07:25 AM EST, 12/19/2024 (MT Newswires) -- General Motors ( GM ) and other automakers such as Ford Motor ( F ) and Toyota Motor ( TM ) were trading slightly higher pre-bell Thursday amid reports that the US motor vehicle safety regulator held back on its recall of airbag inflators in US vehicles.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration will not seek an immediate recall of airbag inflators installed in about 50 million US vehicles and will instead prolong its investigation of their potential safety risks, news outlets reported Wednesday, citing a statement by the regulator.

The alleged flaw may cause a rupture that sends metal fragments flying, which may have caused at least one fatality and seven injuries in the US, Reuters reported.

Carmakers have opposed any recall over the airbags, the reports said.

The NHTSA, General Motors ( GM ), Ford, and Toyota ( TM ) did not immediately reply to MT Newswires' requests for comment.

General Motors ( GM ) added 0.5% in recent pre-bell trading, while Ford was up 0.9% and Toyota ( TM ) gained 0.4%.