Recall on Cadillac, Buick SUVs

General Motors Corp. will recall its Cadillac SRX sport utility vehicle because of a problem with its braking system and its Buick Rendezvous SUV to fix a faulty latch on the liftgate, a spokesman said Friday.

GM will recall 12,329 Cadillac SRXs equipped with all-wheel drive, including 11,375 in the United States, after two reports of a one-second delay in the anti-lock brakes activating to stop the vehicle, spokesman Jim Schell said.

The problem, blamed on a software anomaly, occurs only during the first few seconds of driving when the SUV is moving slowly, Schell said. One owner crashed his SRX into his garage wall after the brake delay but was uninjured.

Affected owners will be told to take their vehicles to a Cadillac dealership, where the software system will be reprogrammed at no charge, Schell said.

GM also will recall about 119,000 Buick Rendezvous SUVs to reinforce a nylon cable that keeps the rear liftgate in place in the event of a rear-end collision, Schell said.

During testing, the company discovered that the nylon webbing could tear in a crash, allowing the liftgate to possibly open and unbelted occupants to be thrown from the vehicle.

The automaker will add a metal strap to reinforce the liftgate latch, Schell said.

GM began installing the nylon strap on the Rendezvous last year with the recall of 107,000 of the SUVs, after a report that the rear liftgate tore away in a severe crash, injuring one occupant.

Schell said GM would notify owners to take their vehicles to a dealership, where for no charge the metal strap will be installed.