General Motors said Wednesday it ordered its dealers to stop selling 2013 and 2014 Chevrolet Cruze sedans over a potential airbag defect, and a recall is likely to follow, according to several company sources. The announcement comes just days after Nissan, Honda and Mazda were forced to recall 3 million vehicles worldwide due to airbag problems. Toyota had to expand an airbag recall of its own earlier this month. GM spokesman Jim Cain confirmed the stop sale and said the maker estimates about 33,000 vehicles are involved. GM said late Wednesday that Chevrolet dealers will be able to start selling "most Cruzes" again on Thursday, outside the 33,000 with the potentially faulty part. According to company insiders, the issue centers around a manufacturing defect: the airbags use an incorrect part that could impact its performance. GM has recalled about 17.7 million vehicles in the U.S. this year. In late March the maker stopped sales of the Cruze while it determined the extent of a problem with front-wheel-drive half-shafts. It followed with a recall days later.
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-Paul A. Eisenstein, The Detroit Bureau, and Reuters
