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GM reportedly recalling select 2014 Silverado, Sierra pickups over airbag issue

Filed under: Truck, Recalls, Safety, Chevrolet, GM, GMC

2014 Chevy Silverado front three-quarter

2014 GMC Sierra front three-quarter General Motors is recalling 843 2014 Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra Crew Cab pickups, due to a fault with the vehicle’s airbags. According to GM, the airbags may not inflate properly in the event of a crash. There haven’t been any crashes or injuries associated with this recall, which is always good. Naturally, repairs will be free of charge, and GM will begin contacting affected owners soon.

GM has a lot hanging on the 2014 Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra. Not only is it banking over $12,000 per vehicle on these trucks, as reported by Automotive News, but GM is counting on the Sierra and Silverado to take the fight to cross-town rivals Ford and Ram. The F-150 and Ram 1500 have been on a tear over the past few years, with fresh updates, advanced powertrains, and plenty of solid press while the GM trucks have been waiting for the 2014-model-year upgrades.

It’s still entirely too early to judge the Sierra and Silverado, particularly as those 843 recalled trucks make up barely two percent of the over 40,000 units moved so far. But, as AN rightly states, these trucks are the most important vehicles to come out of GM since bankruptcy, with about 60 percent of global profits relating to pickups and SUVs. Starting an introduction of such a big product with a recall, however small, is not the preferred way to do things.

GM reportedly recalling select 2014 Silverado, Sierra pickups over airbag issue originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 21 Jul 2013 15:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Report: 205k Suzuki models being investigated for airbag sensor issue

Filed under: Sedan, Government/Legal, Recalls, Safety, Crossover, Hatchback, Suzuki

The Detroit News is reporting that the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has opened an investigation on the 2006-11 Suzuki Grand Vitara and 2007-11 Suzuki SX4 due to issues with the airbag and seatbelt for the front passenger seat. So far, NHTSA has received 128 complaints on these vehicles for airbag warning lights, airbag off lights and seatbelt lights, on a vehicle set that totals around 205,000 units, but there is no indication as to how many, if any, injuries have reported.

Via technical service bulletins, Suzuki has already acknowledged two airbag-related issues with front passenger seats on both vehicles, including a programming error for the passenger seat load indicator on 2009 models and an open-circuit problem for the sensor mat that determines if an adult or child is sitting in the front seat. Since this latter issue would not shut off or lessen the impact of the passenger airbag, Suzuki has already extended the warranty for the seat cushion bottom to 10 years or 120,000 miles. After ceasing new-car sales in the US and Canada, potential recall repairs (which still may or may not happen) would be handled by remaining dealers as laid out in the recent court-approved bankruptcy plan.

205k Suzuki models being investigated for airbag sensor issue originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 19 Jun 2013 07:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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TRW designs roof-mounted airbag

Filed under: Etc., Safety, Technology

roof-mounted airbag Is your steering wheel looking a little fat? There are a number of reasons why steering wheels have beefed up over the years, but one of the biggest reasons is because of airbags. Inflatable restraint system manufacturer TRW is looking at ways to change that, and it may have a whole new type of airbag ready to go.

Rather than having the airbag deploy from behind the steering wheel, TRW has created a system in which the airbag comes down from the roof. This opens up a whole new world of automotive design when it comes to the interior space directly in front of the driver and passenger. Dashboards and steering wheels could become far more interesting than they are now.

You would expect a system like this to be far off, but TRW has been working closely with an un-named European automaker. Said automaker has just awarded TRW a production contract, which means roof-mounted airbags could arrive sooner than you think.

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TRW designs roof-mounted airbag originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 20 May 2011 18:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Toyota recalls 308,000 RAV4 and Highlander models over airbag sensor

Filed under: SUV, Recalls, Safety, Crossover, Toyota

Toyota has announced that it’s recalling 214,000 RAV4 models and 94,000 Highlander and Highlander HV models for side curtain airbag issues. The voluntary recall covers certain 2007 and 2008 models, all of which will need a new Curtain Shield Airbag Sensor Assembly.

The roll-sensing curtain shield airbag system contains two sensors that detects roll angle. In the event that one of the sensors malfunctions, the airbag warning light illuminates. That means the side-curtain airbags won’t work in a roll-over, though the airbags would still be available in the event of a side collision. If both sensors fail “near simultaneously,” however, the seat belt pretensioner and, more importantly, the curtain shield airbag could inadvertantly be activated.

Owners of affected vehicles will be notified by mail in the next month. Once customers have been notified, they will be able to take their RAV4 or Highlander to the nearest Toyota dealer for a free repair. Follow the jump to read Toyota’s official announcement.

[Source: Toyota]

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Toyota recalls 308,000 RAV4 and Highlander models over airbag sensor originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 21 Apr 2011 16:21:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Chrysler recalling nearly 370,000 minivans over potential airbag flaw

Filed under: Minivan/Van, Recalls, Safety, Chrysler, Dodge

2008 Chrysler Town and Country – Click above for high-res image gallery

Chrysler has put out a notice that it will be recalling 367,350 minivans in both Town and Country and Dodge Grand Caravan flavors. The reason? The airbags might go off when you don’t want them to. Water leaks in 2008 model year minivans may accidentally trigger a warning light and/or accidental airbag deployment.

The culprit is an HVAC hose grommet that was improperly installed. Moisture can then collect in the minivan’s carpet and drip into the airbag deployment module. Chrysler will begin notifying owners of the recall in February, and as always, the fix will come at no cost.

Gallery: 2008 Chrysler Town and Country

[Sources: BusinessWeek, Reuters]

Chrysler recalling nearly 370,000 minivans over potential airbag flaw originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 15 Dec 2010 14:34:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Video: ‘Tis the season for pumpkin vs. airbag

Filed under: Etc., Videos, Humor

Pumpkin vs Airbag

Airbag: 1, Pumpkin: 0 – Click above to watch video after the jump

There are plenty of reasons to love Fall. Perfect driving weather, turning leaves, a host of excellent holidays and, of course, pumpkin carving all help to make the passing of Summer all the less painful. But what happens when you get bored with cutting scary faces into unsuspecting gourds? What then? With a little engineering ingenuity and sense of reckless abandon, you could always subject your pumpkins to the destructive force of, say, an airbag from a 1995 Ford Escort.

Hey, some people juggle geese.

Between the rapid expansion of gasses into a synthetic bag and the always hilarious popping properties of pumpkins, you’re all but guaranteed instant YouTube success. Just remember not to try this kind of shenanigans at home. Or, if you do decide to make your own airbag vs. pumpkin video, don’t tell the authorities where you got the idea. Deal? Hit the jump to check a duo of pumpkin popping videos. Thanks for the tip, Coop!

[Source: YouTube]

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Video: ‘Tis the season for pumpkin vs. airbag originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 22 Oct 2010 16:55:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Happy 30th anniversary, airbag!

Filed under: Sedan, Safety, Technology, Mercedes-Benz, Luxury

Airbag 30th Anniversary

The airbag turns 30 – Click above for high-res image gallery

No, the above headline isn’t a greeting for your spouse on his or her special day – Daimler is celebrating the airbag’s 30th anniversary. Three decades ago, the very first production car with the life-saving safety tech rolled off the line, kicking off an industry-wide push for ever safer vehicles in the process. That car was an S-Class sedan, and Mercedes-Benz says that the company had poured a total of 13 years of research and development into the project before it ever hit the street. Today, the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration says that airbags have helped to save around 28,000 lives since the technology was first introduced – and that’s just in the good old U.S. of A.

The government safety authority also says that in a typical accident, a driver wearing his or her seatbelt in a vehicle with an airbag is 61 percent less likely to be injured than those who skip the belt in vehicles with no airbag. There’s no arguing that we’ve come a long way in a relatively short period of time.

These days, you’d be hard pressed to find a vehicle without at least some form of supplemental restraint, and Mercedes-Benz says that all of its products have featured a standard driver airbag since 1992. Hit the jump for the full press blast – but not before checking the high-res gallery below for some retro S-Class fabulousness.

Gallery: 30th Anniversary of the Airbag