Takata Airbag Recall Expands With Long List of GM Canada SUVS and Trucks

Faulty Takata airbag inflators has prompted a new recall of thousands of General Motors vehicles in Canada, including Cadillac Escalades, Chevy Silverados and GMC Yukons. 

General Motors of Canada (GM Canada) is recalling the more than 470,000 trucks and SUVs to replace the bad inflators on the Takata airbags, according to GM Authority.

These inflators use a certain type of propellant, known as phase-stabilized ammonium nitrate, or PSAN, that degrades under certain conditions, including high temperatures and high humidity.

This can cause the inflator to explode, shooting pieces of sharp metal towards faces. This becomes particularly hazardous if the vehicle crashes as the airbag releases these shards even more chaotically. 

GM Canada says dealers will be notified and replacements will be installed at no cost. 

The recall includes 12 models of GM trucks and SUVS, all made between 2007 and 2014:

• Chevy Silverado
• Chevy Silverado HD
• Chevy Avalanche
• Chevy Tahoe
• Chevy Suburban
• GMC Sierra
• GMC Sierra HD
• GMC Yukon
• GMC Yukon XL
• Cadillac Escalade
• Cadillac Escalade ESV
• Cadillac Escalade EXT

Consumers with a recalled SUV or truck can call these customer service numbers for additional help:

• Chevrolet Customer Service: 1-800-222-1020
• GMC Customer Service: 1-800-462-8782
• Cadillac Customer Service: 1-877-248-2080

This GM Canada recall is part of a massive effort GM is starting March 1 to remedy the Takata airbag issue. 

U.S. regulators asked for a recall from GM last November after a National Highway Traffic Safety investigation found GM vehicles with Takata inflators could explode.  

The issue of faulty Takata airbag inflators was first discovered by authorities in 2013 after a series of deadly accidents were found to be caused by the metal shrapnel, Insurance Business Magazine reports. 

The resulting recalls have affected a wide swath of automakers. 

Some 60 million vehicles have been recalled from by at least 19 automakers. At least 27 people globally have died from the Takata airbag defect, according to Reuters. More than 400 have been injured. 

At least one of those injuries has resulted in a lawsuit filed this year. A Puerto Rican woman claims she’s living with permanent injuries now because the airbag in her Toyota shot shrapnel in his face after crash. 

Honda settled Takata airbag related claims from 46 states and three U.S. territories in 2020 for $96 million.  

In 2017, BMW, Mazda, Nissan, Subaru and Toyota struck similar deals. 

Takata reached a settlement with the U.S. Department of Justice for $1 billion that same year. 

Do you drive one of these recalled GM vehicles? What do you think of the Takata airbag issue? Let us know in the comments below. 

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• Honda Takata Airbag Inflator Settlement Reached
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• Canada Subaru, Toyota, Mazda Airbags Class Action Settlement