GM denied request to avoid bright light recall

General Motors may now be required to recall nearly 727,000 small SUVs that have headlights that are too bright.

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The automaker had petitioned the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to avoid a recall, saying that the lights did not affect the safety of other vehicles, The Associated Press reported.

The NHTSA denied the request, leaving GM to decide what steps to take next, despite claiming the lights meet recognized industry standards.

There had been a single report that the headlines from some GMC Terrain SUVs shined into trees, the AP reported.

In the petition and subsequent denial, GM reported no known crashes or injuries attributed to the issue, according to documents on the Federal Register.

The NHTSA found that part of the light beam was three times brighter than allowed, and that it could cause glare or distract other drivers.

According to documents uploaded to the Federal Register, the issue has been corrected for service parts and the lights, as well as replacement headlights, have been redesigned to prevent the issue.

The AP reported it is likely that GM will have to recall the SUVs from model years 2010 through 2017.

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