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General Motors recalls 2012 Cadillac CTS over brake failure risk

General Motors has announced a recall of select 2012 Cadillac CTS models due to a concern that a component of the braking system may not have been tightened to the proper torque specifications and if this issue is not addressed – it could cause the drive to lose braking abilities.

The component at fault for this new 2012 Cadillac CTS recall is the power vacuum brake boost pushrod retention nut, which in layman’s terms is the bar that connects the brake pedal to the functional components of the braking system. If this nut is left unattended, it could cause this pushrod to disconnect from the brake pedal and when that happens, the brake pedal – for lack of a better way of putting it – won’t do anything…conceivably making stopping impossible.

The good news is that only 674 examples of the 2012 Cadillac CTS are potentially affected by this issue with the included models all being built between October 21st and October 26th. However, with just a six day production window, it sounds like the all of the CTS models built during that time may have the improperly torqued nut and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration points out that there may not be any advance notice before the braking system fails to work. This recall does not include any mention of accidents or injuries stemming from this problem so GM may have caught the problem before any damage was really done but with the General working to improve their image of quality – especially for the high end Cadillac brand – GM was quick to call these month-old vehicles back to the dealerships.

Luckily, the fix for the 2012 Cadillac CTS seems easy enough as once the owner returns to their local dealership, a certified GM technician will inspect the power vacuum brake boost pushrod retention nut to make sure that it is properly tightened and if it is not, the mechanic will tighten the nut. As recall repairs go, it doesn’t get much easier than that so it should also be a fairly quick, in-and-out repair.

General Motors has already begun notifying owners of the 674 2012 Cadillac CTS models that could have the improperly torqued nut and if you have a new Caddy that was built during that time and you haven’t gotten the letter, you can contact Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006.

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