General Motors is accused of covering up several issues including a GM frontal airbag defect that has been linked to at least one death.

If you have been in an accident involving a GM vehicle model year 2000 or newer, you could be eligible for compensation through a class action lawsuit.

GM Frontal Airbag Defect

The newest recall was announced in September 2016 and involves 4.3 million recalled vehicles for model years 2014-2017.

Software that controls airbag deployment has a defect that could prevent the frontal airbags from deploying when they should.

The GM frontal airbag defect affects the following:

• 2014-2016 Buick LaCrosse, Chevrolet SS and Spark EV
• 2014-2017 Chevrolet Corvette, Trax, Caprice PPV and Silverado 1500
• 2014-2017 Buick Encore
• 2014-2017 GMC Sierra 1500
• 2015-2017 Chevrolet Tahoe, Suburban and Silverado HD
• 2015-2017 GMC Yukon, Yukon XL and Sierra HD
• 2015-2017 Cadillac Escalade and Escalade ESV

While a GM company spokesman said the company considers the “vehicles safe to drive,” the software problem could prevent deployment of front air bags “in certain rare circumstances when a crash is preceded by a specific event impacting vehicle dynamics.”

At issue is the sensing and diagnostic module that controls air bag and seat belt pretensioner deployment.

The part is supplied by Delphi Automotive, which worked with GM to investigate incidents involving the GM frontal airbag defect.

GM also conducted road testing in August. On Aug. 31, GM’s Safety and Field Action Decision Authority decided a recall was needed over the GM frontal airbag defect.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said GM assured the agency that vehicles built after Aug. 24 were equipped with updated software.

Dealers will update the software for free for customers who own vehicles with the GM frontal airbag defect.

Recent GM Woes

This isn’t the first time GM has experienced grief over airbag defects.

In 2014, a recall was issued for 1.2 million GM vehicles that had defective side-impact airbags.

When the wiring harness inside the seat-mounted side airbags gets pinched, those side airbags won’t deploy.

GM is accused of knowing about this defect well in advance of alerting consumers.

Also in 2014, a power steering defect that causes the power steering system to suddenly fail led to a recall of more than 1.3 million vehicles. Further investigation resulted in another 70,000 vehicles to be added to the recall in 2015.

More than 100 deaths allegedly have been linked to the ignition switch defect found in several GM vehicles. This defect caused the ignition to switch from the “on” to the “off” position by simply bumping the switch area with a knee.

Evidence suggests GM purportedly knew of the ignition switch problems in 2001, but did not issue a recall until 2014.

If you have been in an accident or had to make an insurance claim as a result of an accident in a GM vehicle that has been subjected to a recall, you could be eligible for compensation.