We report on a lot of recalls, and most are seemingly innocuous defects that require the solar system to perfectly align before anything catastrophic could happen. Then there are recalls like this one for the 2012 Chevrolet Sonic that appear to be much more dangerous than they probably are.

It turns out that Chevrolet let a few Sonics built between June 2 and November 21 leave its factory in Orion Township, Michigan minus a brake pad. General Motors claims that of the 4,873 Sonics built during that time, some 20 to 30 may be missing either an inner or outer front brake pad. The company says 4,296 of the potentially shoe-less Sonics were sent to the U.S., while 577 migrated north to Canadian customers.

A car minus just one inner or outer brake pad doesn’t lose its ability to stop, but its braking performance will suffer and there is the possibility that other elements of the braking system, like the caliper or rotor, could be damaged as a result of their omission.

GM vows to notify all potentially affected Sonic owners and install any missing pads and, if necessary, replace any calipers or rotors free of charge.

General Motors has suspended production of the Chevrolet Cruze. The automaker’s Lordstown, Ohio facility suspended its third shift entirely and shortened its first and second shifts due to an unnamed supplier issue according to a spokesperson with the plant. Reuters reports GM has declined to elaborate on the nature of the kink in the company’s supply chain, but stressed that the automaker hopes to clear up the issue as soon as possible. The Cruze has enjoyed major success this year, becoming the second-best selling vehicle in its class, second only to the Toyota Corolla.

The Corolla leads the Cruze by a scant 4,000 units, but the Cruze has managed to best both the Honda Civicand the Ford Focus without breaking a sweat. Previously, GM CEO Dan Akerson said he hopes the Cruze will become the best-selling vehicle in its segment by the end of 2011, but its unclear just how the new supplier crunch will impact those goals.

If you ask us, this 25 Hottest Products for 2011 list in Advertising Age isn’t exactly packed with automotive excitement. But with Dove soap, Malt-O-Meal, and Goldfish crackers also claiming spots, perhaps we shouldn’t be surprised that it’s a Chevrolet Cruze, rather than a Camaro headlining the “America’s Hottest Brands” issue.

Besides the Cruze, the venerable sister pub to Automotive News points out the Kia Soul and Jeep Wrangler, seemingly more for their marketing campaigns than anything else. Kia’s hamster ads are legendary, while Jeep’s marketing deal with the Call of Duty video game franchise has proven successful.

The Cruze, on the other hand, is an actual hit for General Motors – topping 200,000 sales through October, and ranking as the company’s top-selling car. While that certainly makes the Cruze worthy of recognition,sales have begun to cool now that its newness is wearing off. While GM’s marketers can give themselves a brief pat on the back for making the list, clearly they still have work to do if they want to land on the 2012 version of the Ad Age list.

Who will want to buy a brand-new, nicely equipped 2013 Chevy Malibu Eco for $25,995? If you peruse General Motors’ press release, then you may think it’s people who are cross-shopping a Volkswagen Passat TDI or a Hyundai Sonata Hybrid, a Toyota Camry Hybrid or a Ford Fusion Hybrid. These are the vehicles that GM helpfully points out cost more than the new Malibu, and the green competition is completely intentional. The Eco trim level, coming in the first quarter of 2012, will be the first 2013 Malibu released and gets 26 miles per gallon in the city and 38 mpg on the highway (GM estimates). The other trim levels for the 2013 model year – LS, LT and LTZ – are not coming until the summer. Until then, the 2012 model will still be produced.

As it was getting the new Malibu Eco ready, GM looked at who buys green cars, and they found are people who tend to like a little bit of fancy technology inside. That’s why, Russ Clark, GM’s Director of Marketing, Midsize and Performance cars, told AutoblogGreen, the main marketing message will be that the Malibu Eco offers a compete technological package, combining good fuel economy (thanks to eAssist) and an infotainment system that is more commonly found in higher-end models. “It really is an outstanding package of fuel economy and price,” Clark said.

Nonetheless, even with the Eco label, the 2013 Malibu Eco certainly doesn’t have the same green cred that a car with the hybrid label does. Clark said that “Someone who is dead-set in their mind that they have to have a hybrid,” will be difficult to persuade, but that, “this kind of technology [eAssist] will continue to grow over time. It’s something that people will become more familiar with.”

This is similar to how the Chevrolet Volt is being received. People don’t necessarily know everything about the Volt’s powertrain, but they may come into the dealership to find out. Once there, they may purchase a Volt or a Cruze or, soon, a Malibu Eco. “With new technology, you will attract people to your products,” Clark said.

In the aftermath of a Chevrolet Volt catching fire at a National Highway Traffic Safety Administration test facility, NHTSA may move to require electric vehicle batteries to be drained after major wrecks. The Detroit Free Press reports that the agency is contemplating issuing a ruling, but a decision has yet to be made.

General Motors’ position on the fire is that the battery should have been drained after NHTSA crash-tested the car, a preventative measure the automaker says it recommends.

NHTSA’s inquiry involves other carmakers who use lithium-ion battery packs, not just GM. According to the report, the agency is reviewing the automaker’s responses, which likely pertain to the feasibility of requiring first-responders to drain battery packs. The Detroit Free Press says GM must currently deploy a team to drain Volt batteries, though a GM spokesman says a tool to drain batteries may become available to dealerships next year.

The safety of electric vehicle batteries and the unique dangers they pose to first responders have been anongoing concern since the first hybrids hit the market over a decade ago. The market’s shift toward lithium-ion batteries and an increase in the size of battery packs have only drawn the issue into starker focus.