- The Cars, from the 2013 and 2014 models, were built with an incorrect baffle
- That can cause the air bag inflator to rupture if the bags are deployed
- It is the latest in a long list of recalls that have blighted GM this year
- Total recalls cover 17 million vehicles in the U.S. and 20 million worldwide
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General Motors Co. is recalling more than 29,000 Chevrolet Cruze compact cars because metal parts in the air bag assemblies can hit the driver and passengers if the bags are inflated.
The cars, from the 2013 and 2014 model years, were built with an incorrect baffle, and that can cause the air bag inflator to rupture if the bags are deployed, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said.
If that happens, metal fragments could hit people in the car, and the air bags may not inflate to protect them.
Baffling: The Chevrolet Cruzes were built with an incorrect baffle, and that can cause the air bag inflator to rupture if the bags are deployed
Dangerous: An incorrect baffle can cause the air bag inflator to rupture if the bags are deployed, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration say
The air bags were built by Japanese parts supplier Takata Corp., but the problem is different from another air bag issue that's causing big recalls across the auto industry, the safety agency said Thursday.
HOW 2014 BECAME THE YEAR OF THE RECALL FOR GENERAL MOTORS
February 7 2014 - GM recalls about 800,000 Chevrolet Cobalt and Pontiac G5 vehicles due to faulty ignition switches.
Feb 24 - GM adds 600,000 Chevrolet HHR, Pontiac Solstice, Saturn Ion and Saturn Sky vehicles to the recall.
March 28 - GM expands its ignition switch recall, adding 824,000 cars sold in the United States between 2008 and 2011 to the list. The switch recall alone covers 2.6 million cars sold worldwide.
March 28 - GM confirmed that one more death had been caused by the ignition switch problem, pushing the total to 13.
April 10 - GM finds another flaw in the ignitions of the 2.6 million vehicles it's already recalled, and announces that it will replace another part to fix the problem.
May 15 - GM recalls 3 million more cars, most of which were built before the automaker’s 2009 bankruptcy, for a wiring problem.
May 16 - GM agrees to pay a $35 million fine to settle a federal investigation into why its ignition switch recall took ten years.
May 20 - GM recalls another 2.4 million vehicles, including late model editions of the Buick Enclave, Chevrolet Traverse and GMC Acadia, for faulty seatbelts and transmissions.
May 21 - GM recalls 218,000 Chevy Aveos due to a risk of overheating and fires.
May 23 - Japanese carmaker Suzuki recalls 184,000 cars that GM built for it in South Korea and that Suzuki sold in the United States.
June 13 - GM recalls 512,000 cars, most of which are Camaros that can be accidently shut off while driving due to a faulty key
June 16 - GM recalls about 3.4 million cars because their keys could cause the ignition switch to move out of position if they are carrying too much weight
GM had ordered dealers to stop selling new Cruzes on Wednesday.
Spokesman Jim Cain said the order for most cars was lifted later in the day when GM determined which cars were affected.
The Cruze, built in Lordstown, Ohio, is GM's top-selling car.
GM found out about the problem on May 1, when a driver filed a lawsuit naming the company, according to documents filed with NHTSA.
The lawsuit alleged that an air bag in a 2013 Cruze deployed improperly and injured the driver.
Company engineers inspected the air bag and contacted Takata. GM told NHTSA about the problem on May 27.
GM sent Cruze air bags to Takata, and the company figured out what was wrong on June 20. GM decided to recall the cars on June 23, according to the document.
The most recent recalls make the number of GM car models called back this year to 45 - covering more than 17 million vehicles in the U.S. and more than 20 million worldwide.
It comes weeks after GM was fined $35 million by NHTSA for its slow response to a small-car ignition switch problem.
Earlier this month, the firm urged drivers to remove key chains from their car keys after it admitted it needed to change or replace the keys for about 3.4 million cars because they could cause the ignition switch to move out of position if they are carrying too much weight.
GM said that the switches can rotate out of 'run' if the key has excess weight and the car 'experiences some jarring event', such as hitting a pothole or crossing a railroad track.
That can shut off the engines and disable power steering, causing drivers to lose control. Also, the air bags won't work. The recall affects seven cars with model years ranging from 2000 to 2014.
That recall covered the 2005-2009 Buick LaCrosse; 2006-2014 Chevrolet Impala; 2000 to 2005 Cadillac Deville; 2004-2011 Cadillac DTS; the 2006-2011 Buick Lucerne; the 2004 and 2005 Buick Regal LS and GS; and the Chevy Monte Carlo from the 2006 through 2008 model years.
GM is already recalling 2.6 million older small cars, mostly in the U.S., for a similar problem where the ignition switch slips out of 'run' and causes an engine stall.
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