General Motors is recalling nearly 900 vehicles in Canada and the U.S. with Takata airbag inflators that have the possibility of exploding and hurl sharpnel in a crash.
The recall covers certain Chevrolet Camaro, Sonic and Volt vehicles as well as the Buick Verano, all from 2013 model years.
In documents posted Tuesday by the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the company says that the driver’s front air bag inflator can explode in a crash due to a manufacturing defect.
The inflators are made by Takata and are under investigation by the agency but has not previously been recalled.
Takata used volatile ammonium nitrate to create a small explosion to inflate air bags in a crash. But the chemical can deteriorate over time and explode with too much force, blowing apart a metal canister and spewing shrapnel.
The air bags in the General Motors recall have a moisture-absorbing chemical called a dessicant and were not part of previous recalls. GM says in documents posted by the government that the problem is limited to a specific lot of inflators made by Takata, and that other vehicles are not affected.
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