WASHINGTON: General Motors Co is recalling 3.46 million US pickup trucks and SUVs to address a vacuum pump issue that could make braking more difficult and increase the risk of a crash.

The recall, which covers vehicles built since 2014 including some Cadillac Escalade, Chevrolet Silverado, GMC Sierra, Chevrolet Suburban and GMC Yukon vehicles, is because the amount of vacuum created by the vacuum pump may decrease over time, GM told the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) in documents posted Wednesday.

NHTSA opened a preliminary investigation into the issue in 20128.