General Motors announced on Friday that it is recalling nearly 1 million sport utility vehicles as federal regulators push for the recall of 67 million defective air bag inflators that could explode during deployment.
The GM recall affects 994,763 Buick Enclave, Chevrolet Traverse, and GMC Acadia vehicles from the 2014 through 2017 model years, which contain air bag parts produced by ARC Automotive.
Affected drivers can have the driver’s air-bag module replaced for free, according to the automaker.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is urging ARC, a Knoxville, Tennessee-based manufacturer, to recall 67 million air bag inflators made before 2018 because they can explode and disperse shrapnel inside the vehicle.
Between 2009 and March of this year, at least nine air bag-related incidents resulted in two deaths and multiple severe injuries, NHTSA stated in a letter to ARC released on Friday.
Following an eight-year investigation, NHTSA has “tentatively concluded” that the air bag inflators are defective and is calling on ARC to issue a recall.
“Air bag inflators that project metal fragments into vehicle occupants, rather than properly inflating the attached air bag, create an unreasonable risk of death and injury,” regulators wrote, noting that properly functioning air bags are “designed to save lives.”
NHTSA stated that at least 12 auto manufacturers have used ARC components in their air bags, and the recall could affect nearly a quarter of the vehicles currently on U.S. roadways.
However, ARC is resisting the regulators’ demands. In a May 11 letter, the company denied that its products are defective, claiming that any issues with air bags “resulted from random ‘one-off’ manufacturing anomalies that were properly addressed” with individual recalls.
This response sets the stage for a potential legal battle. The next step in the process is for NHTSA to schedule a public hearing, according to the AP. The agency could then take the company to court to enforce a recall.
