I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but we have another GM recall of heavy-duty pickups. General Motors has recently issued a Stop Sale and safety recall for specific models of the Chevrolet Silverado Heavy Duty and GMC Sierra Heavy Duty trucks. This recall is for model years 2020 to 2024 rigs. The recall number is N232426400, and informs truck owners about a defect related to the power tailgates of these vehicles.

The recall is directed to trucks equipped with the MultiPro and MultiFlex tailgates.  If you are the owner of one of these models, you should manually verify whether your vehicle falls within this recall.

The issue comes about because of the possibility of water infiltrating the tailgate’s electronic components. This unfortunately occurs because there are two drain holes located in the top of the tailgate that are meant to prevent water from collecting. Unfortunately, it has been reported that instead, this allows water to enter the tailgate.

What if you’re towing a trailer and the gate opens…

The water can lead to an electrical short within the gate-release switch. When this happens, the tailgate can unexpectedly unlatch while the vehicle is parked. Truck owners might notice the tailgate opening without their wanting them to, which is a clear indication of the defect. If your truck’s tailgate opens without you, see a local dealer.

General Motors is working to rectify this issue by replacing the exterior touchpad switch assemblies of the affected vehicles. However, in a surprising twist (sarcasm intended), the dealerships are having a hard time getting the parts needed for this repair. GM is doing what they can to secure the needed parts, and truck owners will be notified when they need to bring their truck to the dealer. However, until the repairs are complete, vehicle owners are asked to make sure their tailgate is securely latched before commencing any journey.

While the GM recall permanent fix is pending, owners can verify if their vehicle is implicated in the recall by checking their VIN on the GM Owner Center website or through the NHTSA’s recall lookup tool.

According to the NHTS report, GM opened a product investigation into this issue on November 21, 2023, after receiving complaints of unwanted tailgate openings with respect to vehicles incorporating the same unsealed tailgate-release switch. GM’s analysis and testing determined that the tailgate design in the subject vehicles was susceptible to water intrusion in the location of the switch. GM’s analysis of potentially related field incidents, completed on January 5, 2024, identified 136 complaints that alleged an unwanted tailgate opening “while driving.” However, the control logic in the body control module (BCM) would prevent the release of the tailgate latch when the vehicle is in gear, even if the BCM receives a release signal from the exterior touchpad switch. Accordingly, these complaints are likely attributable to the tailgate releasing while in Park before beginning a drive. The complaints were received by GM between September 1, 2020, and August 1, 2023. Among the complaints were one allegation of minor injury and three complaints of minor property damage.

Dealers were to be notified on February 1, 2024. Owner interim notification was estimated to begin on March 18, 2024. GM will provide an estimate for owner notification of an available remedy once an estimate is available.

For the most current information and further instructions, affected owners should stay in touch with their local dealers or visit the official GM website for updates. Owners can visit https://experience.gm.com/ownercenter/recalls to check if their truck is part of this recall.