General Motors has lost its fight to avoid a massive airbag recall.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration announced today that GM must recall and repair nearly six million trucks and SUV's that carry Takata airbag inflators.
The vehicles include:
- Cadillac Escalade
- Chevrolet 1500, 2500, 3500
- Chevy Suburban
- Chevy Tahoe
- GMC Sierra 1500, 2500, 3500
- GMC Yukon GMC
- GMC Yukon XL
The agency's decision came after GM spent four years arguing the inflators in those vehicles were safe.
Some Takata inflators can explode, sending shrapnel into the driver and passengers, making Takata the subject of the largest recall in US history. The inflators contain a chemical called ammonium nitrate. When exposed to extreme heat or cold, radical temperature fluctuations excessive humidity the chemical can become unstable and create an explosion too large for the metal cannister to contain.
Experts the 7 On Your Side team has interviewed over the past four years, including former Takata employees, likened it to a 'grenade' in the steering wheel.
It's been estimated that today's action by the Department of Transportation will cost GM $1.2billion, or approximately one third of the company's net income this year. In a statement, GM said it believed the agency's actions were "not warranted." At least 27 deaths have been the result of defective Takata airbags. None of which was in a GM vehicle.
NHTSA has given the company 30 days to come up with a plan to notify vehicle owners and replace the Takata inflators.
You can input your vehicle's VIN number here to see if your car or truck is subject to any recall, including Takata.