If you’re driving a Cadillac EV or a Chevy Blazer EV, you might want to slow down and read this. If you can, that is. General Motors has just announced a recall of nearly 70,000 of those vehicles over a very strange brake issue.
A software problem can lead to a “temporary loss of braking at low speeds,” but fortunately, it’s almost impossible to replicate.
A Very Particular Set Of Circumstances Could Kill Your Brakes
The recall affects 2023-2027 Cadillac Lyriq EVs, 2025-2026 Celestiq, 2026-2027 Vistiq, and the 2024-2027 Chevrolet Blazer EV. It applies only to models equipped with Performance all-wheel drive, not other versions of the vehicles involved.
According to documents filed with the NHTSA, the problem is both strange and temporary. GM first learned of the issue in April, after a technical expert reported an incident in which a Lyriq struck a garage at low speed.
GM was able to replicate the problem in testing, and it took a Konami code-level input to make it happen. According to the report, you need to be driving at low speeds and in a sharp turn, then lightly apply the brakes. If you meet all of those conditions and then hit a bump or depression in the road, your foot slipping on the pedal could cause the ABS system to “misinterpret wheel movement.”
That misinterpretation could lead to a temporary loss of braking. However, GM made it clear that taking your foot off the brakes and applying them again would restore them. It sounds not unlike a situation where the braking system thinks you’re on ice and sliding. It then reduces braking force to try and regain traction, but since the wheels aren’t actually skidding, the system can’t fix it.
This recall is closely related to one from 2024 that applied to the 2023-2024 Lyriq AWD. In that recall, GM said that an overly sensitive ABS system could cause a similar loss of brake performance. The fix made then did not address this situation.
How Will GM Fix It?
2027 Chevrolet Blazer EVChevrolet
GM told regulators it was aware of 24 field complaints potentially related to this issue. That included 20 “minor accidents,” and GM said two of those had allegations of “minor injuries.”
The fix is a software update that will correct the problem in the brake system control module. It will be sent out over the air to any vehicles that have that feature enabled. Otherwise, customers can go to a GM dealer to get the new software.
But not every owner will be able to get the update just yet. GM plans to start notifying owners through the mail on December 14, and the automaker told dealers that the software fix wasn’t ready for the 2023-2024 Lyriq models under the recall. For others, it should be ready now, and owners can check their VIN on the NHTSA’s site or their brand’s website. GM said it has rolled out the software for new production vehicles, though the dates vary by model.
GM has not told drivers to park the vehicle until the software update is applied. But we suggest using extra caution when driving in those specific circumstances.
Source: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
