GM, Subaru Expand Takata Airbag Recalls
GM and Subaru are the latest automakers to enlarge their Takata airbag recalls in the wake of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s expansion on May 19, but they’re hardly the first. Last week, five other automakers announced expansions; some added previously unrecalled models to the list, while others expanded the scope of existing recalls.
Related: Ford Triples Takata Recalls; Mitsubishi Also Adds More
For GM and Subaru, it’s a bit of both. GM is adding two heavy-duty trucks: the 2007-2008 Chevrolet Silverado 2500HD and 3500HD built from Nov. 28, 2006, to Aug. 29, 2008, and the 2007-2008 GMC Sierra 2500HD and 3500HD built from Nov. 27, 2006, to Aug. 29, 2008. The national recall, which encompasses 330,198 trucks, affects the front-passenger airbag. Neither truck was under a Takata airbag recall until now.
Subaru’s latest expansion affects a smaller pool of cars (81,100), and it confirms what the automaker told us nearly two weeks ago. On May 20, spokesman Michael McHale said that because of NHTSA’s expansion, an earlier regional recall on the Impreza would become national.
NHTSA confirmed it on May 28. All model-year 2004-2005 Impreza sedans and hatchbacks built from Jan. 28, 2003, to May 31, 2005, are under recall. So is the 2005 Saab 9-2X, which is based on the Impreza hatchback; only models built from Feb. 11, 2004, to March 17, 2005, are affected. Both cars are under national recall for the front-passenger airbag. GM, which owned the now-defunct Saab until 2010, will service 9-2X recalls.
If you own an affected vehicle, you can typically find the build date (by month, anyhow) on a sticker in the driver’s doorjamb. Subaru’s latest announcement “partially supersedes” an earlier campaign that also included regional recalls on the 2003-2005 Baja, Legacy and Outback, according to NHTSA. Those recalls are still in place, McHale told us today.
We’re keeping track of all cars under Takata recall, including the latest from GM and Subaru. Go here to see the full list.
