GM recalls more vehicles with Takata air bag inflators that could explode
By Ramishah Maruf, CNN
New York (CNN) — General Motors said Tuesday is recalling almost 900 vehicles worldwide because the Takata-made air bag inflator may explode, potentially striking drivers and passengers with sharp metal fragments.
The vehicles included are 767 2013 models of the Chevrolet Camaro, Sonic and Volt; and the Buick Verano, in the United States; plus another 101 in Canada (including the Chevrolet TRAX) and 46 in other countries.
In May, the driver air bag inflator of a 2013 Chevrolet Camaro in Brazil ruptured when it was deployed, according to documents from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
Dealers will replace the driver-side air bag module for free, NHTSA said.
Millions of vehicles with air bags from Takata, the now-bankrupt Japanese manufacturer, are already under recall. NHTSA said that prolonged exposure to high heat and humidity cause those air bags to explode when deployed.
Takata air bags caused at least 26 deaths in the United States and left more than 400 occupants with injuries that included blinding and maiming. It’s also the largest auto recall in history.
In 2020, the American carmaker spent $1.2 billion replacing Takata air bags in 7 million vehicles.
However, GM disputed the need for a recall for four years prior to 2020. It argued that its tests showed the airbags in these additional vehicles, which have a different kind of inflator than the devices in the earlier recall, did not pose a threat after it had already recalled 800,00 cars.
The-CNN-Wire
™ & © 2023 Cable News Network, Inc., a Warner Bros. Discovery Company. All rights reserved.
CNN’s Chris Isidore contributed to this report.
