— General Motors is recalling 308,000 Chevrolet Impalas in the U.S. and Canada with airbags that may fail in a crash. The 2009-2010 Chevrolet Impala cars could suffer from blown fuses and lose function of all the airbags.
GM opened an investigation into the problem in March 2016 after an employee noticed issues related to cluster gauges and "passenger presence sensor" modules. The automaker learned that years ago it experienced the same problems caused by damaged wires on Impalas.
To fix the problem, engineers used a special tape on the wires of the module under the passenger seat to protect the wires from rubbing against anything. The tape process was put into production in February 2010 but six years later owners of Impala cars built before 2010 were still complaining about problems.
GM's electrical team determined in April 2016 that wires could chafe and cause the airbag fuse to short-circuit and lose power, causing all the airbags to fail. A review of warranty claims indicate warranty claims dropped drastically after the special tape was applied to the wires.
The recalled Chevy Impalas were built from April 25, 2008, to February 16, 2010.
GM says it's possible minor damage to the wires may not cause all the airbags to fail, but even a small amount of damage could cause the passenger-side airbag to fail.
The automaker doesn't know when the Impala recall will begin, but dealers will wrap the wires with anti-abrasion tape and replace any damaged wires.
Owners of 2009-2010 Chevy Impala cars can always contact Chevrolet customer service at 800-521-7300 and give them recall number 36110.
CarComplaints.com has complaints about the 2009 Chevrolet Impala, 2010 Chevrolet Impala and other model years of Chevy Impalas.
