GM recall announced for thousands of vehicles due to seat belt defect

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GM seat belt recall overview: 

• Who: General Motors recalled certain 2021-2022 Cadillac Escalade, Escalade ESV, Chevrolet Suburban, Tahoe, GMC Yukon and Yukon XL vehicles equipped with third-row seats.
• Why: The seat belts in the third-row seats may be faulty.
• Where: The recall is nationwide in the United States.

General Motors (GM) recalled more than 480,000 vehicles with third-row seats as the seat belts may be faulty.

On Aug. 11, GM announced on the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) website that it recalled 484,155 of its 2021 and 2022 Cadillac Escalade, Escalade ESV, Chevrolet Suburban, Tahoe, GMC Yukon and Yukon XL vehicles equipped with third-row seats. 

The recall is due to improper rivet on the seat belt buckle assembly, the company says.

“The rivet that retains the buckle to the mounting bracket in the left or right side third-row seat belt buckle assembly may have been improperly formed,” the GM recall notice states. “A seat belt with a deformed rivet may not properly restrain an occupant, increasing the risk of injury during a crash.”

GM is not aware of any accidents or injuries related to the flaw, it says. The company is not currently facing legal action over the recall, but Top Class Actions follows recalls closely as they sometimes lead to class action lawsuits.

GM recall response to customer seat belt complaint

In May, a dealership received a customer report of a third-row seat belt buckle assembly that separated in a 2021 Chevrolet Suburban, GM says.

It opened a formal investigation and identified seven additional field reports potentially related to the flaw.

The investigation determined that operators at the GM seat belt buckle assembly supplier’s manufacturing plant may have not properly followed manufacturing processes. It has since met with the seat belt buckle assembly supplier to determine the scope of potentially affected parts, according to the GM recall notice.

For those with affected vehicles, dealers will inspect the rivet head formation on both the left and right side third-row seat belt buckle assemblies and replace seat belt buckle assemblies as necessary free of charge. 

GM expects to mail owner notification letters Sept. 26. The GM recall is active nationwide in the United States.

This is not GM’s first recall this year.

In April, General Motors recalled 2,687 of its SUVs from model year 2015 over concerns they contain airbag inflators that can explode and cause injury. 

Are you affected by the GM seat belt recall? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.

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