injury during a crash, according to the NHTSA.

In 2.2-liter, four-cylinder versions of the Saturn cars, GM will replace the engine's timing chain, which could separate while the motor is running and boost the chance of a crash. For 8.1-liter, eight-cylinder versions of the Silverado and Sierra, GM will replace the crankshaft position sensor, which can fail and stall the engine.

OCTOBER 2007 -- GM is recalling 57,100 MY 2007 Chevrolet Equinox and Pontiac Torrent passenger vehicles not equipped with optional roof rail airbags or optional sunroof. These vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 201, "Occupant Protection in Interior Impact." During NHTSA impact tests, the interior occupant protection test points exceeded the standard requirements. The results of this test indicated a possibility of an increased risk of head injury in a crash. Dealers will install an energy absorbing foam piece to each of the a-pillar trim assemblies. The recall is expected to begin during January 2008. 07V-520

August 2007 -- GM is recalling 437 MY 2007 Chevrolet Equinox and Pontiac Torrent sport utility vehicles for failing to conform to the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 208, "Occupant Crash Protection." In these vehicles, the right front passenger seat is built with a passenger sensing system. When tested with a representative unrestrained small adult, the system is required to turn the right front passenger's frontal airbag on. An error in the seat sensor calibration can cause it to fail this test. In addition, this condition can prevent the airbag from turning off when the seat is occupied by a small child. Whenever the front passenger seat is occupied, the driver should always check the airbag indicator to see if the airbag is on or off. If it is not correct for the situation, the passenger should be moved to a different seat. This can increase the risk of injury to a seat occupant during certain crash conditions. Dealers will reprogram the seat's electronic control unit. The manufacturer has not yet provided an owner notification schedule for this campaign. 07V-344