General Motors’ electric vehicles, including those made in partnership with Honda, now face increased scrutiny from the top U.S. auto safety regulator after hundreds of incidents, more than 20 crashes or fires and at least six injuries.
The brake problems also extend to some non-EV models, including the Chevy Colorado, GMC Canyon, and Buick Enclave and Envision. More than 1 million vehicles could be affected.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) first launched its investigation in April 2024 after reports of problems from owners of 2023 model year Cadillac Lyriq vehicles. The agency’s Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) said Monday that it was upgrading this investigation to what is known as an “engineering analysis.” That’s the highest level of investigation ODI performs and is often a step the office takes before telling a company to issue a recall.
The initial complaints ODI received two years ago typically involved owners describing receiving a “Brake System Failure” message when starting the vehicle or after coming to a complete stop. GM conducted “several internal investigations” into the problem, according to ODI, and determined that the problem was related to fractures in the axle of its “eBoost” brake-by-wire system.
But ODI said Monday that it continued to receive reports of a loss of brake assist that were “inconsistent with GM’s description of an axle failure.” Additional reports described an “immediate loss of brake assist” while a customer was braking to slow their car, which the safety regulator said “could result in an extended braking distance, increasing the risk of a crash or injury.” ODI said it needs to do a deeper analysis of the potential for failures in the eBoost system.
The eBoost system was introduced in 2019 and was gradually rolled out to more models over the years. The system abandons a traditional mechanical link between the brake pedal and the braking system, opting instead for an electronic one. This allows GM to change the “feel” of the brake in different driving modes. The automaker installed eBoost in its most popular electric vehicles, including the Blazer EV, Equinox EV, Cadillac Lyriq, and Honda Prologue, and the Acura ZDX, which it made with Honda in a joint venture. The Cruise Origin: the specially designed autonomous electric vehicle without a steering wheel or pedals, which GM abandoned in 2024 – I also used eBoost.
In an accident reported to NHTSA, the driver of a 2025 Lyriq said he lost his brakes while trying to park in front of the store. The vehicle went over the sidewalk and crashed into the front of the store, coming to rest “halfway to the store, between the furniture and the structure of the store,” according to the driver.
In another, the driver of a 2024 Blazer EV said he had to “deliberately drive the vehicle onto a concrete sidewalk” to slow down and avoid a “catastrophic collision at an intersection.”
When you purchase through links in our articles, we may earn a small commission. This does not affect our editorial independence.