GM issues another recall, 60th so far this year

General Motors is issuing six more recalls, covering a total of 717,950 vehicles in the United States.

None of the recalls are related to the ignition switch issues that have caused recalls of nearly 15 million GM vehicles worldwide this year and are expected to cost the company $1.3 billion.

The latest callbacks bring the total for GM so far this year to 60, affecting some 29.7 million cars and trucks. GM already has passed the 22 million vehicles recalled by all automakers for the entirety of last year.

The company says 13 people have died in crashes linked to the switches in 2.6 million older small cars, but lawmakers and lawyers say the death toll is closer to 100.

The company has set up a fund to compensate victims. The bungled recall has brought investigations from the Justice Department and Congress, as well as a maximum $35 million fine from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration for delays in reporting problems to the agency.

Even before Wednesday, GM had passed its old full-year record of 11.8 million vehicles recalled in 2004. The company also pushed the total number of vehicles recalled in the United States by all automakers well over the old record of 30.8 million vehicles, also set in 2004. Automakers have recalled more than 33 million vehicles so far this year.

The latest recalls hit GM's best-selling vehicles, the Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra pickup trucks, from the 2014 and 2015 model years. They were among about 124,000 vehicles across eight model lines that were recalled because a weld on seat brackets may not have been done properly. GM said it expects that 1 percent of welds were not completed properly.

The largest of the recalls announced Wednesday was for 414,333 vehicles that may have a loose bolt to adjust front seat heights. 

GM on Wednesday did not report how many more vehicles outside the United States will be included in the six recalls.

Vehicles involved in the recalls that were announced Wednesday have been linked to two crashes, three injuries and no deaths, GM said.

Wire services