DETROIT – General Motors is recalling about 47,000 Chevrolet Caprices and Pontiac G8s to fix seat belts.
Most of the Caprices – the recall involves model years 2011 through 2013 – were sold as police vehicles. The G8s being recalled are from model years 2008 and 2009.
According to documents GM filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, flexible steel cables that connect seat belts to the vehicle at the outside of the driver seat may be bent from being sat on while entering the vehicle. Over time, repeated bending may result in breaking the cable.
If the cable breaks, the occupant may not be properly restrained in the event of a crash, increasing the risk of injury.
GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the seat belt tensioner assembly, which includes the steel cable, free of charge. These replacement parts reposition the tensioner cable out of the path of entry into the vehicle and use a more flexible cable, set at a more upright angle. The manufacturer has not yet provided a notification schedule. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020 or Pontiac customer service at 1-800-762-2737. GM’s number for this recall is 15206.
On April 2, 2015, GM reviewed warranty claims related to the problem for Caprice and G8 vehicles. On May 19, an additional related G8 warranty claim was received.
Additional related warranty claims were found later in May and the automaker decided to conduct a recall.
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