General Motors ordered car dealers to immediately stop sales of both new and used Chevrolet Cruze sedans in the US and Canada due to a potential defect in airbags.
General Motors has halted the sales of its most popular car, Chevrolet Cruze, in the US and Canada. The car maker has issued a notice to all car dealerships to immediately stop selling both used and new models of 2013 and 2014 Cruze sedans due to a potential defect in the airbag system.
The biggest US automaker also recalled the affected cars currently in use by its customers and is investigating the total number of affected vehicles. GM estimates the fault in the driver's side of the airbag inflator could be found on as many as 33,000 Cruzes. A spokesman for the company revealed that fault identification is on a fast track and the company expects to resume deliveries by the end of this week.
"Certain vehicles may be equipped with a suspect driver's air bag inflator module that may have been assembled with an incorrect part," USA Today quoted GM spokesmen Jim Cain as saying. "We are working diligently with the supplier of the defective part to identify specific vehicles affected and expect to resume deliveries by the end of this week once those vehicles are identified."
The airbag in question is manufactured by Japanese supplier Takata, whose products are facing a similar recall in millions of other vehicles in the country. Car makers including Ford, Honda, Nissan, Chrysler, Masda, Toyota and BMW have already issued major recalls due to the faulty airbags. Takata airbags have been the reason for nearly 10 million recalled cars worldwide. The problem is seen as a major risk to the driver, as the airbag inflator contains a propellant that can explode in certain situations.
The halt in sales comes at a crucial time for GM; it is summer time when sales see a hike. If the stop-sale order continues over a longer period, it may affect the sales of the car maker's bestselling car. GM has sold almost 120,000 Cruze sedans this year, according to Autodata.
No incidents or injuries due to the faulty airbags have been reported so far. But an investigation by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration , NHTSA, revealed six incidents of ruptured airbags and three injuries in Florida and Puerto Rico.
Read more: Honda, Nissan Add Millions To Airbag Recall
