The sting of the regulator's whip is still pretty fresh in GM's mind, and rather than risk another high profile case at the same time that it's trying to improve the public's perception of brand quality and build more SUVs to feed gluttonous car buyers, the General has decided to bite the bullet and recall nearly 800,000 Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra trucks built in 2014. 690,685 of these recall cases reside within US borders and another 100,000 concern trucks in Canada and other foreign markets.

The problem itself revolves around the electronic power steering unit, or more specifically, how power is doled out to the EPS. Given how many accessories are loaded onto modern trucks, the electrical system can become taxed when running too many accessories or even when the truck is turning at slow speeds. When that happens, the electrical power system seems to have an unfortunate ability of losing power suddenly. The resulting jolt can cause drivers to lose control of their trucks, opening up a greater potential for an accident. As GM knows well, things don't go over too well when the case concerns customers losing control of their cars whether due to electrical supply or faulty ignition switches.

Fortunately, the fix is as cheap and easy as any manufacturer could hope for. All GM has to do is get owners into the dealership to update the software on the electronic power steering system module and send them on their way. The recall itself serves to highlight the advantages and disadvantages to modern vehicle technology. The problem is that more and more systems are being driven by the battery, which increases the number of things that can go wrong if the electrical system goes out. The scale of potential danger becomes even larger when considering drive-by-wire systems, but on the other hand, having fewer complex mechanical parts means recall fixes can be as simple as writing a few lines of code and sending customers notices by mail.