General Motors has initiated a recall for approximately 1 million of its sports utility vehicles due to faulty airbag inflators that have the potential to explode in the event of a collision.
On Friday, the automobile manufacturer filed a safety recall report with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration for 994,763 vehicles. The impacted models, including Buick Enclave, Chevrolet Traverse, and GMC Acadia vehicles manufactured between 2014 and 2017, feature airbag inflators produced by ARC Automotive Inc., a Tennessee-based company.
The recall comes after federal regulators’ demanded ARC recall 67 million airbag inflators in the United States due to the potential danger of explosion. In addition, the NHTSA has reported at least two fatalities resulting from these faulty devices in both the U.S. and Canada.
Among these incidents, there was a tragic case where a Michigan mother of 10 lost her life in a seemingly minor accident involving her 2015 Chevrolet Traverse. According to a police report, the airbag inflator discharged metal shrapnel, striking her neck.
On Friday, the NHTSA released a letter revealing that ARC’s front driver and passenger inflators are flawed following an eight-year investigation.
“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,” Stephen Ridella, director of NHTSA’s Office of Defects Investigation, wrote.
ARC, however, refutes the notion that its design is flawed and asserts that any issues encountered are limited to isolated manufacturing problems.
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