General Motors Co. will recall about 6 million pickup trucks and SUVs in the U.S. to replace potentially dangerous Takata airbag inflators. The GM recall announcement came Monday after the U.S. government told the Detroit-based automaker that it had to recall 6 million pickup trucks and SUVs domestically.
General Motors Co. will not fight the decision, even though it believes that the trucks and SUVS aren’t faulty. The GMC recall of 2020 will cost the automaker an estimated $1.2 billion, about one-third of its net income this year.
The automaker has petitioned the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration four times since 2016 to avoid massive recalls. GM contended the airbag inflator canisters are safe on the road and in testing. However, the argument was rejected by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration as it believes the inflators run the risk of exploding.
GM Recall of 2020
The 2020 GM airbag recall revolves around a defect in airbags manufactured by Takata, a now-bankrupt Japanese manufacturer that caused the bags to explore, spraying shrapnel through the vehicle. In addition to casualties, other driver and passengers have been maimed or blinded.
The following GMC trucks and SUVs are on the NHTSA recall list:
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- Cadillac Escalade
- Cadillac Escalade ESV
- Cadillac Escalade EXT
- Chevrolet Avalanche
- Chevrolet Silverado 1500
- Chevrolet Silverado 2500/3500
- Chevrolet Suburban
- Chevrolet Tahoe
- GMC Sierra 1500
- GMC Sierra 2500/3500
- GMC Yukon
- GMC Yukon XL
Owners of these GMC vehicles have complained to the NHTSA that the automaker was placing profits over safety.
Exploding Takata inflators have been the cause of some of the biggest auto recalls in the history of United States. At least 63 million inflators have been recalled so far.
According to the U.S. government, more than 11.1 million vehicles with faulty Takata inflators had not been fixed. About 100 million faulty inflators have been recalled worldwide.
Takata used volatile ammonium nitrate to create a mini explosion to fill air bags in a crash. This chemical, however, can deteriorate when exposed to heat and humidity resulting into pressure that builds up over time until the metal canister is blown apart spewing shrapnel.
Twenty-seven people have lost their lives worldwide due to Takata’s exploding inflators, including 18 in the United States.
The latest GM recall decision by NHTSA would include all Takata ammonium nitrate inflators in the U.S. Earlier this year, the NHTSA decided against a recall of airbag inflators with a moisture-absorbing chemical called a dessicant. The agency said it would monitor those inflators and take action if additional problems arise.
