Tag Archives: airbag warning

Airbag Warning Light May Not Illuminate In GM Vehicles

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General Motors has decided that a defect relating to vehicle safety exists in certain 2021 model year Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet and GMC vehicles.

In April 2021, a Problem Resolution and Tracking System (PRTS) issue was opened following validation testing for a future model year vehicles, where it was noted some conditions in which loss of communication with the sensing diagnostic module (SDM) did not illuminate the airbag malfunction indicator lamp. GM opened an investigation in May 2021. A review of field data showed 19 warranty claims possibly linked to this condition.

According to the defect report, a software problem exists in some of these vehicles which would cause a SDM communications fault to illuminate the airbag malfunction indicator lamp, but only on alternating ignition cycles. As a result, an SDM communications fault would not consistently illuminate the airbag light on every ignition cycle to indicate a problem to the driver.

A driver might not be warned of an SDM loss of communication fault which might indicate a problem with airbag deployment. If airbags do not deploy appropriately in a crash, there is an increased risk of injury.

Description of the Cause : The Communications Gateway Module, also referred to as the serial data gateway module, software does not correctly store data indicating loss of communication with the SDM.

Vehicles Affected Include
2021 Buick Envision
2021 Cadillac CT4
2021 Cadillac CT5
2021 Cadillac Escalade
2021 Cadillac Escalade ESV
2021 Chevrolet Corvette
2021 Chevrolet Suburban
2021 Chevrolet Tahoe
2021 GMC Yukon
2021 GMC Yukon XL

GM dealers will correct the problem by updating the software for the communications gateway module. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed in July 2021. GM’s number for this recall is N212338110 and the NHTSA campaign number is 21V-421.

2016 Ram 1500 Lemon Vehicle Buyback

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Our client purchased a 2016 Ram 1500 and was quite excited.

He had to bring in the vehicle fairly soon after purchasing as the airbag light kept coming on. It first happened at 90 miles, then 93 miles and then at 136 miles. He made a video of the light coming on to show the Ram Dealership. There was also a wind noise coming from the top of the driver door. You could hear this noise more on acceleration. The date of this visit was June 6, 2016.

The next visit was on June 22nd as he was still having the wind noise coming from the top of the driver door. There was also a problem with the center console lid not latching. They also did a software update on the PCM.

Our client was back at the dealership on August 3rd. At that time the driver’s seat would not move backwards all the way. He was also hearing a whistle in the weatherstripping on the driver’s door.

September 12th he was back in due to the air bag message coming on. The check engine light came on the touch screen and the air conditioning turned off. He is disappointed as the vehicle never gets over 23 MPG.

The next visit was on November 20th because while driving the throttle control light came on and the check engine light, too. He could not go over 30 MPH.

The air bag light coming on intermittently is the reason he drove the vehicle to the authorized dealership on January 24, 2018.

It was at the point that he called the Law Office of Barry L. Edzant, a California Lemon Law Attorney with over 30 years experience. During the free consultation, Barry, requested that some documents be emailed to him so he could review them. Soon thereafter our client signed up with our firm. A letter was send to FCA, USA demanding they buy back the vehicle under the California Lemon Law.

FCA, USA agreed to buy back the 2016 Ram 1500. They reimbursed our client for their down payment, all monthly payments, their registration, the payoff on the vehicle minus a mileage deduction allowed under the Lemon Law. FCA, USA also paid the attorney fees.

Our client was very pleased with the outcome.

If you are having problems with your vehicle and think you may be driving a lemon, please call our office at
888-395-3666.

2021 Cadillac Escalade Dim Seatbelt And Airbag Warning Lights

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Some 2021 Cadillac Escalade and Escalade ESV vehicles may fail to comply to the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS) for controls and displays of the occupant crash protection system.

According to the defect report, the front passenger seat belt and airbag status lights on the overhead console could be unknowingly set to night mode, making them not visible to vehicle occupants.  The body control module (BCM) software in these vehicles may inadvertently set the “night mode” in the daytime when the remote start is used or when the vehicle is turned off and re-started without opening the door for ten minutes.  If night mode is active during the daytime the driver and front passenger may not notice the warning that the seat belt is unbuckled or that the airbag is deactivated.  This problem can increase the risk of injury during a crash.

General Motors will be notifying owners of affected vehicles beginning in February.  Dealers will correct the problem by updating the BCM software.  GM’s number for this recall is N202319980 and the NHTSA campaign number is 20V-790.

2018 GMC Terrain Airbag Warning

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General Motors have announced that a defect affecting vehicles safety exists in certain 2018 GMC Terrain vehicles, and they will be asking owners to return to their dealerships to have the problem repaired.

According to the defect report, the sensing diagnostic module (SDM) used to deploy the airbags during a crash, may not power down correctly when the vehicle is powered off. If this happens, the SDM could become inoperative, and when the vehicle is started the airbags may not deploy in the event of a crash. Drivers will be alerted of a problem through an illuminated airbag warning lamp, a “service restraint system” message in the main display and an audible warning chime will sound.

GM will notify owners, and dealers will reprogram the SDM with updated software. Owners may contact GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782. GM’s number for this recall is 18179 and the NHTSA campaign number is 18V-340.