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GM recalls select Chevy Cruze, Sonic and Buick Verano models over airbag issue

General Motors is recalling certain 2012 Buick Verano, Chevrolet Cruze and Sonic models due to a defect in the driver's airbag system. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the airbag has a shorting bar which may contact two internal terminals. If that happens during a crash, the supplemental restraint may not deploy, increasing the risk of driver injury. The recall includes a total of 2,949 units.
GM will contact owners and replace the steering wheel airbag coil at no cost. At this point, it's unclear when the recall will begin, though owners may contact the automaker at 1-800-521-7300 for more information. You may also take a closer look at the full NHTSA notice below.

Here are a few of our automotive guilty pleasures

It goes without saying, but I'll say it anyway. The world is full of cars, and just about as many of them are bad as are good. It's pretty easy to pick which fall into each category after giving them a thorough walkaround and, more important, driving them. But every once in a while, an automobile straddles the line somehow between good and bad — it may be hideously overpriced and therefore a marketplace failure, it may be stupid quick in a straight line but handles like a drunken noodle, or it may have an interior that looks like it was made of a mess of injection-molded Legos. Heck, maybe all three. Yet there's something special about some bad cars that actually makes them likable. The idea for this list came to me while I was browsing classified ads for cars within a few hundred miles of my house. I ran across a few oddballs and shared them with the rest of the team in our online chat room. It turns out several of us have a few automotive guilty pleasures that we're willing to admit to. We'll call a few of 'em out here. Feel free to share some of your own in the comments below. Dodge Neon SRT4 and Caliber SRT4: The Neon was a passably good and plucky little city car when it debuted for the 1995 model year. The Caliber, which replaced the aging Neon and sought to replace its friendly marketing campaign with something more sinister, was panned from the very outset for its cheap interior furnishings, but at least offered some decent utility with its hatchback shape. What the two little front-wheel-drive Dodge models have in common are their rip-roarin' SRT variants, each powered by turbocharged 2.4-liter four-cylinder engines. Known for their propensity to light up their front tires under hard acceleration, the duo were legitimately quick and fun to drive with a fantastic turbo whoosh that called to mind the early days of turbo technology. — Consumer Editor Jeremy Korzeniewski  Chevrolet HHR SS: Chevy's HHR SS came out early in my automotive journalism career, and I have fond memories of the press launch (and having dinner with Bob Lutz) that included plenty of tire-smoking hard launches and demonstrations of the manual transmission's no-lift shift feature. The 260-horsepower turbocharged four-cylinder was and still is a spunky little engine that makes the retro-inspired HHR a fun little hot rod that works quite well as a fun little daily driver.

Chevy Silverado Special Ops will go into limited production

Remember the Special Ops edition Silverado? Chevy showcased it as a show truck at SEMA last month. And now it's going into limited production, and proceeds will support the National Navy SEAL Museum. The special pickup was based on a Silverado 1500 in Z71 spec and done up with a special three-tone paint job inspired by the camouflage used on 20th-century warships. Known as Razzle Dazzle, the camo was designed to disguise a ship's form and movements from enemy vessels. Chevy also fitted the show truck with a sport bar, off-road LEDs, lower- and under-body reinforcement, and flared wheel arches packing special 20-inch wheels. Following its debut at SEMA, former GM chairman Dan Akerson (a US Naval Academy alum) and retired Navy SEAL Master Chief Rick Kaiser presented the concept truck at the 116th Army-Navy football game this past weekend. Chevy hasn't said just how many it will build and at what price, but production is slated to be "limited," going on sale in the spring. Related Video: Chevrolet Salutes Special Forces During Army-Navy Game 2015-12-10 - Special Operations Silverado will support National Navy SEAL Museum - Partners with the USX Mt. Everest Team to raise Post Traumatic Stress Disorder awareness - GM Military Discount expands to include all veterans PHILADELPHIA – For the sixth consecutive year, Chevrolet is the official vehicle sponsor of Saturday's Army-Navy Game. During the game, Chevrolet will honor military service men and women, particularly its special forces. Former General Motors Chairman and CEO Dan Akerson, a U.S. Naval Academy graduate, will join retired U.S. Navy SEAL Master Chief Rick Kaiser, executive director of the National Navy SEAL Museum, to salute the special forces during the presentation of a Chevy Silverado Special Ops Concept vehicle at the game. The limited production version is expected to go on sale next spring. Chevrolet will donate a portion of the proceeds from each Special Operations Silverado sold to benefit the Navy SEAL Museum. "The partnership will also help us aid the families of fallen, injured and active duty Navy SEALs through the efforts of our Trident House and scholarship programs," said Kaiser. Founded in 1985, the museum honors the service and legacy of the U.S. Navy SEALs. Located in Ft. Pierce, Fla., the museum and memorial are recognized as the birthplace of the Navy SEALs.