It’s Time To Make Some Noise: General Motors GMT-900 Takata Airbag Petition of Inconsequentiality
by Kevin Fitzgerald on October 16, 2018
GM has submitted three petitions of inconsequentiality to the National Highway Traffic Safety Association (NHTSA) to avoid recalling 6.8 million of their pickups and SUVs with defective Takata airbags. They are the only automaker to resist the deadly recall, already responsible for 23 fatalities and over 350 injuries worldwide, many life-altering. The arguments they present in their petitions are deeply flawed and we have addressed them here, but NHTSA refuses to act, leaving the owners of these vehicles and their pending law suit against GM suspended in limbo.
Why is this happening? Because GM has coldly calculated that settling with those who will be killed or maimed by Takata’s defective airbags will be more cost effective than swallowing the $1 billion price tag to bring them back. And where is NHTSA? Well, they just don’t have the backbone to intervene. GM is determined to wait us out, hoping we will give up the fight as they submit petition after petition. But we can’t let that happen. If you own one of these vehicles, head over to the petition’s comment section and add your voice to the many. Demand NHTSA deem these inflators defective, just as Takata has and force movement on the class action lawsuit. Speak truth to power and put an end to GM’s callous abdication of responsibility!
Below are some of the more recent owner remarks and since NHTSA never engages, we follow each one with a little color of our own. There are 161 comments on the petition page right now, but we can do better. Head over there, make some noise, and let’s see if we can add a couple of zeros to that number. A list of the impacted GMT-900 vehicles is included at the end of the article.
Owner Comment
I am an owner of a 2007 Cadillac Escalade ESV. The history of Takata airbags leaves me with some insecurities regarding the safety of anyone in the passenger seat of my truck. Admittedly, if the study and research of the airbags in these vehicles is accurate there is reason to give pause to the recall. However, the study is conducted by a company with much to lose so there is motive to report favorable results. Peace of mind is very important to Cadillac owners and this does not provide it. I understand the economic impact this may have on General Motors bottom line, but the loss of customers will have a greater impact over the long term. It is my opinion that an independent study needs to be done to verify the validity of the results of studies completed by GM. In the meantime, the recalls should be done. There has been more than enough time to complete the preparation.
Our Response
We are in full agreement. An independent study must be conducted. With $1 billion dollars on the line, any involvement by GM is a serious conflict of interest. Furthermore, Orbital ATK’s aging studies are deeply flawed and nowhere close to a true test-to-failure. Let us, the experts, conduct the experiments and we guarantee you the results would end NHTSA’s inaction. You can find our arguments dismantling Orbital ATK’s study here.
Owner Comment
My GMC was recalled for the passenger airbag inflator in May 2016 and I think it is time for a class action lawsuit to resolve it. The dealer says there are no parts available and also said it is not an open recall????
Our Response
There is a class action lawsuit pending, but it is stalled because of GM’s continued petition submittals and NHTSA’s failure to rule on them. This is exactly why more voices are needed. If NHTSA rules in favor of the petitions, the class action lawsuit is all but dead and we can’t let that happen.
It is equally galling that GMT-900 owners are being told their vehicles are not part of an open recall. NHTSA itemizes all automakers’ vehicles with defective Takata airbags on their website and GM’s pickups and SUVs are listed right there with the rest. Why aren’t they part of the recall? Their Takata inflators are not ‘special’ like they profess. They have the same weaknesses and any discussion to the contrary is pure nonsense. NHTSA recently warned the public of unscrupulous dealers issuing fake recall notices to lure people into service departments for unneeded and costly repairs, but NHTSA themselves are issuing fake recalls by listing vehicles on their website as defective and doing nothing to enforce a remedy.
Owner Comment
I will never purchase another GMC vehicle, and as soon as I can, I will sell this truck. I will not recommend GMC to anyone. It is clear GMC has no interest in the safety of its vehicles or those who purchase them. I will choose a company that does. It is shameful and disgraceful that GMC has chosen not to take any actions to replace the defective airbags. I guess their executives are waiting for the correct number of people to die before acting. SHAMEFUL. #GMCFORPROFITSONLY
Our Response
Well how can you argue with that? If GM doesn’t care about our safety, which they have clearly signaled, why should we invest in their future. Hit them where it hurts. Stop buying their cars and the $1 billion they are banking on saving at our expense will be quickly erased and the lasting effects will be far more reaching.
Owner Comment
Takata manufactured the airbags in question and have admitted in filings that the airbags supplied to GM for the 1500 Silverados were defective, and GM was delaying the recall due to “inconsequentiality” since the airbags hadn’t yet failed due to heat and humidity. I live in Texas, and the truck is exposed to extreme heat and humidity from April through October each year. I continually check the status, and GM’s testing by their contracted lab was to be complete in August 2017. This testing was to ascertain the anticipated service life expectancy of the airbags in heat and humidity. It is now the end of August 2018, one year later, and still no action. I am driving a vehicle that apparently is deemed a “time bomb” and waiting for the NHTSA and GM to tell me when to expect detonation, not when I can get the defective airbag replaced. The truck, and airbag, are now over nine years old and it’s been a few years since Takata announced the defect. That is more than enough time to get this resolved. Get this fixed! Now!
Our Response
This is exactly the kind of anger and frustration GM and NHTSA need to hear from all of us. Get over to the site today and leave your comments.
Owner Comment
My name is Kevin Fitzgerald and I am an executive manager with a 30 year successful track record leading the design, development, and production of pyrotechnic devices. A graduate of Bucknell University with a degree in mechanical engineering, I began my career in the defense industry before moving to automotive. I resigned from Takata in 2014 as the Vice President of Inflator Engineering and Processing to testify for the U.S. Government, launching this recall in earnest. This petition and the arguments behind it are deeply flawed. You must get these and all Takata PSAN inflators off the road now. Please see my arguments to reject this petition attached.
Our Response
That’s my comment. I have provided NHTSA with everything they need to sort through GM’s obfuscation and end this travesty.
Owner Comment
Come on NHTSA, decide. People’s lives are at stake here! I have friends who own other manufacturer vehicles with the same air bag problem and they were given a loaner/rental car and the air bags were replaced immediately. Why is GM taking so long?
Our Response
Great question! Why is GM the only vehicle manufacturer getting away with this and why is NHTSA allowing it to happen? It’s absolutely mind boggling.
Owner Comment
It is incomprehensible that this matter is still outstanding. I received notice almost two years ago regarding my 2009 Chevy Tahoe LTZ of this issue. This was after I was charged to repair another defect in my dash, however it still has not been confirmed if this issue was also addressed. I would like to trade in this vehicle or outright sell it, however this matter raises concern if this is ethical given a life-saving device may be compromised and left outstanding. The issue of airbags and this potential defect is known and the governments unwillingness to address is leaving the consumer at risk and with limited recourse given the state of the supplying company. If there is a class action on this please direct me to it.
Our Response
The delays are incomprehensible, but the class action lawsuit will not move forward until GMT-900 owners convince NHTSA to deny the GM petitions. That being said, we are glad the GMT-900 dashboard flaw was mentioned because it is inseparable from the Takata airbag defect. It’s astonishing how little GM cares about their customers. The dashboards are cracking right above the Takata airbags lurking below them, compounding an already dangerous situation. GM asserts the problem is not theirs, leaving owners to pay more than a thousand dollars for a new dashboard, as if they took a hammer to it themselves! Another defect NHTSA has just plowed their heads into the sand over.
Owner Comment
I own a 2007 GMC Sierra LD Pickup and have been very happy with this truck. Until it’s became obvious that GM doesn’t put their customers and their loved one’s safety first. I know (Ford) Lincoln owners that have had rental cars offered to them until parts are made available at the expense of Ford. I have one family member who has been driving a rental for almost 2 months now until parts are available to fix the Takata recall on their Lincoln MKZ. Seems Ford DOESN’T WANT TO TAKE ANY RISK IN THIS “RUSSIAN ROULETTE RECALL”. So, they are doing what’s right in keeping owners and their families out of harm’s way. I am one of many owners that have children in their vehicle every day and it’s unsettling to even have them ride to school in a vehicle that has no guarantees on a safety feature that SHOULDN’T be in question.
Our Response
Now there’s some righteous anger! But let’s dispel any notion that Ford has been gracious in this fiasco. They didn’t just volunteer loaners out of the goodness of their hearts. They had irate customers waiting upwards of three years for replacement airbags and only recently started providing loaners as part of a class action settlement. And things haven’t gone so smoothly since, with many customers complaining of having to wait months for their free rental. Additionally, Ford also petitioned NHTSA to avoid the recall, but their request to leave Takata’s PSDI-5 driver inflators in the field was quickly rejected. It took a lawsuit to light a fire under Ford and the same is needed for GM.
Owner Comment
I have a 2011 Chevy Avalanche and I think it is terrible that GM is making me drive it in a dangerous condition. I cannot afford to sell this vehicle at a big loss and buy another one. This is my second GM vehicle and will likely be my last. I went to the local dealer twice and they were bordering on belligerent in their attitude when I asked when they thought I might get the problem fixed. They seemed to say that never was likely a good choice and that GM was immune to lawsuit since they were in bankruptcy at the time. GM can rest assured I will sure in court if anyone is every hurt by the air bags in an accident.
I think what GM needs is a lot of publicity on how they are dodging the problem when other car manufacturers are doing the repairs as they should. I wonder how I can stir up the local news agencies to carry the story
Our Response
We see many reports of rude dealerships. Their service departments get paid less for recall work, and like their parent company, they couldn’t be bothered. It’s incumbent on GM to stop this behavior. It is not the owners’ fault they are saddled with dangerous airbags. It’s NHTSA’s inaction and GM’s constant smokescreens that have everybody confused and frustrated. If anybody should be angry, it should be the vehicle owners left holding the bag. Educate your dealers GM, because when you ultimately do have to recall all these defective airbags, people won’t tolerate any more delays or lip service.
How do we get GM the negative publicity they deserve? It’s difficult. We’ve been beating this drum for a solid year now and it’s hard to get people to listen. A news agency occasionally publishes a story of an outraged GMT-900 owner, there is a flurry of tweets about it, and then the noise just dies down again. Sustained negative publicity is needed. If you are a member of the media and own one of these vehicles, it is your duty to help. And if you don’t own one, please help. In the meantime, the more noise we make on NHTSA’s website, the better!
Owner Comment
So, the manufacturer of the airbag claims it is defective, GM says it’s not. Takata had the most to lose, why didn’t they petition NTSB? Now we have to ride around in vehicles not sure whether our airbags will kill us while we wait for years. Not a good look GM.
Our Response
Exactly! Takata informed NHTSA the inflators in GMT-900 vehicles were defective and needed to be replaced. They knew best and had the most to lose. Why didn’t NHTSA just listen and direct GM to recall the airbags like every other automaker? Instead, a bunch of so-called experts and statisticians funded by GM, who know nothing about Takata’s technology, have stalled the process and put owners and their families’ lives in danger. The third party studies are flawed and contradict what is really happening in the field, right in front of our faces. GM says their ‘special’ inflators will be safe for the next thirty years in the hottest, most humid regions in the world. That’s just utter nonsense. What they are really telling us is that a life is not worth a billion dollars. To say that is not a good look for GM is being kind. Despicable is more appropriate.
I could keep at this indefinitely, but will cut it off here. We urge you to head over to NHTSA’s site and leave your own comment. Tell your family and friends who own one of the vehicles listed below to do the same. The only way we are going to turn this mess around is with a grass roots movement. Thank you for your time.
- 2007-2014 Cadillac Escalade
- 2007-2014 Cadillac Escalade ESV
- 2007-2013 Cadillac Escalade EXT
- 2007-2013 Chevrolet Avalanche
- 2007-2014 Chevrolet Silverado HD
- 2007-2013 Chevrolet Silverado LD
- 2007-2014 Chevrolet Suburban
- 2007-2014 Chevrolet Tahoe
- 2007-2014 GMC Sierra HD
- 2007-2013 GMC Sierra LD
- 2007-2014 GMC Yukon
- 2007-2014 GMC Yukon XL
Kathleen Kuss
February 9, 2019 at 6:13 pm
We currently drive. 2010 Chevy Tahoe. Our family has always driven a GM product. I cannot believe how greed has played into this. Shame on you GM. Maybe if the bigwigs put their absurd bonuses toward fixing this issue. I just read 4,000 salaried employees were losing their jobs. It is clear GM is not the same company the previous generation stood behind for quality. We have been looking at new vehicles and sad to say GM has a very low percentage of American parts. The government needs to step in and force GM to correct this issue. If this is what they think of their customers I am sad to say our next vehicle will NOT be a GM.
Kathleen Lackey
April 17, 2019 at 2:59 pm
I’ve commented on the petition(s) , I’ve filed complaints with NHTS . I recently have had my “service airbag ” light come on and has remained on for over 2 weeks . Now my truck is at the dealership where I purchases it 10 years ago to determine the cause of this light being on..I recieved a call from the service dept. Stating it is a “bad” sensor and a “corroded” module?? Cost for this to be replaced / repaired is around $900 ..which I felt like the dealership was encouraging me to NOT spend the high cost on this repair because my truck is a higher mileage vehicle and who knows how much longer it will continue to operate without needing further repairs. Seems they were Dedicated to convincing me my truck was old and I needed to consider sinking alot of money into … I’m the ONLY owner of this truck and I’ve taken very good care of it with very minimal problems and very few minor repairs over the past 10 years. In Reading some documents in research I’ve came across. Seems that airbags should hold up MULTIPLE decades in most cases. Yet my module and sensor(s) have degraded due to age and wear?? NEVER HAS MY VEHICLE been wrecked or had any major damage whatsoever ! Is the GM dealership /GM Corp . Attempting to convince me not to do the repairs because if I decided to pick up my truck refusing their recommendations for repair/ replacement parts ?? I then would be accepting the vehicle back into my posession knowing it needs the airbags serviced and i knowingly have agreed to continue driving it with knowledge the airbag light being on means the are disabled ?? Seems like they could get of being responsible if I agreed to any of this and refused the repair … parts also need to be ordered I was told if I decided to go ahead with it ? I know they have a shortage of replacement parts and have had problems with remedy from the beginning! I’m not going to take their advice at this point only because I feel they are attempting to pull more b.s. in hopes to save billions of $ rather than save precious lives of customers who have been loyal and very beneficial to their success over many years !
Steven Buckler
December 25, 2019 at 12:58 pm
As a Takata supplier from almost the beginning we had interaction with many of the people mentioned in your book.
What happened is truly unbelievable to me….
Great book, I couldn’t put it down, a story that had to be told!
Steve Hunt
January 6, 2023 at 10:58 pm
GM wants me to sign a waiver to have my Takata Airbag replaced in my 2013 silverado. Waiver says that any damage that the mechanic does to my truck will repairing it I would have to pay for the additional repairs. Blackmail, I own 7 GM products and this might be my last.