During the last month of 2020, General Motors issued a safety recall to address an issue with the front center seat belt bracket in several of its trucks and SUVs. The recall affects 624,216 trucks and SUVs that are equipped with the 40/20/20 split-folding front bench seats (vehicles with front bucket seats are not affected by the recall). These defective seat belt brackets threaten passenger safety and increase the risk of injury in the event of a collision or other high-speed braking event.
Description of the Seat Belt Defect
General Motors discovered that several of its trucks and SUVs with a front seating bench were equipped with a defective seat belt bracket. It’s suspected that the seat supplier may have failed to sufficiently secure the seat belt brackets to the front-row center seat frame, putting the occupant at increased risk of injury. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) defect report, “occupants may hear a rattle coming from the center seat or console area, or may notice that the front-row center seat belt is loose or detached from the seat frame.”
Vehicle Models Affected by the Seat Belt Safety Recall
The trucks and SUVs affected by this defective seat belt recall include the following:
- 2019-2021 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
- 2019-2021 GMC Sierra 1500
- 2021 Chevrolet Suburban
- 2021 Chevrolet Tahoe
- 2020-2021 Chevrolet Silverado 2500/3500
- 2020-2021 GMC Sierra 2500/3500
- 2021 GMC Yukon XL
All of these trucks and vehicles are equipped with the 40/20/20 split-bench front seats, and it’s likely that the seat supplier neglected to install the middle seat belt bracket correctly.
Next Steps for GMC Consumers Impacted by This Recall
GMC dealerships received notification about this recall starting on December 17, 2020. Owners impacted by the recall will begin to receive notification in early February 2021. Once notified, the owner can take the car to the dealer for inspection. If an issue is identified, the defective seat belt bracket attachments will be replaced or reassembled at no cost to the customer.
For more information about your rights as a consumer under California lemon law, contact the experienced Berkeley attorneys at Lemon Law Partners, LLP today by calling (510) 944-0336.
