General Motors today announced a voluntary recall affecting 3.64 million vehicles from the 2014-2017 model years for a software defect in the airbag sensing and diagnostic module that controls airbag and pretensioner deployment.
In some circumstances, the defect could prevent proper deployment of the airbags in a collision.
The recall affects a large number of GM’s passenger cars, trucks, and SUVs, including the 2014-2017 Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra 1500; and 2015-2017 Chevrolet Tahoe, Suburban; GMC Yukon and Yukon XL; Silverado and Sierra HD; and Cadillac Escalade and Escalade ESV models.
GM first became aware of the situation in May 2016 after an accident was reported on a 2014 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 in which the airbags did not deploy in a frontal collision.
The issue was determined to be a diagnostic “oscillation test” routine that could be inadvertently triggered by vehicle dynamics and could interfere with proper deployment of the airbags or pretensioners
Customers will receive notification by mail, and dealers will update the module software at no charge. Customers can check to see if their vehicle is affected by visiting my.gm.com/recalls or visiting the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s recall look-up site at vinrcl.safercar.gov/vin.