GM recalls over 449,000 SUVs, pickups due to brake fluid warning light issues

General Motors on Friday said it is recalling 449,671 of its SUVs and pickups because of a faulty low brake fluid warning light which may fail to go on when brake fluid is low.

"In the event of a brake fluid leak, the vehicle's brake pedal performance may degrade before the brake telltale timely illuminates ... increasing the risk of a crash," the recall notice posted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Association states.

The cause of the non-working warning light is what is described in the recall as a "mismatch" between the electronic brake control module software and module calibrations.

GM is not aware of any crashes or injuries associated with the faulty warning light.

The recall applies to the following models:

• 2023 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
• 2023 GMC Sierra 1500
• 2023-2024 Chevrolet Tahoe and Suburban 1500
• 2023-2024 GMC Yukon, Yukon XL
• 2023-2024 Cadillac Escalade, and Escalade ESV vehicles.
  
• 2023-2024 Cadillac Escalade and Escalade ESVs

"Without a warning light, the vehicle may be driven with low brake fluid, which can reduce braking performance and increase the risk of a crash," according to NHTSA recall documents.

To correct the condition, General Motors will update the mismatched software for free. Owners of recalled vehicles can choose to have the software updated remotely through over-the-air technology, or schedule an appointment with a GM dealer to have the updates conducted at the dealership.

Notification letters are expected to be mailed to owners on October 28. Owners can contact GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782, Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020, or Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006. GM's number for this recall is N242447990.

Owners may also contact NHTSA's safety hotline at (888) 327-4236 (toll-free at 1-800-424-9153) or go to www.nhtsa.gov for further information. NHTSA's number for the recall is 24V-674.