General Motors recalls nearly 820,000 pickup trucks

NEW YORK — General Motors is recalling nearly 820,000 pickup trucks over a potential safety issue involving tailgates, CNN reports.

The automaker warns that an electronic latch could short circuit if water gets into the tailgate of some 2020-2024 Chevy Silverado and GMC Sierra truck beds.

That means the gate could inadvertently open while the car is parked, leading unsecured property in the bed to fly out when unaware drivers hit the road.

In a report posted on the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s site, General Motors said it received more than 130 complaints of the tailgate opening while the car was being driven, CNN says. But the company said the gate can only open when the vehicle is parked.

“(The) control logic in the body control module (BCM) would prevent release of the tailgate latch when the vehicle is in gear, even if the BCM receives a release signal from the exterior touchpad switch,” the company wrote, warning owners to make sure they manually close their tailgate before driving until the recall is complete.

The recall encompasses more than 570,000 vehicles sold in the United States and about 249,000 sold in Canada. Dealers will replace the exterior switch that opens the tailgate with material that is more water resistant.

General Motors said it will begin letting customers know whether their car is affected on March 18.

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