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New Takata problem results in recall of 414 GM vehicles

An airbag-inflator rupture discovered by Takata during testing has resulted in a new recall affecting 414 vehicles from General Motors, including 395 of them in the US. This latest campaign covers 2015 model-year examples of the Buick LaCrosse, Cadillac XTS, Chevrolet Camaro, Equinox, Malibu, and GMC Terrain. There are no reported breaks in any of these vehicles on the road, and the company estimates only one percent of them actually have the faulty parts. According to documents submitted to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (as a PDF), one side-airbag inflator failed a cold test at -40 Fahrenheit "releasing high pressure gas and propelling the separated components apart." The supplier told GM about the failure the next day. In these vehicles, the safety device might not only burst but the bag could inflate incorrectly, as well. GM and Takata say that a cause is not yet known, but they are "conducting an investigation." GM will begin notifying affected owners via overnight mail on Oct. 19. Dealers will replace the side airbag modules on all of the affected vehicles with new components outside of the suspect lot. All of the removed parts will also be collected for further study. Takata's faulty front airbag inflators have resulted in a serious scandal for the supplier. Initial figures indicated 34 million US vehicles are need of repair, though more recent figures have knocked that down to 23.4 million bad parts in 19.2 million automobiles. GM was already among the dozen automakers with models to fix, and some of its pickups were affected, along with the Saab 9-2X and Pontiac Vibe. GM Statement: General Motors is recalling 395 cars and crossovers in the U.S. because one of the front seat side air bags inflators may be defective. In the event of a deployment, the air bag's inflator may rupture and the air bag may not properly inflate. The rupture could cause metal fragments to strike the vehicle occupants, potentially resulting in serious injury or death. GM is unaware of any incidents involving vehicles with these components, which were part of a lot in which one inflator failed acceptance testing at the supplier. Dealers will replace the side air bag module or modules in affected vehicles. Including Canada, Mexico and exports, the total population of the recall is 414, GM estimates 1 percent of the recalled vehicles may have the defect.

Almost half of US Cadillac dealers say no to ELR plug-in hybrid

If you've got $75,995 (or so) burning a hole in your pocket and a hankering for the new Cadillac ELR, you'd better call your local dealer before you burn up shoe leather and gasoline to head down there. According to a report on Edmunds, only about 56 percent of the brand's 940 dealers have signed up to carry the premium plug-in hybrid. As much as we'd like to see the more affluent among us driving on electricity, we can certainly understand the dealers' apparent lack of enthusiasm. The article cites costs of up to $15,000 for tools and training to sell the ELR. Show floor real estate is another consideration for dealers who aren't enthusiastic about sacrificing space for a for a vehicle with initial sales – just 46 units nationwide in the first two months, but that volume is expected to increase – that are as mediocre as our first drive impressions. Still, for those locations that co-habitate with Chevrolet dealers who already participate in the Volt program, the extra expenditure shouldn't be too onerous. The two vehicles share the same basic electro-mechanical drivetrain, so those dealerships should have most of the needed infrastructure already in place. The bulk of ELR sales, according to Cadillac's global marketing director Jim Vurpillat, are expected to be in along the coasts, in places like California, Miami and New York. Featured Gallery 2015 Cadillac ELR: First Drive View 25 Photos News Source: Edmunds Green Cadillac Electric cadillac elr

GM invests $175 million to replace 3 Cadillac sedans with 2

We've already had confirmation that Cadillac is sunsetting the ATS compact sedan and strong hints that Caddy would discontinue the full-size XTS (pictured above) and midsize CTS, too. Now all three are confirmed, with GM saying it's investing $175 million to build two replacement sedans. GM has already begun installing new tooling at its Lansing Grand River assembly plant in Michigan. That will go toward building two new sedans, which reports suggest are likely to be called the Cadillac CT5 and CT4, or possibly the CT3. It's part of Cadillac's plan to introduce a new vehicle every six months by the end of 2021. A spokesman told the Associated Press that the new cars will debut within that time frame and that the changes won't affect staffing levels at the plant, which employs 2,000 people. Of the three, the XTS is expected to go away entirely, while the CT5 would replace the CTS, straddling the line between a compact and midsize four-door. The CT4 or CT3 would take the spot of the ATS and likely be smaller. That would leave the CT6 as the brand's largest sedan and leave Cadillac with three sedans starting with the 2019 model year. Meanwhile, Cadillac has only one model, its top-selling XT5, representing the all-important and red-hot luxury crossover segment. It's prepping a midsize XT4 crossover for sale later this year as a 2019 model. Cadillac's global sales rose 15.5 percent in 2017, thanks largely to growth in China, but sales in the U.S. fell 8 percent for the year to 156,440 vehicles. Sales of the ATS fell 39 percent, dropped 35 percent for the CTS and 27 for the XTS last year. Related Video: