General Motors has issued a new recall spanning multiple brands and vehicles over a sensing and diagnostic software glitch that can prevent the vehicle’s airbag from deploying and allow the seat belt to malfunction.
The automaker stated that, in rare cases, the vehicle’s computer may run a diagnostic test. During the software’s test cycle, the air bags will not deploy and the seat belt pre-tensioners will not function in the event of an accident. GM stated the defect has been linked to one death.
The vehicles involved in this latest recall span the 2014 through 2017 model years and include the following:
As usual, GM will notify owners when a software update is ready for the vehicles to be performed free of charge at any local dealership. All vehicles will have the software updated and reflashed. If the airbags have previously been deployed, the SDM module will be replaced.
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This special life-affecting system should be simplified and operate independently, with a dedicated operating system and no need to run such disableing diagnostics. The cost of dedicated processors have dropped to pennies each, and a plain status signal to the main vehicle processor would be good enough.
I know what you're saying -- but I'd go in the other direction with this. I'd want a system which could analyze and update itself VIA OnStar. (A free service, of course.) And so one night the car would ask if it could update itself and you say sure. This is PRESUMING it wouldn't brick your car. Wouldn't THAT suck -- lol.
And when you come down to it all air bags degrade and people have been told in the past to replace them in an area of 10-15 years that no one does.
As of now companies have refrained from putting life spans on them due to fear of being sued and having it used against them.
Then you enter into the fact to replace bags in a car that old would be difficult and very expensive. Most people driving these cars are only driving them as it is all they can afford anymore.
All these Utopian ways of thinking are falling short in some areas.
Too often with many of these systems you solve one issues and create one or two more.
You can not say that it not a factor as with cars lasting longer and the average age of a car on the road at 12 years it is a big factor.
Makes me ponder all the issues we will see with autonomous cars that have not even been found and considered yet.