GM Airbag Defect Triggers Recall of Over 1M Vehicles

Over 1 million vehicles have been recalled for a GM airbag defect, as part of a trio of different recalls that the company issued simultaneously.

The company says that the GM airbag defect creates a risk that the wiring harness for the seat-mounted side airbags may get pinched. That pinching may engage the Service Air Bag warning light on the vehicle’s driver information center.

GM warns that ignoring that warning light will ultimately result in the non-deployment of the side air bags and other side impact restraints, including the seat belt pretensioners and, on vehicles so equipped, the front center airbag.

According to the company’s announcement, the recall resulted from a request by GM’s CEO Mary Barra that the company bring forward all pending product reviews and resolve them quickly.

Barra had ordered the company to undergo a comprehensive safety review following a well-publicized recall of defective ignition switches in other cars.

Over 1M Vehicles Affected by GM Airbag Defect

The GM airbag defect recall affects a total of 1.18 million vehicles. Models and years of the affected vehicles include some:

• Buick Enclave and GMC Acadia units from 2008 to 2009, and all from 2010 to 2013;
• Chevrolet Traverse units from 2009 and all from 2010 to 2013; and
• Saturn Outlook units from 2008 to 2009 and all from 2010.

Simultaneous with the GM airbag defect recall, the company also announced it would recall over 63,000 Cadillac XTS full-size sedans from model years 2013 and 2014. These vehicles have a defective brake booster pump that may cause an electrical short, potentially leading to an engine compartment fire.

A third recall also affects over 300,000 Chevrolet Express and GMC Savana units from 2009 to 2014, which require reworking of instrument panel material to meet head impact standards for unbelted passengers.

In all, 1.76 million vehicles around the world are affected by the three recalls. A GM spokesperson said at the time of the recall that the company was not aware of any deaths or injuries related to any of the three defects.

GM has offered to repair the defects at no charge to customers. Repairing the GM airbag defect requires dealers to remove the wiring harnesses from the driver and passenger side airbags, splice wires and solder them together.

Unsold vehicles have been placed under a stop-delivery order until parts are available, the company says.

This round of recalls came on the heels of a highly publicized controversy over faulty ignition switches in some GM small cars. The affected ignition switch could cause the vehicle’s engine to shut off without warning if the switch was jarred, such as by a heavy keychain.

GM was widely criticized for its slow response to the ignition defect. The company blamed the delay on a limited supply of replacement parts.

This GM side airbag recall is distinct from another well-publicized recall of airbags made by Takata Corp., affecting millions of cars made by GM and other manufacturers. The Takata airbags had a defect that could potentially fling metal shrapnel into the passenger compartment upon deployment.