GM Recalls 720,000 Vehicles for Air Bag Problems

Detroit , Reuters reported that - General Motors Corp. on Monday recalled about 720,000 vehicles to fix two problems that could cause air bags to malfunction in a crash.

One recall covers about 570,000 Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra pickups, as well as Chevrolet Suburban and Tahoe and GMC Yukon and Yukon XL sport utility vehicles, all built between February 1999 and February 2000.

GM said the trucks had air bag sensing and diagnostic modules that could interfere with air bag deployment. The world's largest automaker said it was investigating whether nine reports of air bags failing to deploy in crashes were linked to the problem that triggered the recall.

A company spokesman declined to say whether those reports involved injuries or fatalities. But a U.S. government database of vehicle safety complaints from consumers shows 37 reports of air bags failing to deploy in crashes of the recalled vehicles. including 30 injuries and one fatality.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration typically opens vehicle safety investigations based on consumer complaints, but it had not started any probe of the air bags in the recalled trucks.

A second recall covers 150,000 vehicles, spread among 13 models of cars, SUVs and minivans, built between May and June 2002.

GM said about 8,000 of those vehicles have driver's side air bag inflater modules that could crack open if the bag deployed, leaving the bag less than fully inflated in a wreck.

The automaker said both problems would be repaired by dealers at no cost to consumers.