Automaker recalls 1.6 million small cars
General Motors has recalled 1.6 million small cars because faulty ignition switches has been linked to several fatal car wrecks.
Safety advocates blasted the company saying that it has known about the problems for several years but waited far too long to fix the problem.
According to GM, heavy key rings or jarring form rough roads can cause the ignition switch to move out of the run position and shut off the engine and all electrical power. With no electrical power, power-assist brakes and steering no longer function properly, and front-seat airbags could be disabled.
The problem has been linked to 31 crashes and 13 fatalities. In the fatalities, the front-seat airbags failed to deploy properly.
The cars on the recall list include:
- 2005-2007 Chevrolet Cobalt and Pontiac G5
- 2003-2007 Saturn Ion
- 2006-2007 Chevrolet HHR SUVs
- 2006-2007 Pontiac Solstice and Saturn Sky sports cars
Safety experts claim that GM knew as long ago as 2007— or should have known — that the faulty switches were causing problems, including disabling front-seat airbags, and should have acted sooner to recall the cars.
