GM Authority – July 27, 2017

GM Recalls 40,683 Vehicles Over Potential Issue With Airbag And Seat Belt Pretensioners

General Motors is recalling several models over an issue that could prevent a vehicle’s airbags or seat belt pretensioners from working properly.

The defect: the vehicles being recalled were previously remedied for recall 16V-651, but may not have received the complete software update necessary to completely remedy the recall condition. Without the update, certain driving conditions may cause the air bag sensing and diagnostic module (SDM) software to activate a diagnostic test. During this test, deployment of the frontal air bags and the seat belt pretensioners would not occur in the event of a crash.

The hazards: a failure of the front airbags or seat belt pretensioners to deploy in the event of a crash necessitating deployment increases the risk of injury to the driver and front passenger…

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Warren, Mich. — September 27, 2016 — In recent GM recall news, some 2016 Buick Verano autos may be subject to a fire hazard due to fuel line defects. The Part 573 Safety Recall Report from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration website stated that affected autos have a 2.0 liter turbocharged engine and were manufactured between Feb. 16 and May 12, 2016.

This source said that fuel lines in these Buicks could fail if they make contact with heated sections of the engine. This could lead to a fire if the lines in question are worn away enough, causing fuel to leak out. A total of 189 vehicles are potentially involved in this action, and all 100 percent of them are estimated to have the defect.

The first engine fire associated with this problem occurred June 20 in the car of a GM employee, according to the Report. As of Aug. 10, this was the only fire caused by this defect that had been seen in the field.

Dealer Notification was planned for Aug. 10, and the remedy requires the dealer to replace the fuel line assembly entirely. Since the defect comes from improperly assembled fuel lines, the new replacement assemblies will have the proper engine compartment routing. GM found out that the vehicle issue stemmed from “poor operator training” on July 18.

A recall bulletin from the manufacturer listed all of the parts needed to complete the recall’s system replacement. This list includes eight parts total, such as a fuel-feed pipe and charge air cooler inlet air tube adapter seal for each vehicle.

Warren, Mich. — September 13, 2016 — Wiring issues may make a fire more likely to break out in one Buick model. Although there is no remedy scheduled as of this writing, one of the more recent General Motors recalls addresses this problem. The component manufacturer in this recall is Lear Corporation, based in Germany.

The official Part 573 Safety Recall Report on the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration website said that the recall potentially involves 42,984 2011 Buick Regals. A full 100 percent of these are thought to have a wiring harness problem that could wear down the wires themselves.

This chafing could potentially lead to a short circuit, which in turn could start a fire within the vehicle. In addition, the report cited other possible side effects, such as smoke, sparks and flickering instrument-panel lights. Despite this, it did not list any signs to be taken as “identification” of the defect.

The fix requires dealers to repair faulty wiring, if needed, after inspecting and securing the harness. There is also no apparent danger of wire chafing in similar vehicles manufactured after 2011 in Russelheim.

Though the decision to conduct the recall only came June 29, it dates back to Dec. 21, 2015. On that date, the source said, customer reports of fire led to a a Speak Up for Safety report.

A July 7 notice for dealers said that the parts necessary to conduct this recall fix were not currently available: dealers can only proceed once they are. This statement also announced that the Global Warranty Management system would update to reflect the new recall, as a way for dealers to prepare to address owner concerns.

Warren, MI — January 13, 2016 — Three different models of 2016 vehicles are included in one of the more recent GM recalls, with a manufacturer’s report date of December 9. This action concerns 2,633 potentially affected vehicle models, all of which could include an improperly welded seat that leaves occupants in danger during a crash. The vehicles have faulty third row lower seat frame welding as a result of problems with the robot welder at the supplier, Michigan-based Bridgewater Interiors.

The issue was initially discovered November 2015, the same month in which the recalled vehicles were produced. According to a safety recall report also available from the organization, the welder working on the vehicles had a “defective servo motor.” Since November 2012, newly produced versions of these models have been welded by robots with the correct motors.

Dealers were notified on December 9, and just 1 percent of the vehicle population was estimated to have this defect. The report explained the actions dealers were instructed to take to correct this problem.

“Dealers will inspect the third row left side lower seat frame and, if necessary, replace the lower seat frame,” the document stated. “Vehicles built during the affected build date were inspected to identify and replace seat frames built by the defective robot welder,” it added.

In an instructional recall bulletin, General Motors noted that “only approximately 11 involved vehicles” would require a seat frame replacement. As such, it emphasized that dealers order parts only as they need them, to make the most out of the limited replacements in stock.