General Motors Recalls Over 1 Million Pickup Trucks

In order to save lives from vehicle collisions and improve the safety of innocent drivers, unsafe vehicles must be removed from roads. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, more than 25,000 deaths have occurred on roadways in 2015. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is reducing the amount of traffic fatalities by mandating manufacturers to recall the vehicles that do not follow the Federal safety standards or have defects.

On April 15, 2016, General Motors, the largest U.S. automaker, recalled more than 1 million pickup trucks due to a flaw in their seatbelts. The vehicles being recalled were the 2014 and 2015 Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra model 1500 pickups because the flexible steel cable that connects the seatbelt to the pickup trucks would bend every time a passenger would sit in the chair. Over time, this could result in the cable separating from the truck and the seatbelt becoming loose.

GM will fix the problem by installing a bracket on the current cable tensioner, enlarging the side shield opening, and if needed, the company will replace the tensioner. Although GM has reported that no injuries or fatalities have occurred due to this seatbelt flaw, in 2014 General Motors recalled over 8 million vehicles that caused several crashes, injuries, and fatalities.

Car manufacturers are often recalling their vehicles; therefore, drivers must frequently check the NHTSA safercar.gov website to confirm that their vehicle is not affected by a recall. To improve the safety of our roads and decrease the amount of traffic fatalities, drivers should immediately report possible or potential safety defects in their vehicle to NHTSA.

If you or someone you know has been injured and you believe it may have been due to a defect in your automobile, contact an attorney at Abraham, Watkins, Nichols, Agosto, Aziz & Stogner by calling (713) 222-7211 or toll free at 713-222-7211.