GM RECALL: 750,000 vehicles affected - ignition switch issues - deaths involved

[Acura604]

General Motors has recalled just over 750,000 compact cars in North America to fix a problem with the ignition switch.

The Detroit News reports 150,000 of those vehicles are in Canada.

The recall affects 2005 to 2007 Chevy Cobalt and Pontiac G5 models.

GM said there have been 22 crashes and six people have died because of the ignition problem, which could cause the engine to turn off or airbags to fail in the event of a crash.

Before owners are notified, GM is urging owners to remove non-essential items from their key rings.

Affected owners will be notified by mail.

[GS8]

That sucks.

Both models died a long time ago and it's too bad the recall is being sent out now

Feel bad for the 6 people who lost their lives in such a pointless way...

[dared3vil0]

I smell a massive lawsuit on behalf of six families...

[white rocket]

If GM has admitted to the deaths and their relation to the recall then I'm sure GM either knows what's coming or has already come up with a compensation offer.

Cavalier----->Cobalt----->Cruze = all the same shit
Sunfire------>Pursuit G5------->company defunked = still the same shit

[thumper]

GM recalling nearly 780,000 compact cars - CBS 5 - KPHO

GM recalling nearly 780,000 compact cars
Posted: Feb 13, 2014 10:12 AM PST
Updated: Feb 13, 2014 10:18 AM PST
By Associated Press
DETROIT, MI - General Motors is recalling almost 780,000 older-model compact cars in North America because a faulty ignition switch can shut off the engines without warning and cause crashes.

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The company says six people have died in 22 crashes linked to the problem in Chevrolet Cobalts from the 2005 through 2007 model years, and Pontiac G5s from 2007.

A heavy key ring or jarring from rough roads can move the ignition switch out of the run position, cutting off the engine and electrical power, GM said in statements and documents released Thursday by the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. If that happens, the air bags may not work if there's a crash.

GM says the six people were killed in five front-end crashes, all of which happened off-road and at high speeds. In each case, the ignition switch moved out of the run position, shutting off the engine and electrical power, spokesman Alan Adler said. That condition would cause the loss of equipment such as power steering assist and power-assisted brakes, he said.

Alcohol was involved in three of the fatalities, and in some cases people weren't wearing seat belts, Adler said.Dealers will replace the ignition switch for free, but the timing of the recall hasn't been finalized. Until the problem is fixed, GM is urging owners to remove nonessential items from key rings.

More than 619,000 of the cars in the recall were sold in the U.S., with another 153,000 in Canada and more than 6,000 in Mexico, according to the company. All but 33,000 of the cars to be recalled are Cobalts. The Pontiac G5 is nearly identical to the Cobalt.

off road? DUI? no seatbelts? WTF? my first thought was that these were a bunch of idiots hooning rental cars...

[duy-]

my first thought was, wow gm cars are that shitty? then after reading it, makes me think these cars are designed with AI to aid in the natural selection process. kudos gm, kudos

[Acura604]

Comment left by a user on CNN re: offroad crashes:


It doesn't indicate in the article if the drivers went "off road" intentionally or not. In an accident a vehicle that was on the road may be sent off the road suddenly and it may be at that point that the airbags fail due to the mechanical forces applied to the switch in the process. This could happen either very rapidly or instantaneously or not at all depending on the mechanical forces applied. Bear in mind this is a CNN article however. "some other jarring event" could actually mean a severe pothole for all we know.

[donjalapeno]

LOL just when GM was becoming somewhat financially stable.

[mb_]

I drove a Cobalt for a while and this happened to me once. I thought I accidentally bumped the key.
Posted via RS Mobile

[Acura604]

In addition to 778,000 Chevrolet Cobalts and Pontiac G5 cars recalled earlier this month, GM is also recalling Saturn Ions, Chevrolet HHRs, Pontiac Solstices and Saturn Sky models for the same issue.

GM says the ignition on the vehicles recalled can accidentally switch out of the "Run" position while the car is being driven. When that happens, the car's engine shuts off, rendering power brakes, power steering and airbags not operational.

Originally, GM said there had been six fatalities among front-seat passengers as a result of this problem. There have been 31 frontal crashes involving vehicles with the problem.

"Ensuring our customers' safety is our first order of business," said GM North America President Alan Batey. "We are deeply sorry and we are working to address this issue as quickly as we can."

GM has been accused of not responding quickly enough to resolve this problem. A Georgia attorney is suing GM on behalf of a woman who died in 2010 while driving a 2005 model year Cobalt. The attorney, Lance Cooper, has also petitioned the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to fine GM for not acting quickly enough once it knew of the problem.

The bear market for classic American cars

A GM engineer experienced the problem while test-driving one of the vehicles in 2004 according to deposition transcripts provided to CNNMoney by Cooper. GM's engineers concluded there was a problem with the ignition switch in 2005, the depositions showed.

Under current law, automakers are required to report safety defects to the NHTSA within five days of discovering them. Failure to do so carries a maximum fine of $35 million. Last year, Ford had to pay the maximum fine, at the time, of $17.4 million for failing to promptly recall Ford Escape SUVs with gas pedals that could become stuck. The fine was increased to the maximum in October of 2013. Toyota has also had to pay large fines for failing to promptly report safety issues.

In a chronology of events recently filed with NHTSA, GM indicates that its engineers did not originally think the problem was safety related because steering and brakes, albeit without power assistance, would still work with the engine off. Also, the engine could be restarted after shifting the car to Neutral or Park.

It was also not immediately clear why the airbags did not deploy in many crashes, according to the document.

"The chronology shows that the process employed to examine this phenomenon was not as robust as it should have been," said GM's Batey. "Today's GM is committed to doing business differently and better. We will take an unflinching look at what happened and apply lessons learned here to improve going forward."

GM will notify owners of vehicles involved in the recall to bring their vehicles to a dealer, which will replace the ignition switch at no charge.

In the meantime, GM is advising owners to avoid having anything other than the car keys hanging on their key chain. The added weight of additional objects can make it more likely the key will turn accidentally.


http://money.cnn.com/2014/02/25/autos/gm-ignition-recall-expanded/index.html?hpt=hp_t2

[Acura604]

(Reuters) - U.S. safety regulators have opened an investigation into whether General Motors Co reacted fast enough in its recall of more than 1.6 million cars over an ignition-switch defect linked to 13 deaths in crashes.

"The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has opened an investigation into the timeliness of General Motors' recall of faulty ignition switches to determine whether GM properly followed the legal processes and requirements for reporting recalls," the safety agency said in a statement released on Wednesday.

GM could face a maximum fine of $35 million if it failed to notify NHTSA within five days of a recall after learning of a vehicle safety defect.

The recall was to correct a condition that may allow the engine and other components including front airbags to be unintentionally turned off.

The Detroit company previously said the weight on the key ring, road conditions or some other jarring event may cause the ignition switch to move out of the "run" position, turning off the engine and most of the car's electrical components.

NHTSA urged owners to follow GM's recommendation to "use only the ignition key with nothing else on the key ring" when operating the vehicle and seek the repair as soon as replacement parts become available. NHTSA said it will monitor the recall and take additional action as needed.

On Tuesday GM more than doubled its recall related to the issue, saying it was "deeply sorry" and that the company was reviewing its recall process, acknowledging it was not as "robust as it should have been.

GM said then that it was aware of 31 reported incidents, including 13 front-seat fatalities, involving frontal crashes in which the condition may have caused or contributed to the front airbags not deploying.

Earlier this month, GM said it was recalling 778,562 Chevrolet Cobalt and Pontiac G5 compact cars from model years 2005 through 2007. On Tuesday, it added 842,103 Saturn Ion compact cars from 2003 through 2007 model years, Chevy HHR mid-sized vehicles from 2006 and 2007, and the Pontiac Solstice and Saturn Sky sports cars from 2006 and 2007.

GM no longer makes any of the affected cars.

It previously said it is working with suppliers to increase production of replacement parts and accelerate the process. Dealers will replace the ignition switch at no charge.

GM said the ignition switch torque performance may not meet company specifications. The involved parts were made in Mexico, according to documents previously filed with the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

Of the cars recalled, 1,367,146 vehicles are in the United States, 235,855 are in Canada, 15,073 are in Mexico and 2,591 were exported outside North America, according to GM.

[spoon.ek9]

who the fuck still doesn't wear seatbelts these days.....??? come the fuck on..