DETROIT – General Motors is adding more than 243,000 compact hatchbacks in the U.S. and Canada to the growing recall for air bags that can explode with too much force.
The company said Friday that the expanded recall for passenger air bags covers the Pontiac Vibe from 2003 through 2007. The cars were designed by Toyota and made at jointly owned factory in California. They’re twins of the Toyota Matrix, which was recalled earlier.
The Vibe recall comes after Takata Corp. of Japan agreed in May to double the size of its air bag inflator recall to 33.8 million, making it the largest automotive recall in U.S. history.
The propellant in some Takata inflators can burn too quickly, blowing apart a metal canister and sending shrapnel into the passenger compartment. The problem has been blamed for at least seven deaths and more than 100 injuries.
Last month Takata bowed to pressure from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and declared many of its products defective, agreeing to double the number of air bag inflators being recalled.
The giant recall covers driver and passenger air bags in cars and trucks made by 11 automakers. Takata, the automakers and NHTSA are still trying to determine what exactly causes the inflators to malfunction.
Owners can find out if their car is part of the giant recall here, and keying in their vehicle identification number. The number is located on many state registration cards and is stamped on the dashboard near the bottom of the driver’s side windshield.
NHTSA says the numbers of all the recalled cars have been entered into its database.
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