GMC Issues Recall Over Faulty Airbags

USA – Carscoops.com reports that General Motors has issued a recall of 2018 GMC Terrain SUVs because of a software issue that could cause the airbags to fail in the event of an accident. The affected vehicles were assembled from March 14, 2017,to May 22, 2018.

The National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA) released a document that stated that the problem was the result of the Sensing Diagnostic Module (SDM). SDMs are responsible for sensing that the vehicle is in an accident and deploying the airbags.

The defect causes the SDM to fail to shut down when the vehicle is turned off. The problem then leads to the SDM not turning on properly when the vehicle is turnedagain. The vehicles alert drivers of the issue by the airbag light turningon, a chime will issue a warning, anda message is displayed stating that there is an issue with the “service restraint system.”

No injuries have been reported as a result of the defect, and the manufacturer stated that they expect the issue would only impact about 1% of vehicles.

People who own the vehicles subject to the recall can have the software updated at no cost.

According to the NHTSA, frontal airbags have prevented an estimated 44,869 deaths between 1987 and 2015. The NHTSA reminds drivers that airbags save lives, but they are not designed to replace seatbelts and are meant to work for vehicle occupants who are restrained. Many vehicles have both frontal and side airbags. Airbags take less than one-twentieth of a second to inflate.

Recently, the recall of millions of vehicles because of Takata airbag lawsuits made headlines and led to Takata agreeing to a $650 million settlement.