GM Walloped by 303 Air Bag-Related Deaths, Millions of Recalls, Lawsuit

Last week, a New York Times analysis of General Motors federal crash data found that 303 people died when their air bags failed to deploy in two GM models that were recalled early this year.

Then on Friday, GM got hit with its first class action lawsuit involving the 1.6 million cars it recalled over ignition problems. As Business Insider reported, “Those glitches were responsible for at least 303 deaths, most of which involved the airbag failing to deploy as a result of the busted ignition switch.”

Today, GM released a statement announcing three new recalls on the 2009-2014 Chevrolet Express and GMC Savana; 2013 and some 2014 Cadillac XTS models; and some 2008-2009 and all 2010-2013 Buick Enclave and GMC Acadia models, some 2009 and all 2010-2013 Chevrolet Traverse models, and some 2008-2009 and all 2010 Saturn Outlook models. The recalls involve fixing problems with the wiring harnesses of seat-mounted side air bags, preventing brake booster corrosion, and reworking instrument panel materials to meet compliance for unbelted passengers.

The recalls will affect over 1.5 million GM vehicles.

GM CEO Mary Barra says she “asked our team to redouble our efforts on our pending product reviews, bring them forward and resolve them quickly.”

Barra added, “That is what today’s GM is all about.”

GM says it will take a $300 million charge in the first quarter “primarily for the cost of the repairs for the three safety actions and the previously announced ignition switch recall.”

Last year, the Los Angeles Times reported that U.S. taxpayers lost $10 billion from the government’s GM bailout. In December, GM chief Dan Akerson said the auto giant should not pay back the $10 billion in taxpayer dollars it lost because the “die was cast” and the bailout was “a positive for the U.S. economy.”