Another GM airbag recall is coming. The automaker announced last week it has agreed to recall and repair the Takata airbag units in about 7 million of its full-size pickup trucks and SUVs.
Takata airbags have been under recall for the better part of the decade. The airbag inflator mechanisms in the recalled airbags can potentially deploy with deadly force and can seriously injure or kill vehicle occupants.
The latest GM airbag recall will bring the wider Takata airbag recall closer to an end. Defective Takata airbags were installed in vehicles made by GM and 18 other manufacturers, forcing a recall of at least 63 million vehicles in the U.S. – the largest auto safety recall in history. At least 40 million additional vehicles with the Takata airbags have been recalled outside the U.S.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has pushed GM to recall the remaining airbag units since 2016, but GM has resisted taking action. According to the Associated Press, the automaker petitioned NHTSA four times since 2016 to avoid the recall. On Monday, NHTSA finally ordered GM to recall the airbags.
GM said it consented to the recall “to maintain the trust and confidence of customers and regulators,” according to the AP.
The GM airbag recall encompasses the last of the unrecalled but potentially explosive Takata airbags in the U.S. Other Takata airbags that incorporate a desiccant to absorb moisture will not be included in the sprawling recall, but NHTSA says it will continue to monitor those airbags and act if they show any signs of malfunction.
The following GM vehicles are included in the latest recall. All of the vehicles are model-year 2007-2014:
- Chevrolet Silverado 1500, 2500 and 3500 pickups
- Chevrolet Suburban
- Chevrolet Tahoe
- Chevrolet Avalanche
- Cadillac Escalade
- GMC Sierra 1500, 2500 and 3500,
- GMC Yukon
GM maintains the Takata airbags included in the recall are safe because they have larger vents and steel end caps. NHTSA says its analyses showed the airbags could become problematic over time.
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