NHTSA ends probe involving 1.3 million GM vehicles

Following a four-year investigation involving approximately 1.3 million vehicles, NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation is ending its probe into a slate of General Motors vehicles. The office looked at the failure of flexible steel seat belt anchor cables in the front seats of multiple vehicle models at risk of detaching and increasing the potential for injury.

The investigation covered the 2009-2014 GMC Acadia, Buick Enclave, Chevrolet Traverse, and 2009-2010 Saturn Outlook SUVs.

This issue dates back to May 2014, when a recall of vehicles across these models was conducted because of concerns that the seat belt cables could weaken and separate over time with use.

GM's remedy involved inspecting for signs of damage and replacing cables as needed. However, NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation received four reports from owners that the anchor cable separated without warning after the repairs.

The NHTSA investigation looked at whether GM's recall fix was effective and reviewed complaints and warranty data. It found that most seat belt cable failures happened when vehicles were parked, with consumers often noticing the problem when they got into the car, buckled up or checked the vehicle. However, the actual failure rate was low, at 0.141 incidents per thousand vehicles, and mostly involved the driver-side cable rather than the front passenger cable.

"The safety of our customers is the highest priority for the entire GM team. GM supports NHTSA's decision to close this investigation and will continue to work collaboratively with the agency," a GM spokesperson said.

The ODI is still receiving occasional complaints about cable failures in these and other GM models that were also previously recalled for this issue, according to documents filed with NHTSA.

There have been no reported crashes, injuries, or fatalities related to this investigation.