Vehicles affected by the Chevy Avalanche Takata airbag recall are among millions that were shipped with potentially deadly airbag inflators.

GM recalled 1.9 million full-size trucks and SUVs, model years 2007 through 2011, because a defect the vehicles’ airbag inflators were at risk of exploding.

These flawed airbags could explode with such tremendous force they cause severe injuries or even death. The airbag inflator is a metal cartridge filled with propellant that allows an airbag to deploy quickly in an accident. The faulty airbag inflator causes the airbag to burst forth with an intense force. The Chevy Avalanche Takata airbag recall is necessary because if a metal cartridge bursts, it can shoot metal pieces at high velocity toward the driver and passenger.

Airbag propellant must contain a certain amount of drying agent that keeps the chemical propellant from degrading. The recalled airbags allegedly lack an adequate measurement of that drying agent.

Ammonium nitrate is the propellant used in these inflators. Often used to make bombs, ammonium nitrate is necessary in Takata airbags to create the small explosion that deploys the airbags. Unfortunately, the chemical can deteriorate with extreme temperature and humidity changes. This deterioration makes the chemical burn too quickly, resulting in the metal canister’s explosion.

Chevy Avalanche Takata Airbag Recall Faced Delay

GM convinced the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to allow the company extra time to conduct tests of airbag inflators on several affected vehicles. The Chevy Avalanche Takata airbag recall is on the “delayed” list.

In 2016, GM recalled 2.5 million vehicles due to the faulty Takata cartridges, but insisted other vehicles are actually safe for a minimum of three and a half more years. By avoiding the recall of 6.8 million additional vehicles, GM could save $870 million.

Takata declared bankruptcy in June 2017. The company had just reached a $1 billion settlement with the United States Justice Department regarding charges three Takata executives had committed conspiracy and wire fraud charges. The three executives allegedly distributed misleading information to automakers to try to hide the potentially deadly problems with the parts involved in the Chevy Avalanche Takata airbag recall.

Now that Takata is bankrupt, the expensive recall has become an even larger financial issue for GM and other automakers.

Takata’s faulty airbags have been linked to at least 16 deaths throughout the world, 11 of which have occurred in the U.S. More than 100 others have suffered injuries because of the dangerous cartridges.

Complicating the matter is the fact that few companies manufacture airbags, meaning some customers are facing longer wait times to have their vehicles fixed.

If you drive a vehicle affected by the Chevy Avalanche Takata airbag recall, an attorney could help you determine your legal options.

Do YOU have a legal claim? Fill out the form on this page now for a free, immediate, and confidential case evaluation. The airbag injury attorneys who work with Top Class Actions will contact you if you qualify to let you know if an individual defective airbag recall lawsuit or defective airbag recall class action lawsuit is best for you. [In general, defective airbag recall lawsuits are filed individually by each plaintiff and are not class actions.] Hurry — statutes of limitations may apply.

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