Almost 820,000 pickup trucks are recalled by General Motors

General Motors is calling back almost 820,000 pickup trucks because of a possible safety issue with the tailgates.

The car company says that if water gets into the tailgate of some 2020–2024 Chevy Silverado and GMC Sierra truck beds, the electronic latch device used to open the gate could short circuit. That means the gate could open by accident while the car is stopped, letting things in the bed that aren't supposed to be there fly out when drivers hit the road without looking.

General Motors said it got more than 130 reports of the tailgate opening while the car was being driven. The reports were placed on the website of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. But the business said the gate would only open if the car was stopped.

More than 570,000 cars sold in the US and about 249,000 cars sold in Canada are being recalled. When dealers change the switch on the outside of the car that opens the tailgate, they will use a material that is more resistant to water.

The company said it would start telling customers on March 18 if their car is affected.