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Teased: GM renders new Chevy Colorado, GMC Canyon pickups

Filed under: Budget, Truck, Chevrolet, GM, GMC

Chevy Colorado GMC Canyon teaser - hood renderings

At a series of industry seminars in Traverse City, MI today, General Motors executive vice president Dan Ammann gifted us with our first glimpse of the upcoming midsize pickup range from Chevrolet and GMC.

Just two slivers of nose are all we can see of the soon-to-be announced Chevy Colorado and GMC Canyon, though the teaser image does make plain that the pair will follow the styling cues (at least up front) found on big brothers Silverado and Sierra.

GM hasn’t given us much in the way of detail in its ultra-brief press release that accompanied the teaser image, which is to be expected. We’re told only that the pair of trucks are designed to be “capable, versatile and fuel-efficient alternatives to full-size pickups” and that production will start sometime in 2014, at the Wentzville, MO assembly center.

You know how these things go though: a teaser leads to a leak, which leads to us knowing nearly everything before the small trucks have their sheets pulled at auto show. The Detroit Auto Show and Chicago Auto Show appear to be the leading venues for the models’ debut. Stay tuned.

Continue reading GM renders new Chevy Colorado, GMC Canyon pickups

GM renders new Chevy Colorado, GMC Canyon pickups originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 08 Aug 2013 11:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Report: Toyota to drop regular-cab Tacoma as small pickups take another hit

Filed under: Car Buying, Truck, Toyota

2013 Toyota Tacoma regular cab - white - front three-quarter view

Even as General Motors prepares to redesign its midsize pickups, the market for sub-fullsize trucks continues to shrink. The remaining competitors in the segment are the well-aged Nissan Frontier, Honda Ridgeline and Toyota Tacoma, and now Truck Trend is reporting that the latter will be dropping its regular cab model due to poor sales.

According to the article, the available configurations for the Tacoma lineup will be whittled down in 2015, which apparently spells the end for the two-door Taco. The Tacoma is currently the last truck in its class to be offered in a regular cab configuration, with the Frontier no longer offering a standard cab model and spy shots of the next-gen Chevrolet Colorado not revealing any glimpse of a short cab, either.

Toyota to drop regular-cab Tacoma as small pickups take another hit originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 02 Aug 2013 18:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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GM reportedly recalling select 2014 Silverado, Sierra pickups over airbag issue

Filed under: Truck, Recalls, Safety, Chevrolet, GM, GMC

2014 Chevy Silverado front three-quarter

2014 GMC Sierra front three-quarter General Motors is recalling 843 2014 Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra Crew Cab pickups, due to a fault with the vehicle’s airbags. According to GM, the airbags may not inflate properly in the event of a crash. There haven’t been any crashes or injuries associated with this recall, which is always good. Naturally, repairs will be free of charge, and GM will begin contacting affected owners soon.

GM has a lot hanging on the 2014 Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra. Not only is it banking over $12,000 per vehicle on these trucks, as reported by Automotive News, but GM is counting on the Sierra and Silverado to take the fight to cross-town rivals Ford and Ram. The F-150 and Ram 1500 have been on a tear over the past few years, with fresh updates, advanced powertrains, and plenty of solid press while the GM trucks have been waiting for the 2014-model-year upgrades.

It’s still entirely too early to judge the Sierra and Silverado, particularly as those 843 recalled trucks make up barely two percent of the over 40,000 units moved so far. But, as AN rightly states, these trucks are the most important vehicles to come out of GM since bankruptcy, with about 60 percent of global profits relating to pickups and SUVs. Starting an introduction of such a big product with a recall, however small, is not the preferred way to do things.

GM reportedly recalling select 2014 Silverado, Sierra pickups over airbag issue originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 21 Jul 2013 15:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Report: GM planning to put its fullsize pickups on a big diet, too

Filed under: Truck, Chevrolet, GM, GMC

2014 GMC Sierra pickup - silver - front three-quarter view with mountains

General Motors is just coming off a complete redesign of the Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra for 2014, but in the US fullsize truck market, there is no rest for the weary. According to Reuters, plans are already unfurling for both trucks to drop pounds from their curb weight over the next few years, but this will unlikely be able to keep pace with the 700-pound diet targeted for the next-generation Ford F-150, a truck expected to debut late next year.

The biggest weight reduction for these trucks might not be available until the next full redesign, which will likely happen around 2019, but the article says that smaller updates could shave pounds in the meantime. Two examples given include an “aluminum-intensive” version of the Silverado that could shed 250 pounds and debut around the same time as the lighter-weight, aluminum-bodied 2015 Ford, and there is also talk of reducing weight for driveline components such as axles and driveshafts. These changes are all part of an attempt to meet strict new fuel economy standards coming in 2017, targets which will get even tougher in 2025.

GM planning to put its fullsize pickups on a big diet, too originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 19 Jul 2013 14:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Chrysler recalls 2013 Ram pickups, 2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee

Filed under: SUV, Truck, Recalls, Chrysler, Jeep, Ram

2013 Dodge Ram 1500 - front three-quarter view

2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee - dead-on front view Chrysler’s spate of successful products is about to be marred by a trio of recalls. The Pentastar is recalling 51,477 Ram trucks and Jeep SUVs. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, there have been no reported accidents, injuries or deaths related to the affected vehicles.

The largest action covers the Ram 1500, which is seeing 45,961 trucks being recalled. Models built between June 26, 2012 and February 5, 2013 are being recalled due to a potential software issue in the electronic stability control. Apparently, the system can be randomly deactivated upon vehicle startup.

Chrysler is also recalling 4,458 2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee models. Covering everything but the SRT models, the potentially defective SUVs were built between January 14 and March 20, 2013. This recall focuses on “premium headlights,” which means cars equipped with LED running lights. During the switch from the bright daytime running lamp setting to the low-intensity parking light setting, an electrical spike can cause one of the Jeep’s computers to go into a safe mode, turning off the LEDs. This violates Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards.

Finally, Chrysler is recalling 1,058 Ram 4500 and 5500 heavy-duty pickups. The action covers vehicles manufactured between January 22 and March 8, 2013 due to an incorrect bolt attaching the track bar to the frame. If the bolt breaks or falls off while driving, drivers may lose control of the vehicle.

Owners of effected models will be notified to report to their dealers for free repairs or retrofits, with all three recalls kicking off in August.

Continue reading Chrysler recalls 2013 Ram pickups, 2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee

Chrysler recalls 2013 Ram pickups, 2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 17 Jul 2013 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Feds expand F-150 fuel tank strap investigation to 2.7 million pickups

Filed under: Truck, Government/Legal, Safety, Ford

The Ford F-150 has been the best-selling truck in America for decades. That’s a very big feather in the Blue Oval’s cap, but when the truck line is bit by the recall bug, its massive volume can be a very bad thing.

The Detroit News is reporting that the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has announced that it has upgraded its investigation into 2.7 million 1997-2001 F-150 pickups for fuel tank straps that have rusted and failed. If the straps rust and fail, NHTSA says there is a chance that the tank could drop and hit the road, causing a fuel leak. Back in September, NHTSA’s initial investigation included 1.4 million vehicles.

Of the 339 complaints NHTSA and Ford have received so far, one has resulted in a brief fire that quickly flamed out, while a second complaint lead to a fire that actually destroyed the vehicle. According to the report, there have been a total of nine documented incidents in which fuel has leaked from the tank as a result of a failed tank strap, though there have no injuries linked to these incidents.

For its part, Ford says it is continuing to support NHTSA’s investigation. The government safety agency says its investigation has “yielded information that strongly suggests the subject defect as the cause of the reported problem,” suggesting a recall may be on the horizon.

Feds expand F-150 fuel tank strap investigation to 2.7 million pickups originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 09 May 2011 13:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Toyota recalls 51,000 Tundra pickups over possible driveshaft fault

Filed under: Truck, Etc., Recalls, Safety, Toyota

2011 Toyota Tundra

2011 Toyota Tundra – Click above for high-res image gallery

Toyota has announced that it is voluntarily recalling 51,000 2011 Tundra pickup trucks. The automaker says that .05 percent of the vehicles may have been built with a faulty slip yoke on the driveshaft. Due to improper manufacturing during the foundry process, the yoke could break. So far, the incident has only occurred in one customer-owned vehicle and no accidents or injuries have been reported as a result of the defect. Toyota says that owners will begin receiving recall notices next month and that dealers will inspect the vehicles’ driveshafts to determine if they are part of the defective production lot.

Though the inspection is expected to take no more than 10 minutes, if needed, actual replacement will take longer, but both inspection and replacement of the faulty parts will come at no cost to owners. No other Toyota or Lexus vehicles have been impacted by the problem. Hit the jump for Toyota’s official press release.

Gallery: 2011 Toyota Tundra

[Source: Toyota]

Continue reading Toyota recalls 51,000 Tundra pickups over possible driveshaft fault

Toyota recalls 51,000 Tundra pickups over possible driveshaft fault originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 26 Apr 2011 13:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Report: Continental recalling nearly 400,000 tires used on Ford F-Series pickups

Filed under: Truck, Recalls, Ford

2008 Ford F-250

Due to some apparently shoddy rubber, Continental and Ford are recalling 2008-2009 F-250 and F-350 pickup trucks equipped with certain tires. The issue lies with nearly 400,000 Continental tires that are susceptible to uneven wear and, in certain situations, can experience tread belt separation. If that occurs, the risk of an accident will rise substantially.

This recall affects trucks built from May 6th, 2007 through September 20th, 2008. Approximately 390,657 units are faulty and the specific tires in question are:

Continental Contitrac LT275/70R18 125/122S (outline white letters, black sidewall)
Continental Contitrac TR BSW LT275/70R18 125/122S (black sidewall)
Continental Contitrac TR OWL LT275/70R18 125/122S

Click past the jump to read the full NHTSA bulletin. And yes, we clearly are all reminded that this isn’t the first foray Ford has had with not-so-great tires…

[Source: NHTSA via Consumer Reports]

Continue reading Report: Continental recalling nearly 400,000 tires used on Ford F-Series pickups

Report: Continental recalling nearly 400,000 tires used on Ford F-Series pickups originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 21 Mar 2011 17:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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GM adding 750 jobs to build more heavy-duty pickups

Filed under: Truck, Hirings/Firings/Layoffs, Plants/Manufacturing, Work, Chevrolet

Chevrolet Silverado HD at Flint Assembly

General Motors has announced that it will add another shift at its Flint Assembly plant to produce more Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra heavy-duty pickups. The third shift is expected to add a full 750 new jobs, and the first wave of employees will begin arriving at the facility during the second quarter of this year. Production will ramp up in the third quarter. Right now, Flint Assembly employs 2,100 workers, and last year, the factory churned out 115,000 vehicles. GM says that the first wave of positions will be filled by workers who were laid off at other facilities. The majority of those workers are expected to originate from Lansing.

The remainder of the positions will be taken by employees who were laid off at other plants, including Orion, Willow Run and Warren. GM won’t be hiring any new employees for the third shift. Hit the jump for the full press release.

[Source: General Motors]

Continue reading GM adding 750 jobs to build more heavy-duty pickups

GM adding 750 jobs to build more heavy-duty pickups originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 24 Jan 2011 13:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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GM expands axle pin recall to include more pickups, SUVs

Filed under: SUV, Truck, Recalls, Safety, Cadillac, Chevrolet, GM, GMC

2011 GMC Sierra

It would seem that General Motors has discovered that the defective axle cross pins responsible for a recent recall were installed in more vehicles than originally thought. The automaker has expanded the recall to cover a total of 26,751 vehicles, up from the 1,262 units in the original notice. As of right now, certain 2011 Cadillac Escalade, Chevrolet Avalanche, Colorado, Silverado, Suburban and Tahoe models as well as GMC Canyon, Sierra and Yukon models are included in the newest recall.

As with before, the vehicles were built with rear axle cross pins that may not have been heat treated. As a result, the pieces could fracture and move out of position. If this happens, the defect could actually cause the rear axle to lock up while driving. Needless to say, the problem could easily cause an accident.

GM will replace the pins free of charge, though the recall isn’t scheduled to get underway until January 25. The company says that while one owner did experience a loss of power to the rear axle as a result of the defect, no accidents have been reported. Hit the jump to take a look at the full recall notice.

[Source: NHTSA]

Continue reading GM expands axle pin recall to include more pickups, SUVs

GM expands axle pin recall to include more pickups, SUVs originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 17 Jan 2011 12:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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