GM recalls 2011 Cadillac SRXs for airbag fix

General Motors is recalling 50,500 copies of the 2011 Cadillac SRX crossover because the front-passenger airbag does not work as outlined in the owner's manual.

The recall affects 47,401 vehicles in the United States, with the remainder in Canada and Mexico. GM said there are no reports of crashes or injuries related to the issue.

The recall covers SRXs in North America only because that is where the automatic occupant-sensing system is used. Export models use a key to disable the passenger-side airbag.

GM said the SRX is programmed to turn off the passenger-side, roof-rail airbag when it detects an occupant in the front passenger seat. But the owner's manual says that airbag will deploy whether or not the seat is occupied.

The mismatch violates federal safety standards. GM says dealers will reprogram the car's airbag control unit to remedy the problem.

Cadillac SRX sales have increased 18 percent through the first five months of 2011, to 22,249 units.

By Michelle Koueiter