Suzuki Recalls 194K Vehicles; Airbag Injuries Possible
Japan's Suzuki is recalling almost 200,000 vehicles in the U.S. because of an improper airbag sensor. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), this recall affects around 193,936 Grand Vitara SUVs made in the 2006 to 2011 model years, as well as SX4s from the 2007 to 2011 model years, the Los Angeles Times reports.
The reason for the recall is a faulty airbag sensor in the front passenger seat which may either fail or simply deploy improperly during an accident. This defective sensor would affect both adults and children sitting in the seat. So far, thankfully, no injuries have been reported.
What else do you need to know, and what should you do if your car is affected?
Possible Injuries
While there have been no reports of injuries from affected Suzukis, or Suzukis in general, some drivers may still be at risk. According to the LA Times, the NHTSA claims that if the affected airbag does deploy at maximum force and there is a child in the seat, the child could potentially be injured. Furthermore, this malfunction may still cause a full-on failure of the airbag from deploying in the event of a crash.
This recall resulted from an initial investigation that began in June. The NHTSA claimed that 128 Suzuki owners filed complaints, reporting that they were having issues with their airbag sensors in the front passenger's seats not detecting a passenger when a child was sitting there, USA Today reports
If Your Car is Affected
If your car is affected, you have the right to remedies or compensation. Usually this means that the vehicle or equipment manufacturer and your local dealer will actively take steps to involve you in the recall.
In this case, owners of the affected Suzuki vehicles will be notified by Suzuki in October. If there is a parts shortage, however, then a second notice will be sent out, notifying owners when dealers will be ready to fix the vehicles. All repairs will be performed free of charge for the affected owners.
Related Resources:
- Suzuki recalls 193,936 SUVs, SX4s over air bags (Reuters)
- Vehicle Recalls and Defects (FindLaw)
- How Do Car Recalls Work? (FindLaw's Injured)
- Ford Recalls More Than 370K Cars (FindLaw's Common Law)