Body, Interior & Misc.

The Driver's Airbag may not Deploy as Expected

If the bar and terminals are contacting each other at the time of a crash necessitating deployment of the driver's frontal air bag, that air bag will not deploy, increasing the driver's risk of injury.

4,167 Potential Units Affected

Lookup your specific VIN or plate below.

VIN
License Plate

13V-023 / 12261 Recall Summary

The driver's front airbag includes a safety device called a shorting bar - this prevents unexpected deployment of the airbag when it is removed from the vehicle. In this case, the shorting bar may intermittently contact the airbag terminals while it is installed in the vehicle. This could result in illumination of the airbag warning light or the airbag may not deploy when necessary. Failure of the airbag to deploy would increase the risk of injury in the event of a crash. Dealers will replace the steering wheel airbag coil to correct this concern.

13V-023 / 12261 Recall Solution

General Motors will notify owners of affected vehicles beginning February 13, 2013. There may be no symptoms related to this recall or in some cases, the airbag warning light may illuminate. If don't receive notification and you feel you should have, please contact your dealer. It's helpful to have your vehicle identification number (VIN) when you call. The General Motors recall number 12261.

To learn more, contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

1-888-327-4236

www.safercar.gov

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Vehicles Affected:

Manufacturer's Report Date:

January 25, 2013

NHTSA Campaign ID Number:

13V-023
13V023000

Manufacturer Campaign Number:

12261

Component:

AIR BAGS

Potential Number of Units Affected:

4167

Recall FAQs

If your vehicle is affected by a new safety recall, the vehicle manufacturer will attempt to contact you by sending you a notice in the mail. This notice will detail the defect, when parts for repair will be ready, how to get your car fixed, and whether your unrepaired car is currently safe to drive or not.

If you aren't the original owner, have changed addresses, or have never visited your local dealership for service or maintenance, then you most likely will not receive a recall notice in the mail.

Another way to know whether your vehicle has an open recall is to enter your VIN or license plate into the RepairPal Safety Recall Checker above. The VIN (Vehicle Identification Number) is a 17-digit alphanumeric code that can be found on the bottom edge of your car's windshield, on the driver's side. It can also be found on your vehicle's registration card.

You can check your vehicle for recalls by entering your VIN or license plate into the RepairPal Safety Recall Checker found above. The VIN (Vehicle Identification Number) is a unique 17-digit alphanumeric identification code on the bottom edge of your car’s windshield, on the driver’s side. It can also be found on your vehicle’s registration card.

Checking your VIN is the best way to find out if your car is affected by any recalls. Identical vehicles of the same make, model, year, and trim may not be affected by the same recall. A VIN is unique to a specific vehicle.

Your vehicle is affected by a recall if the manufacturer or the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has decided that a problem with your car makes it a safety risk or fails to meet safety standards. When this happens, the vehicle manufacturer is obligated to fix your vehicle.

Normally, you will receive a letter in the mail that explains the recall and how to get the defect fixed promptly and at no charge to you. The letter will explain what the exact defect is, when the parts will be ready, how to get your car fixed, and whether your car is safe to drive or not.

But in many cases, the manufacturer won't know you own an affected vehicle, which is why you should check your vehicle for safety recalls frequently.

Use our Safety Recall Checker to check your vehicle for open recalls.

How long it takes to fix a recall depends on many different factors:

How many vehicles are affected by the recall? How complex is the problem to fix? How many different parts are involved in the repair? Are the repair parts available? Has the dealership received the parts for the repair yet? Do dealership technicians have training to conduct the specific repair? How many recalled cars can the dealer repair each day (while also doing their daily service business)?

Recalls are unrelated to your warranty coverage. Any recalls that are issued for safety-related items on your vehicle will be repaired by the vehicle manufacturer at no cost to you. Even if your vehicle's warranty has expired and you are not the original owner of the vehicle, you are still eligible to have any open safety recalls on your vehicle repaired.

You can check for any open recalls on your vehicle by entering its VIN (Vehicle Identification Number) or license plate number into the RepairPal Safety Recall Checker above. If there are any open recalls on your vehicle, contact a dealer as soon as possible to have repairs done.

Safety recalls that address a defective part or system on your vehicle that came from the factory do not expire and can generally be fixed up to 15 years after the date of manufacture. Even if you are not the original owner, you can have repairs done to resolve any open recalls. This is important, especially if the recalls are safety-related. The only exceptions are if the carmaker is no longer in business or if the dealership can no longer get the needed parts. Recall repairs are generally free up to 15 years after the date of manufacture.

To check whether there are any open recalls on your vehicle, enter its VIN (Vehicle Identification Number) or license plate number into the RepairPal Safety Recall Checker here. Your vehicle VIN can be found at the base of the windshield or on your registration card. If there are any open recalls on your vehicle, contact a dealer as soon as possible to have repairs done.

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