General Motors has initiated a safety recall for a limited number of Chevrolet and GMC trucks manufactured between 2018 and 2019. The recall stems from concerns about the potential for roof-rail airbag inflator end caps to detach or for the inflator sidewall to rupture during deployment, posing a risk of injury to occupants in the event of a crash.
The affected inflators, part numbers 84402587 and 84402588, were produced by Joyson Safety Systems, a company formed through the merger of Key Safety Systems and the defunct Takata Corporation in April 2018. The issue arises from the possibility of compressed gas escaping from the inflators, potentially propelling debris toward vehicle occupants.
While the root cause of the problem is still under investigation by GM and Joyson Safety Systems, the immediate solution involves replacing all affected roof-rail airbag inflators with units produced outside the suspect production range. The recall was prompted by reports of airbag inflator ruptures in other vehicles and a specific incident involving a 2018 Chevrolet Silverado 2500 truck.
Approximately 2,061 trucks are affected by the recall, including 2018 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 and GMC Sierra 1500 models, as well as 2019 heavy-duty Silverado and Sierra trucks. Dealerships are responsible for replacing the faulty inflators with safe, compliant components.
The list of recalled vehicles continues to grow, with the latest addition being 252 Chevrolet Silverado 2500 and 3500 models from 2018 and 2019, along with 236 GMC Sierra 2500 and 3500 models from the same years. Owners of these affected vehicles will be notified by mail on or around November 25, 2024.
In the meantime, concerned owners can check the status of their vehicle by entering its 17-digit Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) on the respective automaker’s website or the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s VIN lookup tool. The VIN’s first digit indicates the country of origin: 1, 4, or 5 for the United States, 2 for Canada, and 3 for Mexico.
While the Silverado 1500 currently holds the title of the most affordable full-size truck in the U.S. market, priced at $36,800 before taxes and options, its rivals, the Ford F-150 and Ram 1500, start at $38,710 and $40,275, respectively.
In the heavy-duty segment, the Silverado HD is priced at $44,400, compared to $45,300 for the F-Series Super Duty and $45,250 for the Ram HD. Although Ford’s F-Series has outsold its competitors in the first nine months of 2024, GM’s combined sales of the Silverado and Sierra have outpaced the F-Series, with 641,794 units sold compared to the F-Series’ 550,835 units.
