US tells GM to recall nearly 6 million trucks with Takata inflators – Business News

Photo: The Canadian Press

The United States is having General Motors recall and repair nearly 6 million large pickup trucks and SUVs equipped with potentially dangerous Takata airbag inflators.

The decision announced Monday by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration will cost the automaker about $ 1.2 billion, about a third of its net income this year.

GM had asked the agency four times since 2016 to avoid a recall, claiming the inflator airbag containers were safe on the road and being tested. But the owners responded by accusing the company of putting profits on safety.

Takata used volatile ammonium nitrate to create a small explosion to fill the airbags in the event of an accident. But the chemical can deteriorate if exposed to heat and moisture and explode with too much force, causing a metal can to explode and vomiting splinters.

Twenty-seven people were killed around the world by the inflator explosion, including 18 in the United States

It took the agency more than four years to come to its decision, which comes towards the end of President Donald Trump’s four-year term.

Twenty-seven people, including 18 in the United States, were killed and hundreds injured by Takata inflators around the world.

NHTSA said in a prepared statement that it has analyzed all available data on airbags, including engineering and statistical analyzes, aging tests, and field data.

“Based on this information and information provided to the public petition register, NHTSA concluded that the GM inflators in question are at risk of the same type of explosion after long-term exposure to high heat and humidity as other recalled Takata inflators.” , the agency said.

The company has 30 days to give NHTSA a proposed schedule to notify vehicle owners and initiate the recall, the statement said.

Drivers can check if their vehicles have been recalled by going to https://www.nhtsa.gov/recalls and entering the 17-digit vehicle identification number