GM to recall 6M trucks in the US

General Motors is recalling 5.9 million vehicles in the US, part of a total 7 million being recalled worldwide, after losing an appeal of a government-ordered callback related to a massive safety issue affecting more than 60 million air bags in cars and trucks made by nearly every major automaker.

"Based on this information and information provided to the petition's public docket, NHTSA concluded that the GM inflators in question are at risk of the same type of explosion after long-term exposure to high heat and humidity as other recalled Takata inflators", the agency said in a statement.

GM has estimated in securities filings it would cost $1.2 billion if it were required to replace air bag inflators it had sought to avoid fixing.

The company had argued the recalls were unnecessary because they did not pose a safety risk. Nonetheless, the company will abide by the NHTSA's decision and said "The safety and trust of those who drive our vehicles is at the forefront of everything we do at General Motors". The automaker is also recalling about one million more vehicles worldwide as part of efforts to address the issue. The company has already ordered 1.6 million replacement inflators according to the spokesperson.

The GM recall covers The Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra 1500, 25000 and 3500 models; Chevrolet Tahoe; Chevrolet Suburban; Chevrolet Avalanche; GMC Yukon and Cadillac Escalade.

So far, inflator issues in Takata air bags have led to 27 being killed worldwide, with 18 of those deaths happening in the U.S.

To date, 15 USA deaths have been reported in Honda vehicles, two in Ford Motor Co vehicles and one in a BMW since 2009.

Drivers can check to see if their vehicles have been recalled by going to https://www.nhtsa.gov/recalls and typing in their 17-digit vehicle identification number.