General Motors Co. released a statement this morning announcing the recall of nearly 4.3 million of their vehicles from around the world over defective seatbelts and airbags, including about 3.6 million from within the United States.
According to General Motors, the problem is related to a software defect that can prevent the vehicles’ seatbelt from working, and can prevent the airbag from deploying during a crash. One person has already died in a crash because of these defects, and at least three more people have been injured.
General Motors filed a statement with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) on Friday, September 9, saying:
“[C]ertain driving conditions may cause the air bag sensing and diagnostic module software to activate a diagnostic test…A failure of the front air bags or seat belt pretensioners to deploy in the event of a crash necessitating deployment increases the risk of injury to the driver and front passenger.”
The company first became aware of the software defect, which affects more than a dozen of their vehicle models, back in May of this year after a 2014 Chevrolet Silverado’s airbags failed to deploy during a crash. While General Motors reached out to Delphi, the faulty module’s supplier, after the initial crash, they only began testing their vehicles in June.
Affected GM vehicles include:
- 2014-2016 Buick LaCrosse
- 2014-2017 Buick Encore
- 2014-2016 Chevrolet SS
- 2014-2016 Chevrolet Spark EV
- 2015-2017 Chevrolet Tahoe
- 2015-2017 Chevrolet Suburban
- 2015-2017 Chevrolet Silverado HD
- 2014-2017 GMC Sierra
- 2015-2017 GMC Yukon
- 2015-2017 GMC Yukon XL
- 2015-2017 GMC Sierra HD
- 2015-2017 Cadillac Escalade
- 2015-2017 Cadillac Escalade ESV
Product-related injuries cost the American public more than $500 billion every year. At Power Rogers, our Chicago product liability attorneys understand how to tailor a plan of action that will best suit your needs, and are dedicated to fighting for your rights as a consumer. Fill out our online form to tell us more about your case, or call us at 312-500-1792 to speak with one of our product liability lawyers today.
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