Â鶹´«Ã½

Skip to main content

Hundreds of vehicles recalled in Canada, U.S. after 400 people injured

Share

General Motors is recalling nearly 900 vehicles in the U.S. and Canada with Takata airbag inflators that could explode and hurl shrapnel in a crash.

The recall covers certain Chevrolet Camaro, Sonic and Volt vehicles as well as the Buick Verano, all from the 2013 model year.

The company says in documents posted Tuesday by the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration that the driver's front air bag inflator can explode in a crash due to a manufacturing defect.

The inflators are among a group made by Takata that is under investigation by the agency but has not previously been recalled.

Takata used volatile ammonium nitrate to create a small explosion to inflate air bags in a crash. But the chemical can deteriorate over time and explode with too much force, blowing apart a metal canister and spewing shrapnel.

At least 26 people have been killed in the U.S. by the inflators since May of 2009, and more than 30 have died worldwide including people in Malaysia and Australia. In addition, about 400 people have been injured.

Potential for the dangerous malfunction led to the largest series of auto recalls in U.S. history, with at least 67 million Takata inflators involved. The U.S. government says that millions have not been repaired. About 100 million inflators have been recalled worldwide. The exploding air bags sent Takata Corp. of Japan into bankruptcy.

The air bags in the General Motors recall have a moisture-absorbing chemical called a dessicant and were not part of previous recalls. GM says in documents posted by the government that the problem is limited to a specific lot of inflators made by Takata, and that other vehicles are not affected.

But Takata air bags with a dessicant are under investigation by NHTSA because they have the potential to explode and expel shrapnel. The investigation opened in 2021 covers more than 30 million inflators in over 200 models from 20 car and truck makers, including GM.

The agency decided in May of 2020 not to recall the inflators with the dessicant, but said it would monitor them.

"While no present safety risk has been identified, further work is needed to evaluate the future risk of non-recalled desiccated inflators," the agency said in a document opening the probe.

GM says in documents that it was notified in March that an inflator exploded in a 2013 Camaro in Brazil in May of 2022. The company says an analysis of the inflator is still under way, but initial findings indicate the inflator rupture is related to a manufacturing defect and was not caused by deterioration of the ammonium nitrate.

The documents did not say if the driver of the Camaro was injured.

Messages were left Tuesday morning seeking comment from NHTSA and General Motors.

CTVNews.ca Top Stories

British Columbia saw a rare unanimous vote in its legislature in October 2019, when members passed a law adopting the United Nations Declarations on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, setting out standards including free, prior and informed consent for actions affecting them.

A pedestrian has died after reportedly getting struck by an OPP cruiser in Bala early Sunday morning.

Two and a half years after losing her best friend and first love to suicide, Brooke Ford shared her story of grief and resilience at the CMHA Windsor-Essex Suicide Awareness Walk.

opinion

opinion How to make the most out of your TFSA

The Tax-Free Savings Account can be a powerful savings tool and investment vehicle. Financial contributor Christopher Liew explains how they work and how to take full advantage of them so you can reach your financial goals faster.

Local Spotlight

A tale about a taxicab hauling gold and sinking through the ice on Larder Lake, Ont., in December 1937 has captivated a man from that town for decades.

When a group of B.C. filmmakers set out on a small fishing boat near Powell River last week, they hoped to capture some video for a documentary on humpback whales. What happened next blew their minds.

A pizza chain in Edmonton claims to have the world's largest deliverable pizza.

Sarah McLachlan is returning to her hometown of Halifax in November.

Wayne MacKay is still playing basketball twice at Mount Allison University at 87 years old.

A man from a small rural Alberta town is making music that makes people laugh.

An Indigenous artist has a buyer-beware warning ahead of Sept. 30, the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation.

Police are looking to the public for help after thieves broke into a Lethbridge ice creamery, stealing from the store.

An ordinary day on the job delivering mail in East Elmwood quickly turned dramatic for Canada Post letter carrier Jared Plourde. A woman on his route was calling out in distress.

Stay Connected