California Lemon Law News + Info

Chrysler and General Motors Hit With Airbag Class Action Lawsuit

A class action lawsuit alleges that some General Motors and Fiat Chrysler vehicles are equipped with side curtain airbag inflators that could rupture.

The lawsuit was filed against Fiat Chrysler, General Motors and Key Safety Systems, now known as Joyson. Joyson is an airbag manufacturer that is allegedly responsible for making the defective airbags.

The faulty airbags were installed in the following vehicle models:
A red SUV has a side airbag that inflated on the driver's side. A class action lawsuit alleges that side curtain airbag inflators that could rupture in many 2015-2020 Chevy and GMC vehicles.

  • 2015–2016 GMC Sierra 1500
  • 2015 GMC Sierra 2500
  • 2015 GMC Sierra 3500
  • 2015–2016 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
  • 2015–2016 Chevrolet Silverado 2500
  • 2015–2016 Chevrolet Silverado 3500
  • 2015–2019 Ram 1500
  • 2015–2020 Ram 2500
  • 2015–2020 Ram 3500
  • 2019–2020 Ram 1500 Classic

Glenn Sager, owner of a 2016 Chevrolet Silverado, and Thomas Harries, owner of a 2015 GMC Sierra, both allege that the defective airbags decreased the value of their trucks. According to the lawsuit, the automakers were slow to issue recalls, did not adequately investigate the airbag problems, and continued to hide the airbag defects from consumers.

General Motors issued recalls of affected vehicles in November 2020 and July 2021. Fiat Chrysler issued a recall of affected vehicles last month. According to these recalls, moisture may have entered the inflators during production, later causing corrosion inside the inflators. As a result, a ruptured inflator or a separated inflator end cap can allow compressed gas to escape, shooting inflator components throughout the vehicle.

The class action lawsuit alleges that the automakers should repair or replace the airbags, repurchase all affected vehicles and reimburse affected owners for associated expenses.


Lemon Law Help by Knight Law Group is an automotive lemon law firm that exclusively practices in California. If you are a California resident who purchased or leased a defective vehicle from a licensed dealership in California, we may be able to help you get rid of your potential lemon and recover significant cash compensation. Model year restrictions apply: 2020–Present vehicle models only.

However, we cannot help those who reside outside of California or purchased their vehicle outside of California unless they are active duty members of the Armed Forces, nor will we be able to refer those to a lemon law firm in their states.

To learn more about the California Lemon Law and your legal rights, visit our guide on the California Lemon Law for more information.

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