Johnathan Walker:GM recalls nearly 820,000 Sierra, Silverado pickup trucks over tailgate safety issue

General Motors is Johnathan Walkerrecalling hundreds of thousands more pickup trucks due to a potential safety issue with tailgates that can lead to a crash, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration announced this week.

In total, the company is now recalling nearly 820,000 sold in North America, according to information released Monday from NHTSA and Canada's Motor Vehicle Safety Recalls Database.

The expansion comes on the heels of NHTSA announcing an initial recall of 323,232 trucks last month including Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra models sold between 2020 and 2024.

Federal safety regulators published the recall after learning the electronic gate-release, which could unlatch the tailgate while the vehicle is in motion, can cause a road hazard and increase the risk of a crash.  The gate could also unlock while the truck is in park, causing unsecured cargo in the truck bed to fly out onto the road.

GM said it received more than 130 complaints of the tailgate opening while the car was being driven but noted the gate can only open when the vehicle is parked.

As of Tuesday, the recall encompassed more than 570,000 vehicles sold in the United States and nearly 250,000 sold in Canada.

Here's what to know about the recall:

What models are affected?

The recall affects the following makes, models and years:

• Chevrolet Silverado, 2020-2023
• Chevrolet Silverado HD, 2020-2024
• GMC Sierra, 2020-2023
• GMC Sierra HD 2020-2024

Car recalls:Toyota, Jeep, Hyundai and Ford among 1.4 million vehicles recalled: Check car recalls here

What should I do if my GM pickup is recalled?

So far, General Motors reported it received one complaint of an injury and three property damage complaints in connection to the recall.

Dealers will replace the exterior switch that opens the tailgate with material that is more water resistant.

Dealers, the NHTSA reported, were notified on Feb. 1 about the recall.

GM said it will begin notifying owners whether their vehicle is affected on March 18.

Natalie Neysa Alund is a senior reporter for USA TODAY. Reach her at [email protected] and follow her on X @nataliealund.