General Motors (GM) is joining the unfortunate trend of auto part failures and defects leading to large scale recalls. A “rarely occurring” software bug can switch off the safety features of several of the company’s vehicles, disabling airbags and seatbelts without warning to the driver. The malfunction has been linked to at least one death and three injuries after a fatal crash was reported in May, and it was discovered the airbags did not deploy.
The recall will affect 3.6 million vehicles in the United States and another 680,000 around the globe. At this point, the affected models are:
- Buick LaCrosse; Chevrolet SS & Spark EV (2014 to 2016)
- Buick Encore; GMC Sierra 1500; Chevrolet Corvette, Trax, Caprice (police model) & Silverado 1500 (2014 to 2017)
- GMC Yukon, Yukon XL & Sierra HD; Cadillac Escalade & Escalade ESV; Chevrolet Tahoe, Suburban & Silverado HD (2015 to 2017)
After the bug was detected, GM worked with Delphi Corp., the module’s supplier, to run additional tests. Both companies decided together that a recall was necessary and notified the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).
At Rourke and Blumenthal LLC, our Columbus motor vehicle defect attorneys are currently looking into cases in which a GM defect may have caused injury. If you have such a case, please feel free to call us at 614.321.3212 or contact us online to tell us what happened.