U.S. auto safety regulators have concluded a five-year investigation into seat belt failures in certain General Motors SUVs after the company provided extended warranty coverage to address the issue. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) announced on Tuesday that the warranty extension issued in June 2019 effectively resolved the problem that led to the initial recall.
The investigation dates back to 2014, when General Motors recalled over 1.3 million midsize SUVs due to a defect involving a flexible steel cable that connects the seat belts to the front outside seats. Over time, this cable could fail, potentially compromising passenger safety in the event of a crash. The recall included Chevrolet Traverse, Buick Enclave, GMC Acadia, and Saturn Outlook models from the 2009 to 2014 model years. Dealers were instructed to replace the lap belt pretensioners to prevent failure.
However, in 2019, NHTSA reopened the case after receiving four complaints that seat belts in the affected SUVs had failed even after the recall repairs had been completed. Fortunately, no injuries were reported in connection with these failures.
In response, GM extended the warranty on the seat belt cables to 12 years or 180,000 miles from the SUVs’ original sale date. Under this warranty, technicians were instructed to inspect the driver’s seat belt cable for any damage to the protective sleeve. If damage was detected, the cable was to be replaced with a new sleeve and a modified part designed to prevent further damage.
NHTSA closed the investigation based on several factors, including the issue’s high detectability, low rate of occurrence, and GM’s additional warranty coverage, which was deemed sufficient to address the potential risk.
