A lawsuit has been filed against General Motors in Michigan over claims that a defective airbag contributed to the death of a woman who was involved in a crash in her Chevy Traverse mid-size crossover last summer.
According to an Associated Press report, Michigan resident Marlene Beaudoin was driving her Chevy Traverse crossover in Calumet, Mich. on August 15th, 2021 when the vehicle was struck by another car. The impact triggered the vehicle’s front driver-side airbag, which allegedly exploded and sent metal fragments and other pieces of shrapnel into the cabin, piercing Beaudoin’s chest, neck and head, ultimately contributing to her death.
A separate AP article that was published in May said the police report for the crash mentioned that Beaudoin was hit by a metal fragment from the airbag inflator. That article also described the accident she was involved in as “otherwise minor.”
GM and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration issued a product safety recall for certain examples of the 2013-2017 Chevy Traverse and 2008-2017 Buick Enclave last October due to an airbag inflator explosion risk. The automaker also issued a similar recall for 2015 model year Traverse, Enclave and GMC Acadia models in April of this year. Both recalls involved vehicles with airbag inflators manufactured by a company called ARC Automotive Inc. and warned owners that an airbag inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments being sent into the cabin, which can strike the driver or other vehicle occupants and potentially cause serious injury or death.
ARC Automotive, along with Ford, Volkswagen and GM, were also named in a separate federal class-action lawsuit filed earlier this year, AP reports. That suit involves five plaintiffs who own vehicles with inflators manufactured by ARC.
NHTSA estimates roughly 51 million vehicles on U.S. roads are currently equipped with airbag inflators manufactured by ARC Automotive. The ARC inflator suit bares similarities to the Takata exploding airbag scandal that cropped up in 2013, which was later tied to 28 deaths and hundreds of injuries in the U.S.
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Comments
2023 Chevy Traverse Owners Manual, on page 335 lists the engine as a 5.7L that’s takes 6 quarts of oil. We bought one last week and I was looking for the Oil Filter # and oil capacity fir our 3.6L V6, and I laughed at the only engine listed as a 5.7L. I think they better send a notice to all buyers to correct it.
not good, i wonder what other vehicles use airbags from this airbag manufacturer?
If gm knew they had these airbags installed and are dangerous, where is the recall…. what about newer models that might have these airbags installed.
I was in a auto accident in 2022 in my 2017 Chevy Traverse. All air bags deployed and metal flew everywhere. Into the right side of my face and neck. Leaving cuts and abrasions. I kept saying to my family what it was and they didn’t believe me until reading about it.
I called two dealerships in my area to get this fixed. The first said the recall was not “approved” and they did not have parts. The 2nd said they did not have parts. It’s was precisely “don’t call us, we will call you” attitude. Does anyone know beyond this death how many people harmed? I would like to know the odds of dying by driving my Chevy Traverse 2015. Is it like 1 of 50,000 chance or 1 of 1000?