General Motors may have to recall up to 20 million vehicles that have faulty air bag parts, which could end up being one of the largest automotive recalls in U.S. history.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration will meet on Thursday and auto safety regulators will determine how many would need to be recalled. The parts, made by ARC Automotive, are known to explode, injuring drivers with shrapnel hitting them in the face and neck during a crash. At least two people have been killed in accidents involving the faulty air bags.
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GM has issued five recalls over a span of six years of vehicles that have air bags with components made by ARC.
NHTSA tried to force ARC to recall its components in April, but the company refused the request. The hearing on Thursday is the next step required for the regulator to issue a recall.
“Air bag inflators that rupture when commanded to deploy are plainly defective, as they both fail to protect vehicle occupants as they should, and, themselves, pose an unreasonable risk of serious injury or death,” NHTSA said in a statement in September.
The inflators used in vehicles that regulators are recommending be recalled are from cars produced in 2000 through early 2018 by 12 large automakers.
GM isn’t the only automaker that might need to recall a huge number of vehicles, as the NHTSA estimates there are roughly 52 million air bag inflators that need to be recalled. Other companies include major brands such as Ford, Volkswagen, Toyota, and Hyundai.
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NHTSA held a public meeting in Washington, D.C., at the Department of Transportation to determine the next steps for the recall.
The Washington Examiner reached out to GM for comment.
