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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.

Combative de Nysschen defends Cadillac move, naming change

Johan de Nysschen isn't afraid of taking quick, decisive actions, even if they are criticized. Since taking the wheel at Cadillac, he instigated moving the luxury division's base of operations to Manhattan's SoHo neighborhood and introduced a new naming scheme for the future of the brand, like he did at Infiniti. The polarizing boss recently explained his feelings about the future of Cadillac in more depth on his Facebook page, but unfortunately only his friends could read it. Thankfully, Daily Kanban posted much of the strongly worded missive for the whole world to see.
Much of the message examines the decision to move some employees to New York. De Nysschen claims that it's all about giving Cadillac distance from Detroit to reshape itself. It allows for, "No distractions. No side shows. No cross-brand corporate considerations. No homogenized lowest common denominator approach. Just pure, unadulterated, CLASS."

Cadillac ATS and CTS get blacked-out treatments

Some still think of gallons of chrome when Cadillac comes to mind, and some of the automaker's models still take the blinged-out approach (we're looking at you, Escalade). But for those whose impression of the America luxury marque's is about more than brightwork, Caddy has announced a new Black Chrome package. Available for the ATS coupe, ATS sedan, and CTS sedan, the optional package, as you might have guessed, applies dark chrome to the outside of the vehicle. On the ATS, that includes the front grilles (upper and lower) and rear trim, as well as body-colored door handles, gloss black window moldings, and dark-finish 18-inch alloys. Buyers can choose to apply the package to the Luxury or Premium trim, with the 2.0-liter turbo or 3.6-liter V6, in rear- or all-wheel drive, with four exterior paint choices, any interior available, and in two- or four-door bodystyles. The package goes for $795 on the sedan and $595 for the coupe. The package costs a little more for the CTS but includes a bit less trim, limited to the grille and those same 18-inch alloys. It can still be paired to the 2.0 turbo or 3.6-liter V6 in rear- or all-wheel drive, with three exterior tints and a limited selection of interior treatments. Pricing here starts at $1,295 with the Luxury trim, or $1,095 in either Performance or Premium spec. Those looking for a shinier treatment, however, need not apply. Related Video: Cadillac Introduces Black Chrome Package for ATS and CTS ENHANCES ENGAGING PERFORMANCE, STRIKING DESIGN 2016-03-14 Cadillac today introduced the Black Chrome Package for Cadillac ATS Sedan and Coupe and Cadillac CTS Sedan. The package further enhances the engaging performance and the striking design of the ATS, a Consumer Guide Best Buy for three years in a row, and the CTS, named one of Car and Driver's 10Best for three years in a row. The Black Chrome Package is available now to order at local Cadillac dealerships or through the Build Your Own tool on the Cadillac.com website. For additional information, customers can call Cadillac Customer Experience at 1-800-458-8006.