GM Expands Van Recall After Initial Fix Missed 108 Defective Steering Units

A Chevrolet Express van that had already been inspected and cleared under a June safety recall turned up at a dealership in September with a loose steering gear nut — the exact defect the recall was supposed to catch. That discovery forced General Motors to admit its first repair campaign missed 108 potentially defective steering assemblies, prompting a second recall covering 12,715 additional vans from the 2025 and 2026 model years.

The expanded recall, identified by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration as 26V718, adds to the 26,541 Chevrolet Express and GMC Savana vans already covered under recall 26V399. Both campaigns address a retaining nut inside the steering gear assembly that may have been left only hand-tightened during manufacturing at Nexteer Automotive’s Saginaw, Michigan facility.

GM launched the initial recall in June after tracing the problem to a malfunctioning part sensor at Nexteer that allowed improperly torqued assemblies to pass inspection. The supplier reportedly contained the sensor issue on May 29, and subsequent production received correctly torqued units. But the first recall only inspected 51 suspect serial numbers. Another 108 serial numbers were excluded because Nexteer had assured GM they were not affected.

That assurance proved wrong. Following the September dealer finding, GM’s review uncovered two additional warranty claims on vans previously marked as repaired. The automaker says it has received nine field reports potentially related to the condition between June and November 2025, but is not aware of any crashes or injuries.

Nexteer, a major supplier of steering and driveline systems, has a history with similar defects. In 2019, the company was linked to an FCA US recall for intermittent loss of power steering assist. A 2014 GM recall for Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra trucks also cited Nexteer for improperly torqued steering gear tie rods.

Dealers will now inspect steering gear serial numbers against an expanded list. Vehicles with a matching assembly will receive a full steering gear replacement at no cost. Owner notification letters are scheduled to begin mailing December 14. Owners can check their vehicle identification number on the NHTSA recall lookup website or contact an authorized Chevrolet or GMC dealer.