General Motors has said it will recall more than 285,000 vehicles from the 2021 model year because of a malfunctioning airbag light. According to an Associated Press news report, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) announced Friday that the cars in question include the Buick Envision, Cadillac CT4 and CT5, Cadillac Escalade and Escalade ESV, Chevrolet Corvette, Suburban and Tahoe, and GMC Yukon and Yukon XL.
Details of the Recall
The government said 285,622 vehicles were affected by the software-related issue, which could cause the airbag light to illuminate inconsistently and fail to notify the driver of an actual problem. General Motors will inform owners of the vehicles included in the recall in a letter later next month.
GM will update the vehicles’ software free of charge to fix the problem, which the automaker reported to regulators last week. NHTSA is urging vehicle owners to check for open recalls of their vehicles at nhtsa.gov/recalls. Owners should enter their 17-digit vehicle identification VIN number, usually printed on state registration documents.
Why is the Airbag Warning Light Important?
The function of the airbag warning light is to let you know that your airbags are deactivated. This essentially means that they will not deploy properly in the event of a crash. This serious issue must be rectified quickly for your safety and that of your passengers.
There are a number of reasons why airbags might fail, including some inherent airbag defect, depleted airbag battery, faulty sensors, damaged airbag clock spring, or wet airbag module. When the airbags malfunction and the airbag warning light doesn’t come on, there is no way for vehicle owners to know that something is wrong.
Auto Product Liability Issues
When a passenger-side or driver-side airbag fails to deploy, the consequences can be devastating. Airbags have no doubt helped prevent thousands of injuries and fatalities. However, when an airbag fails to deploy or when it deploys with too much force or inadvertently, it can cause significant injuries as well. Vehicle manufacturers are legally obligated to consumers to make products that are safe for consumers.
The law also requires them to report any potential dangers, defects, or safety issues in the vehicles within five days of discovering the problems. Failure to do so could result in significant fines. Toyota paid out record fines totaling more than a million for failing to report defects in a timely manner and failing to issue prompt safety recalls
. Injured victims or families of deceased victims can file a product liability claim against the negligent automaker seeking compensation for their significant losses. A nationally renowned auto defect law firm can help fight for its rights and hold negligent corporations accountable.
Source: https://abcnews.go.com/Business/wireStory/gm-recall-2021-cars-faulty-air-bag-warning-78222525
