General Motors is recalling 40,440 containers of ACDelco GMW DOT 3 brake and clutch fluid produced between October 19 and December 28, 2022, after federal compliance testing identified visible sediment in the affected lot. The recall, filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration on April 23, 2026, covers a single bottling lot — number 01977 091222 — and is classified as a noncompliance with Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 116. GM has assigned the action internal recall number N262552830; NHTSA has designated it 26E025.
Highlights
- 40,440 containers of ACDelco GMW DOT 3 brake and clutch fluid (part number 19353126) from a single 2022 production lot are affected
- Visible sediment in the fluid causes the lot to fail FMVSS 116 section S5.1.7(a)
- Cause is precipitation from two additives within the fluid itself, not external contamination, per supplier chemical analysis
- Remedy is reimbursement to dealers and ACDelco direct purchasers for any remaining stock; no consumer advisory has been issued
What Triggered the Recall
NHTSA notified GM on August 7, 2025, that third-party compliance testing conducted in June 2024 had flagged samples of the 2022 ACDelco GMW DOT 3 brake fluid for failing FMVSS 116. GM opened a product investigation the same day and submitted formal responses to NHTSA on September 3 and November 3, 2025.
NHTSA conducted supplemental testing on a remaining unopened sample from the same lot on March 10, 2026, and shared the final reports with GM on March 24. Those tests confirmed the fluid failed section S5.1.7 because of visible sediment. GM’s Safety Field Action Decision Authority approved the noncompliance recall on April 16, 2026.
Defect and Safety Risk
The brake fluid is supplied by DuPont Specialty Products in Midland, Michigan. Chemical analysis by GM’s supplier confirmed that the visible precipitates are formed by two additives in the fluid and are not the result of outside contamination. According to GM’s Part 573 filing, when these precipitates are present during manufacturing or bottling, they are normally filtered out — but the cause of their appearance in the tested sample remains unknown.
Sediment in brake fluid can compromise brake performance under certain conditions. The Part 573 report does not identify any warning a vehicle operator would experience before performance degraded.
GM said it identified no relevant warranty claims tied to the affected lot.
Remedy and Notification Schedule
The remedy is reimbursement, not replacement. GM will reimburse dealers and ACDelco’s direct purchasers for any remaining stock from lot 01977 091222 following verification. Citing 49 CFR 577.11, GM said it does not plan to notify end purchasers because consumers would not have been aware of the issue prior to the recall.
Dealer notifications are scheduled for May 6, 2026. Notifications to ACDelco’s other direct purchasers are estimated for June 8, 2026. Owners with questions can contact GM customer service at 1-866-467-9700 and reference recall number N262552830.
Industry Context
A reimbursement-only remedy is uncommon among NHTSA recalls but appropriate for a single-lot equipment-only campaign of this kind, where the affected product is consumable and not yet installed in vehicles in any traceable way. The Part 573 filing does not include consumer “Do Not Drive” or “Park Outside” advisories — both fields are present on the form but were left unchecked. That contrasts with recent vehicle-level brake actions such as Audi’s E-Tron pushrod recall (26V240), where NHTSA listed both advisories despite an inspect-and-torque remedy.
It is also the second recent GM recall touching brake-fluid handling on its parts side. In late 2024, GM recalled more than 449,000 trucks and SUVs for an inoperative brake fluid warning light — a different defect, but one that highlights how brake-fluid integrity sits at the intersection of OEM software, hydraulic hardware, and supplier chemistry.
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