GM Expands Airbag Recalls Over Supplier ARC’s Objections

General Motors is recalling ~1,000,000 model 2014-2017 Buick Enclave, Chevrolet Traverse, and GMC Acadia vehicles. The driver’s air bag inflator may explode during deployment, due to a manufacturing defect, spreading potentially fatal shrapnel flying about the interior. The airbag inflator manufacturer, ARC, disputes the need for a recall. The cause of inflator ruptures remains unknown and is disputed.

In an unusual move, NHTSA publicly revealed that it wrote Arc: “As you are aware, on July 13, 2015, the Office of Defect Investigation (“ODI”) of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (“NHTSA” or the “Agency”) opened a Preliminary Evaluation (PE15-027) to investigate certain air bag inflators designed by ARC Automotive, Inc. (ARC). NHTSA opened its defect investigation after learning of two driver air bag inflator field ruptures involving ARC designed inflators,” NHTSA wrote.

“On August 4, 2016, NHTSA upgraded the defect investigation to an Engineering Analysis (EA16-003) to further investigate allegations of inflator ruptures involving ARC driver air bag inflators. ODI upgraded the investigation after learning of an ARC inflator field rupture in Canada, which resulted in a fatality. The investigation scope was subsequently expanded when NHTSA learned of frontal passenger air bag inflator ruptures in testing.

“NHTSA is issuing this recall request letter to notify you that the Agency has tentatively concluded that a defect related to motor vehicle safety exists in the frontal driver and passenger air bag inflators under investigation that were produced before installation of borescopes on all toroidal inflator manufacturing lines in January 2018 (“subject inflators”), and to demand that ARC issue a Part 573 Recall Report addressing that safety defect,” NHTSA wrote.

GM Airbag Inflator Recall Timeline Submitted to NHTSA:

• On March 24, 2023, GM received an allegation that a 2017 model year Chevrolet Traverse was in a crash and that the front-driver airbag inflator ruptured during deployment.
• GM and NHTSA were provided an opportunity to inspect the vehicle on April 25, 2023. The inspection confirmed that the front driver airbag inflator in the subject vehicle ruptured during deployment.
• GM is aware of two prior ruptures (allegations received: September 2, 2021 and February 18, 2022) of ARC-manufactured airbag inflators in 2015 model year Chevrolet Traverse vehicles, and GM conducted NHTSA Recalls 21V782 and 22V246 on the inflator production lots involved in these incidents. All three rupture events in Chevrolet Traverse vehicles involved the same inflator variant (MC).
• In 2022, to assist GM in its investigation, GM retained an independent third-party engineering firm with nationally respected engineering expertise in airbag-inflator performance. The reason for these inflator ruptures remains unknown. GM and the independent engineering firm are continuing to investigate these rupture incidents and GM has kept NHTSA informed of the progress of this investigation as the work proceeds.
• On May 7, 2023, and out of an abundance of caution, GM’s Safety and Field Action Decision Authority decided to expand Recalls 21V782 and 22V246 to all front-driver airbag modules containing an ARC “MC” variant inflator that were installed as original equipment in 2014-2017 model year Chevrolet Traverse, Buick Enclave and GMC Arcadia models.

GM dealers will replace the driver’s air bag module, free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed June 26, 2023. Owners may contact Buick customer service at 1-800-521-7300, Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020, or GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782. GM’s number for this recall is N232404980.