The exploding Takata airbag issue that led to the largest auto recall in U.S. history continues to haunt automakers. But as the number of recalled airbags reaches the 63 million mark, some manufacturers want to steer clear of having to launch new recalls, mainly over financial concerns. Thankfully, regulators are making sure carmakers are doing whatever it takes to keep consumers safe.
Recently, General Motors petitioned the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to request an exemption from the agency’s recall orders. Denying the request, regulators told GM that the company had 30 days to come up with a plan to initiate a recall and replace all defective inflators. The result was a major recall impacting 5.9 million SUVs and pickups sold across the country.
GM Recall: Takata Airbag Problem Can Lead To Deadly Personal Injury Accidents
In its recall announcement, GM reported that the recalled vehicles include the 2007 through 2014 Cadillac Escalade, the Chevrolet 1500, 2500, and 3500s, the Chevy Suburban and Tahoe, the GMC Sierra 1500, 2500, and 3500s, and the GMC Yukon and Yukon XL.
In its letter to the automaker, NHTSA said that its probe concluded that the inflators in the recalled vehicles can experience the same issue as other vehicles fitted with Takata inflators and that long-term exposure to high heat and humidity may lead to an explosion in the event of an accident. Because inflators are made of metal and the explosion will blow shrapnel into the vehicle’s cabin during deployment, occupants can suffer serious and even deadly injuries.
NHTSA officials added that “such explosions have caused injuries and deaths” both in the U.S. and abroad.
Despite NHTSA’s claims, GM stated that the airbags in the recalled vehicles are not at risk following an “independent scientific evaluation,” but that the firm was issuing the recall in order to “abide by NHTSA’s decision.”
The automaker is expected to spend $1.2 billion to address this recall.
The NHTSA alerted the 19 automakers impacted by the Takata airbag issue that the defective airbags had already claimed 18 lives and that the recalled cars must be repaired as soon as possible to avoid similar injury accidents.
If you’re worried your vehicle may have been recalled over this problem, you can check the NHTSA recalls website for more information.
For more on the GM recall, follow this link.
