GM recalls 200000 cars for Takata air bag trouble

The recall campaign is related to the Takata airbag fiasco, and targets MY 2003-2011 Saab 9-3 cars, along with MY 2010 and 2011 Saab 9-5 models.

No injuries, deaths or inadvertent ruptures of air bags in these vehicles have been reported but at least 10 deaths have been linked to Takata air bags, all but one of them in a Honda Motor Co model.

Furthermore, Saturn Astra models of the 2008 and 2009 model years will have to schedule a dealer appointment to replace their Takata-sourced driver-side airbag inflators.

The automotive company’s move is part of a broader move of about 5.4 million vehicles announced last month by USA safety regulators in relation to Takata air bags.

The factories that produce the Takata airbags in the United States and Mexico had problems with humidity, which has been said to be the cause of the airbag inflator failures. In a letter to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the company pushes the agency to re-evaluate the recall’s scope because the parts are allegedly safe, it claims.

The Saab models under recall were sold in other markets including Europe, while the Astra was sold as an Opel in Europe and elsewhere. Wilkinson said GM’s global safety team is reviewing data on the inflators in other markets “and will respond appropriately”. The brand eventually went out of business. Even the largest global auto makers, such as Toyota, GM, Ford, and Volkswagen, have been impelled to initiate recalls.

Three automakers are recalling 1.7 million cars in the US equipped with Takata airbags. It is important to note that Honda has been hit the hardest, as it recalled millions of vehicles worldwide.