Toronto, Ontario — General Motors announced Tuesday it will be cutting back on post-crash inspection requirements, but that the changes will in no way compromise driver safety.
The automaker announced the changes in a webinar with GM collision manager John Eck, who said that most post-crash inspections are actually unnecessary, except in “any collision that exceeds minor outer body panel cosmetic distortion.”
Eck says that the aim behind this change was to mitigate the “pretty invasive” steps that repairers are required to take on even the most minor procedures, such as removing a dash or measuring a steering column.
The only exception is that “every seat belt of every [GM] vehicle must be inspected every time, regardless of the [crash] severity level or what’s being done,” said Eck.
GM’s new documentation on inspections lists “unrelated components that could be subject to damage,” to help repairers more quickly diagnose problems without having to complete a full inspection.
The document applies to all GM vehicles, though it has been integrated into GM’s online repair procedures only for 2021 and 2022 models so far.
Repair information for older GM models can be found on GM’s website.
