Detroit, MI: General Motors has announced three separate recalls involving US production and sales of approximately 1.2 million SUVs for defective side air bags, as well as smaller recalls involving commercial vans and Cadillac sedans amounting to about 364,000 vehicles for separate problems. These recalls are in addition to the recently expanded recall prompted by allegedly defective ignition switches.
The three new recalls are:
303,000 Chevrolet Express and GMC Savana from the 2009-2014 model years with gross vehicle weights of 10,000 pounds or less;
63,900 Cadillac XTS full-size sedan from the 2013 and 2014 model years; and
1.18 million Buick Enclave and GMC Acadia models from the 2008-2013 model years, Chevrolet Traverse from the 2009-2013 model years, and Saturn Outlook from the 2008-2010 model years.
The full-size vans with gross vehicle weights of 10,000 pounds or less do not comply with a head impact requirement for unrestrained occupants, requiring a rework of the passenger instrument panel material.
In the XTS, a brake booster pump can create positive pressure within the wiring harness attached to the pump relay. This pressure can lead to the dislodging of a plug in the brake booster pump relay, allowing corrosive elements to enter the connector and form a low-resistance short that could lead to overheating, melting of plastic components and a possible engine compartment fire.
GM is aware of two engine compartment fires in unsold vehicles at dealerships and two cases of melted components.
With respect to the Enclave, Traverse, Acadia and Outlook, the vehicles are equipped with a Service Air Bag warning light in the driver information center. Ignoring the Service Air Bag warning light will eventually result in the non-deployment of the side impact restraints, which include driver and passenger seat-mounted side air bags, front center air bag (if equipped), and the seat belt pretensioners.
According to a statement from GM, "To repair the condition, dealers will remove the driver and passenger side air bag wiring harness connectors and splice and solder the wires together."
