GM Recalls 668,000 Crossovers For Possibly Defective Child Seat Anchors

Photo: Chevrolet

General Motors is recalling more than 668,000 compact crossovers in the U.S. and Canada that were assembled with possibly defective child seat anchors, which may not conform to Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards. The recall affects some models of the 2020-2023 Chevrolet Equinox and GMC Terrain, though most of the crossovers included in the recall are Chevy Equinoxes.

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NHTSA records indicate that 454,722 Chevrolet Equinox models are affected, as well as 213,465 GMC Terrrain models, all within the 2020-2023 model years. According to NHTSA, the affected models do not conform to FMVSS 225, which has to do with “child restraint anchorage systems.” The anchorage bars of one or more of the four rear seats in these models could prevent the proper installation of child seats using the vehicles’ LATCH anchor bars, which to stands for “lower anchors and tethers for children,” per Automotive News.

The GM supplier Amvian Mexico used a coating provider for the anchor bars that didn’t properly monitor the variation of the powder coat applied, resulting in bars with diameters of 6.34 and 6.41 millimeters. That runs afoul of FMVSS regulations which require the anchor bars to have a diameter of no more than 6 mm, plus or minus 0.1 mm.

Anything over that could prevent the secure installation of a child seat, leaving the child seat unsecured and, thereby, increase the risk of injury in a crash. GM says it’s not aware of any warranty claims nor injuries and accidents that trace back to this specific issue.

But GM has voluntarily issued the recall for noncompliance after investigating and confirming that some Equinox and Terrain models were assembled with the out-of-spec anchor bars. In the meantime, owners should install child seats by using rear seat belts rather than the LATCH anchorage bars.

GM Dealers were notified of the recall on May 11, but GM will begin notifying owners on June 26. Owners of the affected models will be instructed to bring their Equinoxes and Terrains to dealers, who will inspect the anchor bars. If necessary, dealers will remove and replace the finish on the rear seat lower child seat LATCH bars so that they comply with FMVSS 225. Recall notices for owners are still about a month away, but owners can track this latest GM recall via NHTSA’s SaferCar app.