General Motors has announced two safety recalls on improperly anchored seats and seat belts attached by cables prone to fatigue that affect nearly 522,000 cars and trucks, making it the largest recall for the automaker so far this year. The automaker said 437,045 of its model year 2011 and 2012 Chevy Malibus in the U.S. and 31,842 in Mexico and Canada had seat belts that could come loose from the vehicle after wear. It also said 52,930 2015 model Chevy and GMC midsize pickup trucks had seats that may not have been installed properly.
GM explained that steel cables anchoring the seat belt to the car were susceptible to wear as the rider moved around in the seat. Dealers will replace a bracket to move the seat belt tensioner toward the back, inspect the cable and replace the lap pretensioner if necessary. The car manufacturer said there had been 36 warranty claims over the incident, though it only knew of one minor injury and no crashes or fatalities connected to the flaw.
GM also recalled the 2015 models of its Chevy Colorado and GMC Canyon trucks. The affected trucks sold in the U.S. and Canada had seat frames that were not correctly attached to the body when they were assembled. When drivers bring the trucks in, dealers will inspect the hooks that attach the seat frame to the vehicle and repair them if necessary. GM said it does not know of any injuries, crashes or fatalities that have resulted from the loose seats.
