GM Recalls 132K Heavy-Duty Pickups Over Tailgate Fault

Last week, General Motors issued a recall for just north of 132,000 heavy-duty pickup trucks that could have a faulty tailgate power latch, causing the tailgate to open unexpectedly. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s (NHTSA) web page for this recall, the issue pertains to certain 2024 Chevrolet Silverado 2500 HD, 3500 HD, and GMC Sierra 2500 HD and 3500 HD models equipped with the power-unlatching tailgate.

If water gets into the tailgate mechanism, the switch that controls the powered gate release may short-circuit, causing it to open while the vehicle is parked. Something like this would obviously be pretty easy to spot if you’re vigilant before setting off. Still, if you’re not expecting an open tailgate and you throw it in drive, you could risk your payload making a rapid and violent departure from the truck’s bed. No bueno.

NHTSA’s page says that “owners are advised to check that the tailgate is closed before driving,” which makes sense. As a remedy, dealers will replace the exterior touchpad switch assemblies free of charge. Letters will begin mailing to affected owners on or after January 13, 2025.

We’ve watched pickups of all shapes and sizes grow more capable and more luxurious with every new generation or update, and a touchpad switch that drops the tailgate for you certainly feels like one of those “nice to have, but not vital” things that trucks are full of nowadays. We’re not shocked to see that a tech-forward feature might have some teething issues when it comes to withstanding the rigors of truck life. Here’s to hoping the replacement touch switches will fare better in the elements.