Of all the serious problems car owners and lessees face with their vehicles across-the-board, one thing that really rattles the cages of parents and grandparents is hearing of an auto recall that could impact child car seat safety.

General motor defects attorneys have learned that the automaker is recalling almost 16,000 2018- 2019 sedans, plug-in hybrids, and SUVs because “a faulty seatbelts component could prevent a child car seat from being properly installed”. Specifically, the recall involves the “automatic locking retractor” which is responsible for locking the seatbelt so a car seat doesn’t move. Obviously, if a car seat moves in a crash situation, the risk of injury to the child may increase.

Reportedly, “only certain seating positions are affected” so owners may be able to avoid the problems by installing their car seats in a different, non-affected sitting position. According to an auto safety engineer at the Consumer Reports Auto Tech Center, using the lower LATCH anchors to install the car seat in cases where the combined weight of the child and car seat is under 65 pounds is an option, but in cases over 65 pounds the safest option is to use a different vehicle.

Affected vehicles reportedly include Cadillac CT6, Chevrolet Volt, Chevrolet Suburban SUV, GMC Yukon XL SUV, and Cadillac Escalade ESV SUV.

While affected owners and lessees should bring their vehicles to the dealership for inspection and replacement of the rear seatbelt retractors, these are reportedly the details regarding the affected seating positions:

the third-row center position may be faulty in all of the above-noted SUVs
the rear-seat out board positions may be faulty in the Chevrolet Volt plug-in hybrid sedans
the rear-seat center position may be faulty in the Cadillac CT6 sedans

The best and safest option is to contact the dealer immediately for the free fixes as it’s not yet known when official notification of the recall will be sent. GM is reportedly offering “courtesy transportation for owners of recall vehicles.”

If you have questions regarding an auto recall, a breach of warranty, or feel you may be driving a lemon because your relatively-new vehicle is constantly in the shop for the same stubborn repair, Timothy Abeel & Associates can help you. Depending on the nature of the problem, you may be entitled to receive a full refund of your down payment, trade-in, monthly payments and taxes, or a brand-new car or a cash settlement. Call today for a free consultation.

Timothy Abeel & Associates is a national law firm that handles lemon law claims across the country. Reviews can be seen on AVVO, Google, Glen Mills Yelp, Roseland Yelp, & Pittsburgh Yelp.