GM To Recall Nearly 6M Trucks With Takata Air Bags

The U.S. is making General Motors recall and repair nearly 6 million pickup trucks and SUVs equipped with potentially dangerous Takata air bag inflators.

The decision announced Monday by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration will cost the automaker an estimated $1.2 billion, about one third of its net income this year.

GM had petitioned the agency four times starting in 2016 to avoid a recall, contending the air bag inflator canisters have been safe on the road and in testing. But owners responded by accusing the company of putting profits over safety.

Takata used volatile ammonium nitrate to create a small explosion to fill air bags in a crash. But the chemical can deteriorate when exposed to heat and humidity and explode with too much force, blowing apart a metal canister and spewing shrapnel.