The shares of legacy automaker General Motors (GM) shrank nearly 1% on Monday morning. This came after the U.S. auto safety regulator broadened its investigation into thousands of the company’s vehicles over possible engine bearing failure.
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The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) expanded the probe, first announced in January this year, to include 286,000 vehicles produced by the Michigan-based automaker after receiving over 1,000 reports of the issue.
The problem affects the engines in models such as the Chevrolet Silverado 1500 and the Cadillac Escalade. An engine bearing failure can cause a crash, putting vehicle occupants’ lives at risk.
General Motors Faces Deeper Probe despite Recall
The widening of the probe’s scope comes despite General Motors recalling 721,000 of its SUVs and trucks earlier in April due to the engine issue. The carmaker was forced to issue the recall after the NHTSA obtained over 28,000 complaints of engine failures, including 12 reported crashes, 12 injuries, and 42 fires potentially linked to this issue.
General Motors had noted that the problem likely stemmed from 6.2-liter gasoline V8 engines installed in the vehicles, due to possible manufacturing defects in their connecting rods or crankshafts. The recall affected Cadillac, Chevrolet, and GMC models with production dates between 2021 and 2024.
General Motors Battles Vehicle Defects
Meanwhile, the auto safety regulator also plans to probe vehicles outside General Motors’ earlier recall for potential safety problems. This is even as several automobile manufacturers have also had to issue various recalls, indicating that quality control remains a key challenge for the automotive industry.
In August, General Motors requested the return of over 23,500 Chevrolet Corvettes in the U.S. due to a fuel leak issue. Similarly, about a month before then, it pulled back 62,468 Chevrolet Silverado vehicles due to a risk that the brake pressure sensor assembly could leak brake fluid into the switch, causing a short circuit.
Is GM Stock a Good Buy Now?
The latest update comes as General Motors has just released its Fiscal 2025 third-quarter results. Despite the challenges facing its EV business, the automaker expanded its U.S. market share, even as its profitability in China improved.
However, the company’s shares currently have a Moderate Buy rating on TipRanks. This is based on 14 Buys, two Holds, and two Sells assigned by 18 Wall Street analysts over the past three months.
Moreover, at $73.56, the average GM price target indicates 6.36% growth potential from the current level.
