Because malfunctioning driver’s air bag inflators could burst and inflict serious injury or even death to the driver, General Motors recall roughly one million vehicles.
Airbag Inflator Ruptured during Deployment
In a safety report submitted to the NHTSA in March 2023, General Motors stated that it had been informed of an incident involving a 2017 Chevrolet Traverse in which the front-driver airbag inflator may have ruptured during deployment. According to NHTSA, the driver sustained facial injuries in the collision.
Following an inspection by GM and the NHTSA, it was determined that the front driver air bag inflator had ruptured during deployment. According to General Motors, two prior reports of ruptured air bag inflators in 2015 Chevrolet Traverse vehicles utilized the same manufacturer’s air bag inflators.
General Motors recalls nearly 1 million Buick, Chevrolet, and GMC SUVs over faulty air bag inflators
What General Motors recall vehicles are among the nearly 1 million being recalled?
- 2014-2017 Buick Enclave – 244,304 SUVs
- 2014-2017 Chevrolet Traverse – 457,316 SUVs
- 2014-2017 GMC Acadia – 293,143 SUVs
Each came with an ARC inflator installed in the front-driver airbag module as standard equipment. A manufacturing flaw may cause the driver’s airbag inflator to blow up during deployment.
Owners will receive letters beginning on June 25, but there is currently no repair. GM will send a follow-up mail as soon as a fix is available. The company announced that it will, on a case-by-case basis, provide “courtesy transportation” to owners who are concerned about operating recalled.
A far bigger campaign concerning airbag inflators includes actions beyond just the General Motors recall. Because they could explode and fling shrapnel, NHTSA has ordered ARC Automotive Inc. of Knoxville, Tennessee, the manufacturer of the inflator used in airbag modules in the General Motors recall, to recall 67 million inflators in the United States.
