General Motors (GM) has taken a decision to recall around one million vehicles in the United States pertaining to the malfunctioning of airbag inflators. On the direction of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the company has declared a recall of 67 million airbag inflators manufactured by ARC Automotive.
The NHTSA highlighted at least nine airbag rupture incidents since 2009 that resulted in serious injuries and one death. It is noteworthy that the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has requested the recall of all 67 million airbag inflators, which were manufactured over 18 years until January 2018. The vehicles subject to recall are Buick Enclave, Chevrolet Traverse, and GMC Acadia models produced from 2014 to 2017, featuring components manufactured by ARC Automotive. Authorized dealers will be replacing the airbag module.
Nevertheless, ARC Automotive is challenging the requirement to carry out a thorough recall. In a letter dated Thursday, Steve Gold, Vice President for Product Integrity at ARC, conveyed the company’s firm disapproval of the agency’s initial conclusion that a recall of 67 million airbags is necessary. The company holds the belief that the recall solicitation by NHTSA did not have facts to support the technical or engineering assessments of a defect’s existence. Furthermore, the company asserts that the malfunctions were not sporadic or infrequent.
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Gold pointed out a nearly eight-year-long partnership with NHTSA concerning an investigation into airbag inflator ruptures. The process involved testing 918 inflators that were retrieved from salvage yards and analyzed in the company’s laboratories to support the organization’s claims.
Gold claimed that none of the 918 inflators ruptured during the tests in response to NHTSA’s request for a recall. The test results indicate a 99% reliability and 99% confidence level for the program, suggesting that the inflators in the subject population would deploy without rupturing.
Despite the objections raised by ARC, NHTSA maintains that the frequency of incidents justifies the need for a comprehensive recall. The document cited seven incidents to support its assertions. One occurrence resulted in a loss of life, another resulted in significant harm, and various others caused facial injuries.
Ensuring the safety of vehicle occupants is of paramount importance, and all possible risks should be treated with due diligence. The decision made by GM to recall one million vehicles is praiseworthy, and it is imperative that all required measures are implemented to avert any future occurrences. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s request for a recall of 67 million airbag inflators manufactured by ARC Automotive is justifiable, considering the gravity and frequency of incidents associated with the said component. Although ARC Automotive may dispute the need for a recall, ensuring the safety of consumers should be the foremost concern.
