ARC Airbag recall list explored amid safety defect fears

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has directed ARC Automotive Inc. to recall over 67 million faulty ARC Airbag inflators. According to the agency, these airbag inflators are prone to explosion and can cause serious to life-threatening injuries to drivers and passengers.

Installed on more than 12 models of vehicles from different automakers, these airbag inflators are feared to explode. When these metal inflators explode during a collision or crash, they may cause metal fragments to pass through the airbag and into the vehicle interior, resulting in injury or death to those in the vehicle.

Over 67 million ARC Airbag inflators may be prone to explosions and causing serious to life-threatening damages (Image via ARC Automotive Inc)

Linked with multiple injuries and even some deaths, these airbag inflators have caused several automakers to recall vehicles installed with ARC inflators. The latest automaker joining the recall is General Motors, which has decided to recall nearly 994,763 vehicles in the model years 2014 to 2017.

While the NHTSA has firmly demanded a recall for the affected ARC Airbag inflators, the auto supplier ARC Automotive Inc has rejected the U.S. regulator's request. The NHTSA fears that if these faulty airbag inflators are not recalled in due time, then they may cause several other injuries and even some deaths.

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NHTSA demanded the recall of ARC Airbags fearing that they may be hazardous for drivers

As per the reports from NHTSA, the faulty ARC Airbag inflators are installed as original equipment in several vehicles, including General Motors (GM.N), Chrysler-parent Stellantis (STLAM.MI), BMW (BMWG.DE), Hyundai Motor (005380. KS), Kia Corp (000270. KS) and others.

The suspicions regarding ARC air bag inflators started rising following several incidents where the metal inflators ruptured and caused damage to the driver and passengers. However, the NHTSA soon upgraded a probe for more than 8 million air bag inflators after the death of a driver in Canada. The driver who lost their life in the 2016 incident was driving a Hyundai vehicle.

Following the investigations, the NHTSA directed ARC to recall the affected airbag inflators, but the company rejected NHTSA's tentative conclusions and declined to recall any of the airbag inflators. As per the auto parts maker, several testing programs of inflators collected from scrapped or other vehicles have been conducted, but not a single rupture has been discovered during these tests.

GM agrees to recall vehicles with faulty ARC Airbag inflators (Image via Bill Pugliano/ Getty Images)

However, the automakers involved in this recall have taken this matter seriously and agreed to recall the vehicles "out of an abundance of caution." The latest automaker joining the recall for the vehicles installed with ARC Airbag inflators is General Motors which has decided to recall nearly 994,763 vehicles in the model years 2014 to 2017.

Sold all across the United States, the list of vehicles affected by the GM recall includes:

• The 2014-2017 Buick Enclave (244,304 SUVs)
• The 2014-2017 Chevrolet Traverse (457,316 SUVs)
• The 2014-2017 GMC Acadia (293,143 SUVs)

Other automakers may also issue similar recall notices for the affected vehicles, but nothing is certain as of now. Owners with vehicles affected by the recall are advised to be cautious.