GM Preparing to Recall Chevy Cruze due to Airbag Defect
General Motors has announced that it will shortly issue a recall for about 33,000 Chevrolet Cruze sedans due to an airbag defect, according to Reuters.
About the Chevrolet Cruze Airbag Recall
GM said on Wednesday it expects to file a recall with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) due to a potential for driver-side airbag failure. The recall will affect about 33,000 Chevrolet Cruze vehicles with model years 2013-2014. GM has also said it has issued a stop-sale notice to its dealers for the vehicles, although statement released later on Wednesday acknowledged “many” of the vehicles had already been sold.
More Takata Airbag Problems
The airbags, according to GM, may have been installed with the incorrect part, resulting in the potential for the airbags to fail. The airbags were manufactured by Takata, but GM says the problem is unrelated to the defective inflators that recently triggered a 10.5 million vehicle global recall which spans multiple automakers.
A statement from GM spokesman Jim Cain on Wednesday said the automaker is “moving quickly to identify the vehicles involved, and other facts including whether there are any accidents or injuries.”
Earlier this year, GM recall about 21,000 2012 Chevy Cruze due to an electrical problem that could cause airbag failure. The airbags in those vehicles were also manufactured by Takata.
44 Separate GM Recalls
In the wake of the massive 2.6 million vehicle ignition recall announced in February and March, this year alone GM has recalled more than 20 million vehicles globally with 44 separate recalls. The automaker came under fire after it was learned the company was aware of ignition defects with the Chevy Cobalt and Saturn Ion for more than a decade but failed to take action until this year. The ignition defect has been linked to 13 deaths and 54 crashes, although the true death count is believed by many to be much higher.
Thomas J. Henry Fights for GM Victims’ Compensation
Thomas J. Henry is representing more than 1,000 GM recall victims across the United States and has been investigating injuries and deaths linked to the recall since day one. The firm launched a nationwide media investigation into the recall in April, which brought forth thousands of affected individuals who had information critical to the investigation – information that the firm has handed over to federal agencies also investigating GM’s sluggish response the recall. As more and more individuals have flocked to Thomas J. Henry for representation, the firm has continued to push GM for a victim settlement fund. The firm has had several talks with GM’s victim compensation expert Ken Feinberg regarding appropriate victim compensation for the thousands affected by a fatal design flaw in ignition switches which left numerous dead and countless others seriously injured.
