New GM Airbag Class-Action Lawsuit Issued In South Carolina

A federal lawsuit filed in South Carolina accuses airbag manufacturer ARC Automotive and three major automakers, including GM, of knowingly selling vehicles with faulty airbag inflators that have the potential to explode and injure or kill passengers.

As reported by Car Complaints, the lawsuit alleges that these companies have known about this potential hazard since 2015. Affecting nearly 30 million vehicles, the plaintiffs say there have been at least seven field ruptures of the airbags which resulted in two fatalities and severe non-fatal injuries. All of GM’s brands have affected models.

“During deployment of the inflator during an accident, a portion of this excess, asymmetrical weld flash can become dislodged. If the dislodged weld flash is not large enough to block the gas exit orifice, this weld flash will exit the inflator through the gas exit orifice,” claims the lawsuit. “If the dislodged weld flash is sufficiently large, it will lodge in the gas exit orifice, resulting in an increase of pressure in the inflator housing, and causing a rupture.”

It’s worth noting that the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) opened an investigation related to these claims back in 2015. This investigation is currently ongoing.

This most recent airbag lawsuit is another in a long line of legal troubles related to airbags for GM. Back in May, a lawsuit was filed in San Francisco that alleged ARC Automotive sold three automakers, GM included, faulty airbags that could explode. While similar to the new lawsuit, this older one alleges that the explosion is caused by microscopic holes related to moisture that then leads the propellant to burn too quickly.

More examples of airbag-related lawsuits against GM include the following:

• Death of a woman who was involved in a frontal collision
• Equipment defect that prevents airbag deployment and activation of the automatic seatbelt pretensions
• Tearing of front passenger side sensors, resulting in airbags remaining off even with a passenger present

It’s apparent that GM has been dealing with legal issues surrounding airbags for some time now, and will continue to do so for the foreseeable future.

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