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A product recall refers to a company’s request that consumers return a product after defects or safety issues are discovered. Usually, companies issue product recalls to protect consumers, limit liability for negligence, and limit the ruining of corporate image. While recalls are very costly, it can be more costly for a company to deal with the legal costs and unwanted publicity that result from a defective product. In the past two years, General Motors has issued a recall for millions of automobiles due to airbag issues. If you or a loved one have been seriously injured, you may want to consider one of our product recall attorneys.
General Motors Recalling Nearly 290K U.S. Cars for Airbag Defect
General Motors has recalled millions of automobiles due to airbag issues. Many of these issues have been related to the excessively forceful deployment of Takata safety devices. Now, General Motors has recalled almost 290K Chevrolet sedans in the United States and Canada because the airbags may fail to deploy in an accident. This recall is relevant to all Impalas from the 2010 and 2009 model years that were manufactured before February 10, 2010.
General Motors, which is the largest automaker in the United States, revealed that the front passenger seat frame of the 2010 and 2009 model Impala cars may cause damage to electrical wires due to friction. The damaged electrical wires may cause the airbag for the front passenger seat to fuse and to short. Essentially, the damaged electrical wires could reduce or eliminate the flow of power to the sensor and put the airbags out of commission. Also, the airbags may not be able to recognize when the passenger seats are occupied. According to the automaker, the airbag warning lights should illuminate if the electrical wires are damaged. However, the gauges in some vehicles may not work.
The automaker plans on adding anti-abrasion tape to prevent the frame from damaging the electrical wires. Of course, damaged electrical wires will be replaced as necessary. Right now, General Motors does not have a schedule for when the repairs will be complete. However, GM has stated that owners can schedule appointments with local dealers to have the repairs complete.
This issue makes injury more likely during a crash. As of now, General Motors is aware of two injuries and two traffic accidents that may be related to this airbag issue.
More Vehicles May Be Recalled
On Thursday, General Motors released a statement that the company may be required to recall another 4 million vehicles due to the issue with defective Takata airbags. It is expected that the recall will cost General Motors another $550 million.
This May, GM stated that it would recall over 1.9 million automobiles due to Takata Corp. airbag inflators that don’t work properly. A month later, GM expanded the recall to another 600,000 automobiles after reviewing ownership data. In a securities filing, GM stated that replacing inflators in the almost 3 million vehicles recalled could cost $320 million. In a statement, GM stated that they do not believe any of the almost 7 million vehicles recalled have a safety issue. However, they agreed to take the side of precaution and recall the vehicles after talking with the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
According to the NHTSA, General Motors is not the only automaker that will need to recall vehicles due to issues with airbag inflators manufactured by Takata. 17 automakers will need to recall up to 40 million airbag inflators. Previously, 24 million vehicles and 29 million inflators had been recalled by 14 automakers because these products had been linked to over 100 injuries and over a dozen deaths.
Undoubtedly, millions of Americans and Canadians will be affected by these product recalls. If you or a loved one has been seriously injured by driving a car or truck that has been recalled by General Motors, you should consider contacting one of our product recall attorneys here at GOM Law. In fact, our product recall attorneys will be able to provide you with a consultation at no charge. You can count on our product recall attorneys to inform you of your rights and guide you through the legal process.