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General Motors electric vehicles, including ones built in partnership with Honda, are now facing increased scrutiny from the top U.S. auto safety regulator after hundreds of incidents, more than 20 crashes or fires, and at least six injuries.<\/p>\n
The brake problems also extend to some non-EV models, including the Chevy Colorado, GMC Canyon, and the Buick Enclave and Envision. More than 1 million vehicles may be affected.<\/p>\n
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) started its investigation in April 2024 after reports of trouble from owners of 2023 model year Cadillac Lyriq vehicles. The agency\u2019s Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) said Monday that it was upgrading this probe to what\u2019s known as an \u201cengineering analysis.\u201d That\u2019s the highest level of investigation that ODI performs, and is often a step the office takes before telling a company to issue a recall.<\/p>\n
The initial complaints ODI received two years ago typically involved owners describing receiving a \u201cBrake System Failure\u201d message when starting up the vehicle, or after coming to a complete stop. GM performed \u201cseveral internal investigations\u201d into the issue, according to ODI, and determined that the problem was linked to fractures in the spindle of its \u201ceBoost\u201d brake-by-wire system. <\/p>\n
But ODI said on Monday that it kept receiving reports of a loss of braking assistance that were \u201cinconsistent with GM\u2019s description of a spindle failure.\u201d The additional reports described an \u201cimmediate loss of brake assist\u201d while a customer was in the process of braking to slow their car down, which the safety regulator said \u201ccould result in extended braking distance, which increases the risk of a crash or injury.\u201d ODI said it needs to do a further analysis of the potential for failures in the eBoost system.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe safety of our customers is the highest priority for the entire GM team,\u201d the automaker said in a statement. \u201cWe take these reports seriously and have conducted a thorough investigation, determining the alleged condition does not present an unreasonable risk to motor vehicle safety. We will continue to cooperate with NHTSA as its investigation proceeds.\u201d<\/p>\n
The eBoost system was introduced in 2019 and gradually rolled out to more models over the years. The system ditches a traditional mechanical link between the brake pedal and the braking system, opting for an electronic one instead. This allows GM to change the brake \u201cfeel\u201d in different driving modes. The automaker put eBoost on its most popular EVs, like the Blazer EV, Equinox EV, Cadillac Lyriq, and the Honda Prologue and Acura ZDX, which it made with Honda in a joint venture. The Cruise Origin \u2014 the purpose-built electric autonomous vehicle with no steering wheel or pedals, which GM abandoned in 2024<\/a> \u2014 also used eBoost.<\/p>\n In one crash reported to NHTSA, the driver of a 2025 Lyriq said they lost their brakes while trying to pull into a parking space in front of the store. The vehicle drove over the curb and crashed through the store front, coming to rest \u201cmid-way in the store, amidst the furniture and store structure,\u201d according to the driver. <\/p>\n In another, the driver of a 2024 Blazer EV said they had to \u201cdeliberately steer the vehicle into a concrete curb\u201d to slow it down and avoid a \u201ccatastrophic intersection collision.\u201d <\/p>\n This story has been updated with a statement from GM.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n When you purchase through links in our articles, we may earn a small commission<\/a>. This doesn\u2019t affect our editorial independence.<\/em><\/p>\n