GM Recalls Nearly Half a Million Trucks for Seat Belt Issues

Issues with a malformed rivet can potentially cause the failure of the seat belt buckle assembly.

byLewin Day|
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GM has issued a major recall for Chevrolet, GMC, and Cadillac SUVs, regarding an issue with seat belt assemblies, reports Automotive News.

GM has recalled 484,155 vehicles in total across all three brands. Affected models include Chevrolet Tahoes and Suburbans, GMC Yukons and Yukon XLs, and Cadillac Escalades and Escalade ESVs built for the 2021 and 2022 model years. Only vehicles with third-row seats will be recalled by the automaker.

The recall was instituted when GM discovered a third-row seat belt assembly that was improperly riveted together. The defect was brought to the company's attention in May, when a customer reported the seat belt buckle assembly had separated on their vehicle. The affected buckle assembly is used on both the left and right sides of the third row seating.

As per NHTSA documents filed on August 11, the improperly-built seat belt assembly could fail to restrain occupants properly, causing an increased risk of injury. The report suggests that the malformed rivet may not have been initially spotted by GM's supplier. An optical check of the rivet head has since been added by the supplier in order to prevent further defects reaching production.

No injuries or fatalities have been reported relating to the defect, a GM spokesperson told Automotive News. Owners will be notified from September 26 to bring their cars in for the recall work. Dealers will inspect the affected belt buckle assemblies, and fit replacements if found to be defective.

A defective seatbelt is a serious matter, so it's no surprise GM is acting swiftly with the recall. If your vehicle is affected, get it checked out by the dealer ASAP. In the meantime, while no specific advice has ben given, consider not using the third-row seats until you've got it all checked out, just in case.

Got a tip? Let the author know: lewin@thedrive.com

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