Just as the automakers are getting more wary of the safety of the consumers, more recalls are being announced. Recently there was a spate of auto recalls by Mercedes, Hyundai Sonata and BMW. Now, there is another impending recall by the General Motors for its Chevrolet Impala model cars. The American auto giant, General Motors has announced a recall of 303,100 Chevrolet Impalas over the front seat belt problems in its 2009 and 2010 Chevy Impalas. According to a statement by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) the front seat-belt webbing in the 2009 and 2010 Chevy Impalas may not have been properly secured to the lap belt anchor which is mounted to the side of the seat close to the door.
The impact of the problem in the 2009 and 2010 Chevrolet Impala sedans are as the following:
- The Chevrolet Impala sedans have a seat belt assembly anchorage that could improperly restrain the front occupants if there were a crash
- In the worst case scenario it can cause injury to the occupant in the front seat
No accidents or injuries have so far been reported but there were 32 reports of complaints relating to the seat-belts that required warranty repairs. However if there were a crash, the seat belt may not restrain the front occupant the way it should which in turn may cause injuries. As an official announcement indicates’The front safety belt webbing may not have been properly secured to the lap belt anchor pretensioner which is mounted to the side of the seat nearest the door. As a result, the safety belt may not restrain the occupant as intended during a crash’. According to some media reports, this issue has been under investigation since mid-2009.
According to a notice posted on the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) GM is recalling the Chevrolet Impala 2009 and 2010 models ‘For failing to comply with the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 210, the Seat-belt assembly anchorages.’
GM is planning to mail the owners of affected vehicles a recall notice around the 25th of October. A total of 192,922 Chevrolet Impalas from the 2009 model-year and another 110,178 from the 2010 model-year are being recalled. In addition, GM is recalling 19,000 Chevrolet Impala 2009 and 2010 model vehicles sold in Canada.
Owners of these vehicles and customers will be requested to take their cars into a local GM dealership where the fixes will be done on any seat-belt that is found not properly anchored. GM fixes the issue in all the said vehicles free of cost, as a convention. Dealers will inspect the driver and front passenger seat-belts for proper anchor installation and reinstall the anchors if needed. The inspection and repair will begin on or before the 26th of October.
Disclaimer: This information is not intended as legal advice. Please direct your specific questions to K&M attorneys and know more about your lemon law rights. If you want to pursue your lemon law claim, call 1-800 US LEMON® (800-875-3666) toll-free, to reach Krohn & Moss for your FREE initial consultation. Or submit your information online for your free case evaluation.