NHTSA could expand GM air bag recall

An air bag recalled issued by General Motors earlier this year might not have fully addressed a safety hazard, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration announced on Tuesday.

In January, GM recalled nearly 3,900 units of its Chevrolet Cruze, Sonic and Camaro models, as well as the Buick Verano for an air bag fault. At the time GM said the problem was caused by an electrical short that prevented the driver's side air bag from deploying in a crash, but the NHTSA says there could be other factors in play.

According to the Detroit Free Press, the NHTSA is now probing about 400,000 Cruze, Sonic, Camaro and Verano models from the 2012 model year for air bags that don't properly inflate. The NHTSA hasn't announced the focus of its investigation, but the vehicles' electronics – and not necessarily the connections – are likely one of the suspected culprits.

The NHTSA says it has not received any complaints of injuries or crashes linked to the potential defect.

The investigation is just that for the the being, but it could eventually lead to a more wide-spread recall.