GM Trying To Avoid Some Takata Recalls For The Fourth Year In A Row

General Motors has filed a petition with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) arguing that some of its vehicles should be excluded from widespread Takata airbag recalls.

The Detroit News reports that the car manufacturer argued for the fourth year in a row that the airbag defects are “inconsequential” to the safety of its pickup truck and SUV models because of “differences in inflator design and vehicle integration.”

GM has requested exemptions for all of the following models from 2010-2014: Cadillac Escalade EXT, Cadillac Escalade ESV, Cadillac Escalade, GMC Yukon XL, GMC Yukon, Chevrolet Avalanche, Chevrolet Suburban, Chevrolet Tahoe, GMC Sierra 2500/3500, Chevrolet Silverado 2500/3500, GMC Sierra 1500, and the Chevrolet Silverado 1500.

Also Read: GM Wants To Delay Recall Of 1 Million Trucks, SUVs Fitted With Defective Takata Airbags

Millions of Takata airbag inflators have been recalled around the world after it was discovered that a propellant used in the airbags can become unstable and explode with too much force as it ages, throwing metal shrapnel at drivers and passengers. At least 24 people worldwide have been killed by the faulty airbags.

In its petition, General Motors says it has tested 4,270 inflators found in its vehicles and hasn’t seen a single failure. The car manufacturer has issued recalls for 1.4 million vehicles with faulty airbag inflators and repaired 991,343 of them according to the NHTSA.

However, there are concerns among some consumers that their GM vehicles could have potentially deadly airbags which aren’t being repaired. Executive director of the Center for Auto Safety, Jason Levine, says both GM and the NHTSA have a lot to answer for.

“By submitting a fourth request, GM continues to essentially tell the public that their Takata airbags are safe, thus avoiding a recall without making enough information publicly available to prove such a claim. Moreover, NHTSA’s continued failure to rule on the petition keeps 7 million GM owners in limbo.”