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In order to prevent Takata airbag inflators from exploding and hurling shrapnel during a collision, General Motors is recalling almost 900 vehicles in the United States and Canada.
Certain 2013 model years Buick Verano, Chevrolet Camaro, Sonic, and Volt models are included in the recall. Also included are some 2013 Chevrolet Trax models sold in Canada.
The manufacturer claims in documents made public by the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration that a manufacturing flaw makes the driver's front airbag inflator susceptible to exploding in an accident.
The government is looking at a collection of Takata products, including the inflators, which have never been recalled before.
Takata used a tiny explosion produced by volatile ammonium nitrate to inflate airbags during a collision. However, the chemical has the potential to degrade over time and detonate violently, shattering a metal canister and spilling shrapnel.
Since May 2009, the inflators have murdered at least 26 Americans, and more than 30 individuals have perished elsewhere, including victims in Malaysia and Australia. There have also been 400 or so injuries.
At least 67 million Takata inflators were subject to the greatest sequence of auto recalls in U.S. history due to the potential for hazardous malfunction. Millions, according to the American government, have not been fixed. Globally, some 100 million inflators have been recalled.
The airbags that General Motors is recalling feature a desiccant, a chemical that absorbs moisture, and they were not included in earlier recalls. According to GM, other vehicles are unaffected and the issue only affects a certain lot of Takata inflators, according to documents filed by the government.
NHTSA is looking at Takata airbags with a desiccant, though, because they could blow up and spew shrapnel. Inflators in more than 200 models from 20 automobile and truck manufacturers, including GM, are the subject of the inquiry, which was launched in 2021.
The government decided in May 2020 not to recall the desiccant-filled inflators, although it did say it would keep an eye on them.
The government stated in a document launching the investigation that although there isn't a current safety issue, more research is needed to assess the potential risk of desiccated inflators that haven't been recalled.
In documents, General Motors (GM) claims that it was informed in March of an inflator explosion in a 2013 Camaro in Brazil in May 2022. Initial findings suggest the inflator burst was attributable to a manufacturing defect and was not brought on by the degradation of the ammonium nitrate, according to the business, which claims an investigation of the inflator is still ongoing.
