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GM Accused In Airbag Inflator Class Action Lawsuit

A federal lawsuit filed in San Francisco this week accuses an auto parts manufacturer and three major automakers, including GM, of knowingly selling vehicles with faulty airbag inflators that could explode and injure or kill passengers.

According to a recent report from The Detroit News, the lawsuit names ARC Automotive Inc. as the parts manufacturer that produced the faulty airbag inflators, which were sold to airbag manufacturers. The airbag manufacturers then sold the faulty airbags to several major automakers, including GM, Volkswagen, and Ford, all of which are named in the new lawsuit. It’s estimated that there are approximately 51 million vehicles on the road today equipped with the potentially faulty inflators, or roughly 10- to 20-percent of all passenger vehicles. However, there’s no clear way for consumers to determine whether or not their vehicle is equipped with a faulty inflator, as the ARC Automotive Inc. markings may not be clearly added to the airbag itself.

According to plaintiffs in the lawsuit, the ARC inflators utilize ammonium nitrate as a secondary propellant to inflate the airbags. However, the propellant can develop microscopic holes when exposed to moisture, which can cause the propellant to burn too quickly and create a larger explosion. This explosion can then rupture the outer metal canister, sending shrapnel into the cabin.

The defect is similar to that of the Takata airbag recalls issued several years ago, which resulted in the largest auto recall in U.S. history. The faulty Takata airbags are tied to 28 deaths globally, as well as hundreds of injuries.

Plaintiffs allege that ARC inflators have exploded at least seven times on U.S. roads. GM has issued three recalls for the faulty inflators thus far. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is currently conducting an investigation into the matter. Although the NHTSA opened its investigation in 2015, it has yet to identify any clear conclusions, nor has it forced the implementation of additional recall measures.

The faulty airbag inflators have been tied to two deaths and four injuries thus far. One of the deaths was a Michigan woman who died after a metal inflator fragment cut her neck in a minor crash involving a 2015 Chevy Traverse.

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Jonathan is an automotive journalist based out of Southern California. He loves anything and everything on four wheels.

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Comments

  1. GM accused of knowingly selling vehicles with faulty airbag inflators? Give me a break. Yet another frivolous class action law suit.

    Reply
    1. Whatever you think, as I ride around with my SERVICE AIRBAG light on, not knowing if and when it will ever deploy. As I read these forums, looks like GM is VERY IRRESPONSIBLE! Such a shame! All I know is if my Traverse is faulty and it ends up fatally killing me and my family, they surely will see a hefty hefty lawsuit involving tons of money!!

      Reply
      1. Personally, I would not continue to drive my vehicle with a Service Airbag light, Seatbelt light, or any other safety related warning light on. I would get it to a dealer a.s.a.p., before some component does fail, that someone may get injured or worse. I think GM would step up in this case, and possibly offer assistance.

        Reply
      2. The service airbag light is likely for a poor connector under the passenger seat that needs to be resoldered. The service airbag light doesn’t come on from a part that’s gonna explode incorrectly and kill you. If the the airbag message is on, your airbags will not deploy

        Reply
  2. My boss had a 2022 Escalade and there wasn’t any Service Airbag light on. Last week his wife t-boned another vehicle which completely smashed in the entire front of their Escalade and not 1 airbag deployed. Their children were in the vehicle as well and thankfully everyone survived but there could have been a different outcome had she been going any faster. People purchase these expensive suv’s with the mindset that they are safe but if GM is knowingly ignoring the airbag problem then they absolutely need to be held accountable. People have lost their lives behind this!

    Reply

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