GM Hitch Failure Control: how the system handles a detached trailer

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General Motors has proposed an unusual role for electronic driver aids: the system would intervene not before a trailer separates, but after the primary hitch has already failed. Patent application US 2026/0264670 A1 describes Hitch Failure Control (HFC), which can detect the loss of a rigid connection and automatically manage the tow vehicle’s longitudinal dynamics so the trailer does not crash into it.

The scenario begins after the main hitch has failed while the trailer remains attached by safety chains or other restraints. The connection then becomes flexible, and the distance between the tow vehicle and trailer can change rapidly. Under hard braking, the trailer may catch up with the vehicle. GM is trying to put that critical phase under electronic control.

The system is designed to use sensors already available on the vehicle. The application lists optical systems, radar, lidar, ultrasonic sensors and inertial sensors, along with data from the engine, transmission and brakes. A controller analyzes the position, speed and acceleration of both the vehicle and trailer to determine whether the normal rigid coupling is still intact.

If the electronics detect a flexible connection, they calculate the actual distance to the trailer and compare it with the required separation. The system can then modify the driver’s command and use ADAS functions to change the tow vehicle’s longitudinal acceleration or deceleration. The patent also provides for control of the trailer brakes. The goal is not only to prevent a collision, but also to reduce fore-and-aft oscillation between the two vehicles.

There is also a practical aspect: GM explicitly describes using equipment already installed in the vehicle without adding major hardware complexity. The filing also mentions the possibility of remote software updates and applying the solution to vehicles already on the road when they have the necessary hardware. That is not a promise of a future OTA update for Silverado owners, but one of the implementation options described by the inventors.

The most unusual detail appears in the drawings. In one diagram, the tow vehicle’s silhouette resembles a Chevrolet Silverado, while the vehicle on the trailer resembles a Tesla Cybertruck. GM does not say the patent was created specifically for towing a Tesla, so the illustration should be treated only as an example of the scenario. The application was filed on March 7, 2025, and published on September 10, 2026.

The applicant is GM Global Technology Operations LLC. The inventors listed are Mohammadali Shahriari, Mehdi Abroshan, Zhi Li, Ben MacCallum and Benjamin J. Eles. It remains only a patent application, so the feature has not been confirmed for the Chevrolet Silverado, GMC Sierra or any other production model. Even so, the concept fits naturally with GM’s pickup business, where towing capability remains a core use case.

GM is also preparing a larger fuel tank for a new Chevrolet Silverado, with its big V8 engines aimed in part at long trips with heavy trailers. This is not the company’s only recent pickup-related patent. During the summer, GM also proposed integrating a fold-out seat with a backrest and footrest into the Silverado tailgate. As with the new trailer-safety system, a patent filing does not guarantee production.

The key difference from conventional trailer sway control is that this idea is meant for a more critical phase, after the rigid hitch connection has already failed. If the technology reaches production vehicles, the electronics could do more than warn the driver about a separated trailer: they could actively try to keep the tow vehicle and its load at a safe distance from each other.