Dear Car Talk,
I have a 2011 Chevrolet, 2500 Silverado pickup truck that has had a GM safety recall, #49151, since July 2016. This recall is for certain makes and models that were constructed with a faulty Takata airbag inflator. I have contacted my local dealer and they are not able to fix the recall due to unavailable parts. I have also e-mailed and called GM for an explanation. Their explanation is the same. Since thousands of vehicles were outfitted with this defective inflator, supplies are limited and only the vehicles in humid areas of the United States are being serviced first. Question, am I at risk for a failed airbag deployment in case of an accident or risk of serious injury if it explodes? How can I speed up the fixit process with the dealer?
Doug
Join the club, my 2011 Ford Ranger is in the same boat.
No way to speed up the process. My ‘06 finally got it’s airbag late last year.
They can only build inflators so fast. Takata is bankrupt. There are millions of cars and trucks out there needing new inflators. The math is not in your favor.
The airbags WILL deploy in an accident. They might harm you. The odds are worse they will harm you if you live in, say, Florida. You can pull the airbag fuse if it worries you. You’ll just have to live with the airbag light glowing at you on the dash. You will be a bit less safe in an accident as long as you always wear your safety belts.