If You Have A GM Car Recalled For Ignition Problem, Now Is The Time To Get It Fixed

(frankieleon)

It’s been many months since General Motors finally got around to recalling more than 2 million vehicles for a problem with the ignition switch that has been tied to dozens of deaths. Many recalled cars have yet to be fixed because there weren’t enough parts to make the repairs, but the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says sufficient replacement switches are now available so there is no reason to wait any longer.

While the recall involved more than 2 million cars, only about 1 million are believed to actually need new ignition switches that can’t be inadvertently turned off when bumped by a driver’s knee or weighed down by heavy keychains.

If the switch does turn off, the driver will lose power steering and braking, making it difficult to control the car. Making matters worse, the airbags will not deploy in the case of a crash. As of last week, GM acknowledged that at least 35 deaths have resulted from this defect, which people at the carmaker knew of more than a decade in advance of the recall announcement.

Vehicles included in the recall are the Chevy Cobalt (2006-2011), Saturn ION (2003-2007) Pontiac G5 (2007-2010), Pontiac Sky (2006-2010), Pontiac Solstice (2006-2010), Chevy HHR (2006-2011), and the Saturn Sky (2007-2010).

NHTSA has an online tool at SaferCar.gov that allows all vehicle owners to enter their car’s VIN and see if it is affected by this or any other recall.

by Chris Morran via Consumerist