This action appears to be a technical regulatory issue rather than a real safety matter.
Chevrolet and GMC are recalling 192,676 Chevrolet Colorado and GMC Canyon regular cab and extended cab pickup trucks from the 2004-2011 model years and 2007-2008 Isuzu i280 and i370 vehicles equipped with a front 60/40 split bench seat.
The child restraint top tether anchor for the front center seat position in these vehicles is not accessible as required by federal motor vehicle safety standards in the United States and Canada.
In a statement today GM said without the top tether anchor, the child restraint may not be properly secured.
It appears to be largely a technical recall matter.
Even though the safety standards require the presence of the tether anchorage, GM like all makers strongly discourages the use of the center seat position for a child seat because of its proximity to the air bag in a crash.
If a child seat is necessary in a vehicle with no rear seat, GM recommends using the child seat in the right side passenger seat where a top tether anchor is already accessible. Dealers are to service all vehicles subject to this noncompliance recall at no charge to customers, regardless of mileage, age of vehicle, or ownership if the customer requests the repair at any time.
GM said it knows of no crashes or injuries related to this defect.
About Ken Zino
Ken Zino, editor and publisher of AutoInformed, is a versatile auto industry participant with global experience spanning decades in print and broadcast journalism, as well as social media. He has automobile testing, marketing, public relations and communications experience. He is past president of The International Motor Press Assn, the Detroit Press Club, founding member and first President of the Automotive Press Assn. He is a member of APA, IMPA and the Midwest Automotive Press Assn.
He also brings an historical perspective while citing their contemporary relevance of the work of legendary auto writers such as Ken Purdy, Jim Dunne or Jerry Flint, or writers such as Red Smith, Mark Twain, Thomas Jefferson – all to bring perspective to a chaotic automotive universe.
Above all, decades after he first drove a car, Zino still revels in the sound of the exhaust as the throttle is blipped during a downshift and the driver’s rush that occurs when the entry, apex and exit points of a turn are smoothly and swiftly crossed. It’s the beginning of a perfect lap.
AutoInformed has an editorial philosophy that loves transportation machines of all kinds while promoting critical thinking about the future use of cars and trucks.
Zino builds AutoInformed from his background in automotive journalism starting at Hearst Publishing in New York City on Motor and MotorTech Magazines and car testing where he reviewed hundreds of vehicles in his decade-long stint as the Detroit Bureau Chief of Road & Track magazine. Zino has also worked in Europe, and Asia – now the largest automotive market in the world with China at its center.
