Automakers try their utmost to avoid expensive recalls but sometimes their efforts prove fruitless. Just ask Hyundai and Kia regarding their delayed response to engine fires. Both were hit with significant fines by the US government. Safety-wise, it's just not worth taking any chances anymore and General Motors agrees. It has just issued a recall for a grand total of eight new 2021 Chevrolet Camaro muscle cars due to the left or right axle shaft possibly missing a retaining ring. Blame a production error.
Without this ring, the axle shaft could separate from the car while driving, leading to a sudden power loss and a greatly increased risk of a crash. The cars were built between September 30 and January 6. GM will soon begin contacting affected owners and the fix involves replacing either the left or right axle shaft.
Like with any recall coordinated with the NHTSA, this will be done free of charge. The discovery of a potentially separated axle shaft occurred last month when a GM brand quality manager submitted an issue report following a Chevy dealership noticing the problem on a 2021 model it had in stock. A few days later, a second claim regarding the same issue was submitted by another party. On February 25, the supplier itself acknowledged the problem and provided GM a list of 11 serial numbers that could be affected.
After narrowing them down to just eight, the recall was issued on March 11. The good news is that this is very easy to fix and just a handful of Camaros are involved.
The bad news is that Camaro production remains suspended. Like with many other automakers, GM has been forced to shut down production at a number of facilities due to a lack of semiconductor chips. The Camaro's home, the Lansing Grand River Assembly plant in Michigan, has been idled since the middle of the month. GM wanted to conserve as many chips as possible for more profitable vehicles, specifically trucks and SUVs.
The Camaro, unfortunately, has suffered from declining sales over the past few years. But now, there are not enough chips for Chevy Silverado 1500 and GMC Sierra 1500. It's an industry-wide problem that's not expected to be resolved until later this year.