General Motors recalls 700,000 SUVs in the US due to potentially deadly defect

General Motors is recalling hundreds of thousands of SUVs over concerns they pose life-threatening hazards to children.

The American automaker has issued a voluntary recall for more than 680,000 Chevrolet Equinox and GMC Terrain SUVs from 2020 to 2023.

The problem is a defect, with the rear seat lower anchor bars being excessively powder coated, preventing a car seat from attaching properly.

Owners are advised to install child seats using the vehicle’s rear seat belts until the repair is complete.

GM said no issues were reported, but is recalling the vehicles to ensure no issues reoccur in the future.

In 1999, the NHTS published a safety standard for child restraint anchorage systems which “requires that all new passenger vehicles be equipped with child restraint anchorage systems that meet specified strength requirements , configuration, tagging and more,” reads the agency’s website.

Called Standard No. 225, the NHTS requires that child restraint anchorage systems provide at least a minimum level of safety.

GM’s supplier, Amvian Mexico, did not monitor the variation in the powder coating applied to the anchors, Jalopnik reports.

The error resulted in bars of 6.34 and 6.41 millimeters while the standard requires no more than six millimeters.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) says 454,722 Chevrolet Equinox models are affected and 213,465 GMC Terrain models, all in model years 2020-2023.

While the recall was posted on the NHTS website, GM did so voluntarily after discovering the faulty bars.

The US automaker reportedly issued the warning to dealers on May 11, but is expected to notify specific owners on June 26 – those who have not returned their vehicle.

The recall comes just days after an announcement that a Tennessee airbag component maker has refused to recall 67 million devices that could explode and hurl shrapnel at motorists in an accident. .

The faulty airbags are installed in a variety of GM cars, which have resulted in two deaths and seven injuries in the United States and Canada, according to NHTSA.

ARC Automotive in Knoxville could now be heading for a legal battle with US auto safety regulators after refusing to seek a recall of potentially dangerous airbag inflators.

The recall would cover a large portion of the 284 million vehicles currently on the roads, but the percentage is difficult to determine. Some have ARC inflators for the driver and front passenger.

The 67 million airbag inflators NHTSA wants to recall were all produced during the 18-year period leading up to January 2018, when the ARC installed equipment to help inspect the inflators, according to the company.