A recall on approximately 34,000 General Motors vehicles for tire issues was recently announced by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Chevy Equinox and GMC Terrain crossover SUVs that were manufactured between July and September of this year were reportedly built with tire pressure monitoring systems that do not comply with federal safety standards.
The monitoring systems are designed to alert the driver when the tire pressure dips 25 percent below the recommended cold tire pressure. However, the warning lights of those in affected vehicles will not illuminate until after the pressure crosses this threshold. This may lead to driving on underinflated tires, which can potentially cause a blowout.
The automaker will offer to fix all vehicles affected by the problem for free, but some vehicles may need tire replacement at a tire shop if they were being driven with too little air pressure. This can result in uneven wear and possibly damages.
It is important to check the tire pressure regularly, even if you have a monitoring system. Driving on tires that don't have enough air pressure can have a negative impact on fuel economy and make the vehicle unsafe to drive.