GM Class Action Lawsuit Alleges Fatal Airbag Failure

A new class action lawsuit has been filed against General Motors alleging that a defect prevents airbag deployment and activation of the automatic seatbelt pretensions in certain frontal crashes. And this is actually different than the GM NHTSA Airbag investigation we recently wrote about here.

The lawsuit alleges that the airbag control units on some General Motors vehicles are calibrated to prevent airbags and seat pretensioners from deploying 45 milliseconds after a collision has begun. According to the lawsuit, this calibration can cause problems in a “concatenated” crash with multiple impacts, thus failing to trigger airbag deployment when needed. “In concatenated crashes, the first part of the incident (hitting a curb) sends the [sensing and diagnostic module] into its ‘wake up’ or ‘stand by’ mode,” the lawsuit states. “The initial curb hit does not trigger the airbag or tighten the seatbelt, but the SDM ‘wakes up’ to confirm whether further irregular signals will follow and indicate a need for the seatbelts or airbags.”

In 2016, the automaker recalled 4 million vehicles over an issues with the same components, while a further recall of 88,000 GMC vehicles was issued in 2018.

Impacted vehicles include the:

• 2010 GMC Sierra 2500HD

• 2012 -2014 Chevy Traverse

• 2014 Chevrolet Equinox

• 2014 Chevrolet Silverado 1500

• 2014 Chevrolet 1500 Express.

If you're in California and you’ve taken your General Motors vehicle (Chevrolet Silverado, Chevrolet Traverse, Chevrolet Equinox, GMC Sierra) to a dealership for any issue, ranging from air bag failure, air bag warning lights, check engine light, malfunction indicator lamp, or any other warranty concern, we can help you…. AT NO COST TO YOU! Valero Law, APC is a California consumer protection firm dedicated to protecting the lemon law rights of California consumers and ALL cases are taken on a contingency basis, meaning if there is no recovery, there is absolutely no fee to you! Feel free to call at 424-299-4447 for a free case evaluation!