Last night, General Motors announced that the ignition switch has been expanded to include an additional 824,000 vehicles. The vehicles include,
- 2008-2010 Chevrolet Cobalt
- 2008-2011 Chevrolet HHR
- 2008-2010 Pontiac G5
- 2008-2010 Pontiac Solstice
- 2008-2010 Saturn Sky
This brings the total number of vehicles involved in the recall to over 2.6 million vehicles. Like the previous recalls, GM is urging owners to remove all of their keys except the ignition key to prevent the switch from moving. GM said replacement parts will begin arriving at dealers starting on April 7th.
"We are taking no chances with safety. Trying to locate several thousand switches in a population of 2.2 million vehicles and distributed to thousands of retailers isn't practical. Out of an abundance of caution, we are recalling the rest of the model years," said GM CEO Mary Barra in a statement.
This isn't the only problem GM is going through at the moment. Reuters reports that repair shops can buy the ignition switch from Delphi involved in the recall. While the switches may not be defective thanks to a fix in 2007 which replaced the tenser spring, the only way to be sure is to either take it apart or check the manufacturing history. This is due to GM keeping the part number the same on the new part, a bit surprising to those who are in the know.
"When you make a change, you change the part number so everybody understands what happened," said a former GM executive to Reuters.
GM Spokesman Jim Cain said they company is looking into this matter.
"We are in the process of responding to the very questions you are asking, per our pledge to be fully cooperative with NHTSA," said Cain.
Source: General Motors, Reuters
William Maley is a staff writer for Cheers & Gears. He can be reached at [email protected]or you can follow him on twitter at @realmudmonster.
Press Release is on Page 2
GM Moves to Secure Recalled Ignition Switches
2014-03-28
- 824,000 models sold in the U.S. from 2008-2011 will get new ignition switch
- Parts return sought from aftermarket distributors
DETROIT – General Motors today said it will replace the ignition switch in all model years of its Chevrolet Cobalt, HHR, Pontiac G5, Solstice and Saturn Ion and Sky in the U.S. since faulty switches may have been used to repair the vehicles.
The parts are at the center of the company's recently announced ignition switch recall, which originally extended through the 2007 model year. About 95,000 faulty switches were sold to dealers and aftermarket wholesalers. Of those, about 90,000 were used to repair older vehicles that were repaired before they were recalled in February.
Because it is not feasible to track down all the parts, the company is taking the extraordinary step of recalling 824,000 more vehicles in the U.S. to ensure that every car has a current ignition switch. GM is unaware of any reports of fatalities with this group of vehicles where a frontal impact occurred, the front air bags did not deploy and the ignition is in the "accessory" or "off" position.
As with the earlier recalls, if the torque performance is not to GM specification, the ignition switch may unintentionally move from the "run" position to the "accessory" or "off" positions, leading to a loss of power. The risk may be increased if the key ring is carrying added weight or if the vehicle goes off road or experiences some jarring event. The timing of the key movement out of the "run" position relative to when the sensing algorithm of a crash may result in the air bags not deploying, increasing the potential for occupant injury in certain kinds of crashes.
Until the recall has been performed, customers are urged to remove all items, including the key fob, from their key rings, leaving only the vehicle key.
"We are taking no chances with safety," said GM CEO Mary Barra. "Trying to locate several thousand switches in a population of 2.2 million vehicles and distributed to thousands of retailers isn't practical. Out of an abundance of caution, we are recalling the rest of the model years.
"We are going to provide our customers with the peace of mind they deserve and expect by getting the new switches into all the vehicles," Barra said.
GM records indicate the service parts may have been used for ignition repairs in:
2008-2010 Chevrolet Cobalts
2008-2011 Chevrolet HHRs
2008-2010 Pontiac Solstice
2008-2010 Pontiac G5 and
2008-2010 Saturn Sky
Owners who may have had a suspect part installed will receive a letter the week of April 21. GM dealers will replace their ignition switch free of charge as parts become available. Customers who paid to have their ignition switches replaced will be eligible for reimbursement.
Dealers, distributors and other parts customers will be told about the recall beginning March 31.
Information on the ignition switch recall is available www.gmignitionupdate.com.
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