The Recall Desk
Our severity:HighNHTSA·14V298000·Announced 2014-06-06

GM Recalls 2013 Buick Encore and Chevrolet Spark for Air Bag Defect

General Motors is recalling specific 2013 Buick Encore and Chevrolet Spark vehicles because an improper weld may prevent the passenger air bag from deploying, increasing injury risk.

What this means for you

Our assessment, not the agency’s: severity 3/5 (High).

Real risk of harm even if no illness or injury has been reported yet. Stop using the product and follow the agency's guidance.

Our severity reasoning: The recall involves a safety-critical component (air bag) that may fail to deploy, creating a risk of harm in a crash, but the source text does not report any specific injuries or fatalities, fitting the 'High' severity criteria for risk-of-harm products where injury has not yet been reported.

Plain-English summary

General Motors LLC is recalling certain model year 2013 Buick Encore and Chevrolet Spark vehicles due to a defect in the passenger side front air bag inflator. The affected vehicles were manufactured between December 30, 2012, and May 8, 2013. The defect involves an improper weld that may result in the air bag not deploying in the event of a crash.

If the air bag fails to deploy, there is an increased risk of injury to the front passenger. General Motors will notify owners, and dealers will replace the passenger side front air bag free of charge. The recall began on July 30, 2014.

Owners may contact General Motors customer service at 1-800-521-7300 for Buick or 1-800-222-1020 for Chevrolet. GM's number for this recall is 14211. Owners may also contact the NHTSA Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 or visit www.safercar.gov.

The recalled product

Product
BUICK, CHEVROLET ENCORE, SPARK
Brand
BUICK
Manufacturer
General Motors LLC
Category
Vehicle — Air Bag
Hazard
Affected units
61

Is your product affected?

Check your packaging against the codes below. If any of them match, the product is part of this recall.

Model numbers (2)

  • ENCORE
  • SPARK

Distribution

Distributed nationwide across the United States.

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