The Recall Desk
SevereNHTSA·16V063000·Announced 2016-02-03

GM Recalls Saab and Saturn Vehicles for Air Bag Inflator Defect

General Motors is recalling specific Saab and Saturn vehicles because the driver's air bag inflator may rupture during deployment, potentially causing serious injury or death.

What this means for you

Illness, injury, or structural failure has been reported. Stop using the product immediately and contact the manufacturer for a refund or repair.

Our severity reasoning: The source text explicitly states that the defect can result in 'serious injury or death' due to metal fragments striking occupants, which aligns with the rubric criteria for a Severe (4) rating involving significant injury or death potential.

Plain-English summary

General Motors LLC is recalling certain model year 2006-2011 Saab 9-3, 2006-2009 Saab 9-5, and 2008-2009 Saturn Astra vehicles. The recall covers vehicles manufactured between May 31, 2002, and February 15, 2011, for the Saab 9-3; June 7, 2005, and May 28, 2009, for the Saab 9-5; and April 11, 2007, and July 24, 2008, for the Saturn Astra.

The defect involves the driver's frontal air bag inflator. Upon deployment, excessive internal pressure may cause the inflator to rupture. In the event of a crash necessitating deployment, the rupturing inflator could release metal fragments that strike the driver or other occupants, resulting in serious injury or death.

GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the driver's frontal air bag inflator on Saab 9-3 and 9-5 vehicles and the driver's frontal airbag module on Saturn Astra vehicles free of charge. The recall began on March 1, 2017. Owners may contact Saab customer service at 1-800-955-9007 or Saturn customer service at 1-800-553-6000. GM's number for this recall is 28810. Owners may also contact the NHTSA Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 or visit www.safercar.gov.

The recalled product

Product
SAAB, SATURN 9-5, ASTRA, 9-3
Brand
SAAB
Manufacturer
General Motors LLC
Category
Vehicle — Air Bag
Hazard
Affected units
113,716

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 (3)

  • 9-5
  • ASTRA
  • 9-3

Distribution

Distributed nationwide across the United States.

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