GM Recalls Cadillac Lyriq EV for Improperly Welded Seat Belt Bracket

Documents filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reveal that Yanfeng Seating Mexico S.A. de C.V., namely the supplier of the rear seat cushion assembly, is responsible for this manufacturing defect. The aforementioned assembly bears part number 86797328 in GM's parts system.

General Motors became aware of said condition back on September 25 after a GM engineer submitted a report through the Speak Up For Safety program. SUFS was created in April 2014 as a result of the ill-famed ignition switch recall. As a brief refresher, one of the deadliest safety recalls in automotive history killed a total of 124 people and injured 275 others.

Said engineer was performing a routine test for a future product that uses the same rear seat frame as the Lyriq, that future product likely being the Optiq. During said test, the rear seat belt bracket separated from the frame, thus prompting General Motors to take the engineer's report with utmost seriousness.

The Detroit-based automaker eventually determined that suspect frames were manufactured by Yanfeng Seating Mexico S.A. de C.V. during a single shift on January 27. Computer-aided engineering analysis revealed that frames with improper welds don't perform as intended under certain load conditions, meaning that the risk of injury is greater than normal in the event of a crash. GM underlines that the suspect bracket anchors the left- and center-rear seat belts.

Not surprising in the least, affected owners are urged not to use the left- and center-rear seats until the remedy is performed by an authorized retailer. Dealers nationwide have already been instructed to replace the rear seat cushion frame at no charge whatsoever to affected owners. Containment efforts were initiated on September 26 at the Spring Hill vehicle assembly plant in Tennessee and at the supplier's facility. Said efforts paid dividends in terms of potentially affected vehicles (43 units of the Lyriq in the US market).

Manufactured for the 2023 and 2024 model years between March 14 and July 22, said vehicles weren't produced in sequential order. GM hasn't provided a list of potentially affected VINs, but on the upside, owners can determine whether their electric crossovers are recalled or not by running the vehicle identification number on the NHTSA's web portal.

Recall notifications will be mailed no later than January 8. So, how did the supplier mess up the rear seat cushion assembly? According to documents filed with the federal watchdog, the bracket may not have been properly aligned during the welding process.

GM delivered no fewer than 674,336 vehicles in the third quarter of 2023, of which the Lyriq accounted for 10,700 vehicles. Between January and September, the XT5-sized crossover moved a grand total of 31,483 examples in the US market. At press time, prices kick off at $58,590 (excluding the destination freight charge and federal tax credit).