NHTSA Closes Probe into GM's Seat Belt Recall: No New Actions Required

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has concluded its investigation into General Motors' 2014 recall of over 1.3 million vehicles due to seat belt issues. The decision cited GM's expanded coverage, zero reported incidents, and the minimal occurrence of the issue as reasons for not pursuing further actions.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) announced on Wednesday the closure of its engineering analysis into General Motors' previous recall involving over 1.3 million U.S. vehicles for seat belt concerns. This probe, which began in 2019, focused on GM's 2014 recall due to detachment risks of the steel seat belt anchor cable in specific SUV models.

The investigation's scope included 2009–2014 GMC Acadia, Buick Enclave, and Chevrolet Traverse SUVs, among other types. NHTSA cited GM's proactive decision in 2019 to extend special coverage for all affected vehicles—allowing component replacement for up to 12 years or 180,000 miles from initial sale—in its decision to close the probe without initiating a new recall.

The agency emphasized the absence of reported crashes, injuries, or fatalities linked to the issue and highlighted the high detectability and low occurrence rate of the seat belt failure as significant factors in their determination.

(With inputs from agencies.)