- Vehicles
- 42,904
- Built between
- Nov 2010 – Dec 2012
- Models
- 3
- Recall type
- Vehicle
- Initiated by
- Manufacturer
- Owners notified
- 11 June 2013
- Repaired
- 94%
- Unrepaired
- 2,506
Does this affect my vehicle?
This recall covers vehicles built between November 2010 and December 2012. If yours was built outside that window, it is not part of this recall.
- 2012-2013 Buick LacrosseBuilt November 2010 to November 2012
- 2012-2013 Buick RegalBuilt March 2011 to December 2012
- 2013 Chevrolet Malibu ECOBuilt June 2011 to November 2012
Repair progress
2,506 of 42,904 vehicles in this recall had still not been repaired as of Q1 2015.
94% repaired — 40,262 of 42,904 reported
- Owners not reachable
- 136
Manufacturers file these figures with NHTSA each quarter. Vehicles the manufacturer could not trace, or that have been scrapped or exported, are counted separately and are not included in the unrepaired figure.
What the defect is
General Motors (GM) is recalling certain model year 2012 and 2013 Buick LaCrosse and Regal, and model year 2013 Chevrolet Malibu Eco vehicles equipped with eAssist. These vehicles may have a condition in which the Generator Control Module (GCM) may not function properly. This could cause a gradual loss of battery charge and the illumination of the malfunction indicator light.
What could happen
If the vehicle is continued to be driven, the engine may stall and/or the vehicle may not start. In addition, there may be a burning or melting odor, smoke, and possibly a fire in the trunk.
What gets fixed
GM will notify owners and dealers will test the GCM and replace it, as necessary, free of charge. The recall began on June 11, 2013.
Timeline
- Vehicles builtNovember 2010 to December 2012
- Recall reported to NHTSA6 May 2013
- Owners notified11 June 2013
- Latest repair reportQ1 2015 — 94% repaired
Your rights
A safety recall repair is free. Under US federal law the manufacturer must fix a safety defect at no cost to you — no charge for parts, labor or diagnosis — whether or not you are the original owner. A dealer cannot charge you for recall work, and cannot require you to have bought the vehicle from them.
That entitlement is not unlimited. It applies where the vehicle was first sold less than 15 years before the recall was announced — 5 years for tires. Past that a manufacturer may still do the repair free of charge, and many do, but they are no longer obliged to. This recall was reported on 6 May 2013.
To arrange the repair, contact any franchised dealer for the brand. If a dealer refuses the work or tries to charge for it, you can report that to NHTSA at nhtsa.gov/recalls or on 1-888-327-4236.
Manufacturer contact
Owners may contact GM at 1-800-521-7300. GM's recall campaign number is 13136.
Official source
- Manufacturer's recall number
- 13136
- Recalling manufacturer
- General Motors LLC
- Recall initiated by
- MFR
Everything on this page — the models listed, the build dates and the repair figures — comes from the manufacturer's filing to NHTSA and describes the vehicle line as a whole, not any individual car. Only the manufacturer can confirm whether a specific vehicle is affected, and whether its recall work has already been carried out. Check yours by VIN and read the official notice at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
Additional notes
Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.safercar.gov.
Check your own vehicle
This page describes the recall, not any one car. To see which recalls cover a specific vehicle, search by make, model and year.
A VIN lookup here identifies your vehicle and shows recalls issued for that make, model and year. It cannot tell you what is still open on your individual car - only the manufacturer knows that. Search by VIN instead, or check your VIN at nhtsa.gov for whether a recall is still open on your individual car.