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NHTSA may greatly expand GM airbag recall

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is pondering whether to dramatically upscale a pair of airbag recalls on General Motors vehicles. The two existing campaigns, one launched in the fall of 2012 and the other in January of this year covered just 6,845 vehicles, but the government agency is considering whether to boost the recall to around 400,000 units.
The existing recalls involve the the closely related 2012 Buick Verano (shown) and Chevrolet Cruze sedans, along with Sonic and Camaro models. The root of the problem is a shorting bar in the inflator module of the steering-wheel-mounted airbag that may contact the primary state airbag terminal, a condition that could prevent deployment in an accident. Dealer technicians have been replacing the steering wheel airbag coils to fix the issue.
According to a post on NHTSA's website, the root cause, said to be a production issue, may not have been completely isolated - particularly for the second recall, which was for the Camaro. According to Automotive News, GM says it is cooperating with the government investigation, but won't say whether or not it knows the true origin of the problem.

A Buick Regal wagon is coming to America

The signs have all been pointing to the US getting a Buick version of the gorgeous Opel Insignia wagon, and we now have the most concrete evidence yet that the rumors were true. Our spy photographer caught one of the wagons out testing, and it features a number of styling cues that indicate this one is coming to America. The most obvious change is the grille. While the overall shape remains the same, the look of the grille itself is altered. The geometric slats of the Opel- and Holden-badged versions have been exchanged for Buick's trademark waterfall bars. The badge itself is significantly larger, too. Aside from that, a close look reveals subtle changes along the lower edge of the car. The fenders seem to be slightly flared. They're complemented by sideskirts that are rounder and chunkier than that of the normal Insignia wagon. These styling touches also suggest that this Buick variant will take on the psuedo-crossover aesthetic with black plastic body cladding. If this is the case, the Buick Regal wagon could be the high-riding, plastic-clad Regal TourX that's been rumored. We know that General Motors trademarked the TourX name a while back, and Buick wants more crossovers or crossover-esque vehicles since they make up the majority of the brand's sales. It would also be an excellent option to established models such as the Audi A4 Allroad, Volvo V60 Cross Country, and Subaru Outback. Considering the fact that we've seen the Opel Insignia and Holden Commodore revealed already, we expect the Buick versions to be fully revealed sometime this year. Related Video:

GM cutting Chevy Sonic, Buick Verano production by more than 20%

General Motors' Orion Assembly plant in Michigan is seeing even more production cuts this year to further reduce inventories of the Chevrolet Sonic and Buick Verano. These latest adjustments mean layoffs for about 100 workers in phases starting in July. "GM Orion Assembly will adjust plant production capacity to better align with market demand," the company said in a statement announcing the change. Through May, sales of the Sonic are down 28.5 percent to 29,082 vehicles, and the Verano is off 15.6 percent, with 15,279 sold this year. According to unnamed plant insiders speaking to Automotive News, the assembly rate is slowing at Orion Assembly from the current 33 cars an hour down to 26 an hour, a 21-percent reduction. GM is also reportedly going to keep the plant idle for three weeks during the normal summer shutdown, rather than the usual two. Earlier in the year, the factory was idled for two weeks due to excess supply of the Sonic and Verano. In March, it was closed again for several days for the same reason. The Orion Assembly plant is the future home to the line for the Chevy Bolt EV. GM Statement: GM Orion Assembly will adjust plant production capacity to better align with market demand. A phased layoff of approximately 100 employees will begin in July 2015 and conclude by year-end. Related Video: News Source: Automotive News - sub. req.Image Credit: Bill Pugliano / Getty Images Plants/Manufacturing Buick Chevrolet GM Hatchback Sedan buick verano orion assembly