In a move that could affect car owners in Ontario, General Motors issued a recall of nearly 780,000 compact vehicles in North America because the ignition switch can unexpectedly turn off the car, which could lead to wrecks. It is believed that the lack of power shut off the power steering and power brakes and prevent the airbags from deploying. The auto manufacturer admitted that six people have been killed in five separate fatal motor vehicle accidents.
The defect affects Chevrolet Cobalts for model years 2005 through 2007 and 2007 Pontiac G5s, and it has resulted in at least 22 accidents. The cars could switch off if the operator inserts a key ring into the ignition that is too heavy or if a vehicle travels on a bumpy road. Dealers will change out the ignition switch for no charge but had not yet set up a time frame for repairs by the time the recall was announced. In the meantime, GM wants owners to take all unnecessary items off their key rings.
The recall affects 153,000 cars in Canada and more than 6,000 in Mexico while the remainder are in the United States. One auto analyst reported that GM has experienced good market shares, and a survey of car owners reported favorable results on GM vehicles. However, the analyst also said that past defects could hurt the company. The G5 was discontinued several years ago, and the Cobalt model was replaced.
Auto accidents are not always caused by drivers’ mistakes; sometimes, manufacturing defects can result in accidents. If any of these collisions ended with injuries or property damage, those who were hurt in some way might choose to file a claim against the manufacturer. By doing so, it may ease the road to recovery.
Source: Global News CA, “GM recalling nearly 780,000 older compact cars“, Tom Krisher, February 13, 2014
