Chevrolet Corvette Vehicles Recalled for Faulty Trunk Release Button

Chevrolet Corvette Vehicles Recalled for Faulty Trunk Release Button

September 21, 2020 Ken Boyd

Pleasanton, CA – August 6 2020 – General Motors (NYSE:GM) has recalled 5,141 Corvette vehicles with trunk release buttons that are not working correctly.

When the vehicle is shut off for ten minutes or longer, the release button inside the front trunk compartment will not open the trunk. The recall includes:

  • 2020 Chevrolet Corvette

Recall summary  

On July 30, General Motors determined that certain Corvette models should be recalled to repair the front trunk compartment release button. The button is installed so that someone inside the front trunk can open the trunk lid. 

Risks 

If a person – especially a small child – climbs inside the trunk and shuts the lid, he or she might not be able to get out and is at risk of injury from a lack of oxygen, or extreme heat or cold while in the trunk. It’s important to monitor children who are near cars, or sitting in a parked car without a seat belt in place.

The repair

The dealer will install a software update, so that the release button works correctly. The repair should take 45 minutes, depending on the dealer’s service department schedule. Owners have been notified of the recall, which will begin on September 21. The repair is free of charge.

Is your vehicle part of this recall?

Over 5,000 vehicles are included in this Corvette recall. To see if your car is one of them, use MotorSafety’s free vehicle lookup tool.

Ken BoydChevrolet Corvette Vehicles Recalled for Faulty Trunk Release Button
Volkswagen recalls Audi cars with Takata airbags

Volkswagen recalls Audi cars with Takata airbags

February 7, 2020 Joe Glaser

The new Takata airbag recall includes shrapnel

  • Audi 2000-2001 TT Roadster, 2000 TT Coupe, 1999 Audi A8, 1998-2000 Audi A6, and 1999-2000 Audi A4 vehicles are under recall
  • Takata has recalled 1.4 million air bag inflators that may expel shrapnel
  • 107,000 older Audi luxury vehicles are under this recent recall

Laguna Hills, CA – Aug 24, 2022 – Volkswagen (OTCMKTS:VWAGY) has remedied issues with 1,652 vehicles including the 1999-2000 Audi A4 that had problems with Takata airbags. So far, 6,024 of these Audi vehicles have been declared unreachable and 132 have been removed from the recall. Two groups of these Audi vehicles were remedied in 2021, and one group was remedied in 2022 due to this issue with airbags that could over-inflate.

Laguna Hills, CA – Feb 6, 2020 – The recent Takata airbag recall forced Volkswagen to act. Volkswagen is notifying Audi owners that their vehicles may not be as safe as they thought.

In December, Takata recalled 1.4 million airbag inflators. This recall came about because when the airbags inflate following a car accident, they can do so with an excessive amount of force.

This causes a metal canister to explode and metal fragments may fly out, potentially harming a vehicle’s occupants. The risk is a significant consideration for Audi owners due to the exploding factor.

An ongoing problem

According to reports, Takata has been aware of its airbag risk since 2014. Because of this, airbag recalls have been occurring for years. Some vehicles are at a higher exploding risk.

These include Honda and Acura vehicles from 1996 to 2000. In March 2019, the driver of a 2002 Honda Civic died in the hospital following a crash that initiated the rupturing of the airbag and injured the driver.

Deaths and injuries worldwide

It is suspected that Takata inflators have caused about 25 deaths and 300 injuries throughout the world.

In the United States, more than 50 million Takata inflators are in recall status, resulting in the most vehicle recalls in the country’s history. The problem has been so big and impactful that it forced the airbag company into bankruptcy.

When can owners expect notification?

On October 21, 2019, German car manufacturer Volkswagen, Audi’s parent company, received reports from suppliers about issues with NADI inflators found during field tests.

Audi’s safety board was notified a few weeks later in November, and talks with the supplier commenced.

After confirming the risk, Audi notified the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) of the risk and the findings of their investigation so far, and Audi began an analysis of retrieved parts from the German and international markets in early January 2020.

Simultaneously, Takata sent out a defect report detailing the issues with the NADI inflators and the danger they posed. Audi independently verified the risk on January 22, 2020, when their own test results showed that there was indeed a risk of slow or no airbag deployment.

Repair

Volkswagen is recalling all vehicles that have faulty airbags to prevent the owners and occupants of their vehicles from harm. Replacement parts are not yet available.

In recall documents, Volkswagen told NHTSA, “At this point, due to the age of the vehicles, a repair is not available. Audi is working intensively on a remedy with the supplier, but currently, it is unclear when the remedy will be available.” 

When can owners expect notification?

This round of Audi recalls started on March 27, 2020. Those affected by the recall should have been notified or will be soon. Audi owners will receive a second notification when the parts are available. In some cases, both the driver’s airbag and the passenger’s front airbags are at risk.

Volkswagen wasn’t the first to issue a recall

BMW recalled 357,000 older automobiles back in January. This recall includes an estimated 293,000 BMW 3-Series from the year 2000 to 2006 as well as approximately 60,000 3 Series and 1 Series BMWs from 2006 to 2012. Some of the automaker’s SUVs were also equipped with faulty airbags.

Is your vehicle part of the recall?

Nearly 107,000 cars are part of this Audi recall.  As of March 29, 2021, repairs were still not available.

To check back on the repair status, bookmark MotorSafety’s free lookup tool.

Note: June 8, 2021

We have noticed a large number of readers are interested in this recall. For that reason, we have edited the article to reflect that the parts are not yet available and to add Volkswagen’s statement pertaining to this fact.

Joe GlaserVolkswagen recalls Audi cars with Takata airbags
BMW sedans, convertibles recalled over deadly Takata airbags

BMW sedans, convertibles recalled over deadly Takata airbags

October 22, 2019 Sean Reyes ,

Laguna Hills, CA – October 22, 2019 – BMW is pulling over 3,900 models from the marketplace due to the possibility that installed air bags are compromised. In the event of an accident that the air bags to deploy, sharp metal fragments could break through them, potentially leading to a severe injury.

The recall includes the following vehicles:

  • 2000 – 2002 325i
  • 2000 – 2002 325xi
  • 2000 – 2002 323Ci
  • 2000 – 2002 325Ci
  • 2000 – 2002 330Ci

The defect

The cause of this issue is believed to be the propellant used in the release of the air bags. The propellant has the potential to break down over time due to exposure to high levels of humidity and temperature cycling.

Timeline of events

The 2000 – 2002 BMW air bag recall is one of several that have affected the auto industry tracing back several years.

The Office of Defects Investigation arm of the NHTSA opened a sweeping inquiry into this issue back in June 2014 after learning of six separate incidents where air bags ruptured, which involved five vehicle manufacturers.

The ODI determined that the common link between them all was the manufacturer of the air bags – Takata – and the locations of where these air bags were installed. All six took place in either Florida or Puerto Rico.

These events led to a much wider investigation of Takata air bags and their potential to cause serious injury to motorists.

All told, at least 37 million automobiles had been equipped with 50 million defective air bags manufactured by Takata, according to the most recent statistics available from the NHTSA. Repair rates among automakers with Takata air bags installed rose 30% in 2018 compared to the previous year.

“Communicating the urgency for recall repairs with the help of stakeholders and DMVs is proving effective to protecting lives on our nation’s roadways,” NHTSA Deputy Administrator Heidi King said at the time.

This isn’t the first time this year that BMW has been affected by an air bag safety issue. In June, the luxury automaker announced it was recalling approximately 2,000 SUVs whose air bags were installed improperly.

Prior to that, around 1,700 2-Series, 3-Series and 4-Series models were also recalled because of compromised passenger knee air bags.

The solution

As for the 2000 – 2002 BMW air bag issue, the luxury automaker is getting ready to start distributing mailers that will inform owners about this problem. BMW says it will begin sending the notifications out starting November 25.

Recipients of the safety notices are urged to bring their vehicle to a local dealer. If appropriate, a replacement air bag will be installed free of charge.

Is your vehicle part of the recall?

Over 3,900 airbags were originally part of this recall. As of April 9, 2021 – the last date for which information is available – 1,425 airbags had been replaced. To see if your car still needs to be repaired, use MotorSafety’s free lookup tool.

Note: June 8, 2021

We have noticed a large number of readers are interested in this recall. For that reason, we have added the last section to allow the driver to check if his or her car is part of the recall and include the most up-to-date information on the recall’s completion rates. The article has also been updated to reflect the latest editorial standards.

Sean ReyesBMW sedans, convertibles recalled over deadly Takata airbags
GM Recalls More Than 1,000 Chevy Malibus for Air Bag Defects

GM Recalls More Than 1,000 Chevy Malibus for Air Bag Defects

January 31, 2019 Sean Reyes ,

Detroit – January 31, 2022 – General Motors (NYSE:GM) has remedied issues with 459 2010-2011 Chevy Malibu vehicles for a potential defect that may cause the driver’s frontal airbag inflator to explode. Additionally, 52 of these vehicles have been categorized as unreachable, and 53 have been removed from the recall. These 2010-2011 Chevrolet Malibu models were remedied in 2 different years, four groups in 2019 and three groups were remedied in 2020 by having these driver airbag issues.

Detroit – January 31, 2019 – General Motors is recalling certain 2010-2011 Chevrolet Malibu vehicles, due to a potentially dangerous airbag defect. Up to 1,145 units may be affected by this issue.

The defect

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Safety Report, in the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the driver’s frontal airbag, the airbag inflator in these cars may explode due to being over-pressurized.

If the inflator explodes, sharp metal fragments may strike the driver or other occupants, resulting in serious injury or death.

Timeline of events

On November 30, 2017, an attorney contacted GM and claimed that on September 22, 2017, the front-driver airbag inflator in a 2011 Chevrolet Malibu ruptured during a crash-related deployment and injured his client.

GM reported the allegation to NHTSA on December 6 of the same year in accordance with Standing General Orders 2015-01 and 2015-02.

Between November 30, 2017, and December 13, 2018, GM made multiple attempts to locate and inspect the vehicle to confirm whether or not a rupture had occurred.

A GM engineer was permitted to inspect the vehicle and components. Based on that examination, GM determined that the front-driver airbag inflator in the subject vehicle likely over-pressurized and ruptured during deployment.’’

On December 19, 2018, GM presented the inspection photos and the other findings of its preliminary analysis to the NHTSA. On December 20, 2018, GM’s Safety Field Action Decision Authority (SFADA) decided to conduct a safety recall on the ARC inflators built in the suspect manufacturing lot.

At the time of the initial filing, GM was not aware of other rupture allegations involving this ARC inflator in GM vehicles.

On December 29, 2016, GM recalled certain 2017 Chevrolet Malibu vehicles due to airbag inflator defects. This recall is part of the larger Takata airbag inflators recall. These problems were similar to the reasons that led to a recent recall of 2016 Malibu vehicles.

The solution

GM has notified owners of these potentially problematic vehicles, and dealers will replace the front driver airbag module for free. Interim notices informing owners of the safety risk were mailed on February 8, 2019.

Owners will receive a second notice when the remedy becomes available, which is expected to be in late March 2019. GM’s number for this recall is N182206630.

The NHTSA Campaign Number for this recall is 19V-019000.

To find out if your vehicle is part of this recall, use MotorSafety.org’s free vehicle recall lookup tool.

Sean ReyesGM Recalls More Than 1,000 Chevy Malibus for Air Bag Defects
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