GM Vehicle Recall Lawsuits Continue
General Motors has been an industry leader for years, grounded upon its perceived reputation of its safety and reliability. Contrary to this perception, General Motors recently admitted that it violated Federal law and is facing a $35 million fine for its delay in recalling General Motors cars affected by a GM vehicle recall for faulty ignition switch and/or lock cylinder.
It is now believed that for the past 10 years GM knew that there was a problem with the ignition switch and lock cylinder in the Chevy Cobalt. Despite this knowledge, GM chose not to take any action and did not issue a GM vehicle recall, subjecting Chevy Cobalt owners, as well as the general public to possible injury and even death.
Our Defective Product Lawyers believe that the $35 million fine levied against GM is indicative of additional problems, and that the Center for Auto Safety statistics likely underestimated the number of consumers seriously hurt or killed as a result of the faulty ignition defect. There are many families who may have mistakenly believed, or were previously been told, that they or a family member was at fault in the accident. If you or a family member were injured in an accident while driving one of the vehicles covered in the defective ignition switch recall, you should contact the Strom Law Firm, LLC for a free, confidential review of the facts of your case.
Drivers and Witnesses to faulty key/cylinder accidents report noticing:
- Interior lights dimming
- Exterior lights including headlights dimming
- Loss of power/car shuts off/engine failure
- Loss of power steering
If you or a loved one were in an accident while driving a Chevy Cobalt, Saturn Ion, Pontiac Solstice, Pontiac G5, Saturn Sky, or Chevrolet HHR, and you experienced dimming lights, or loss of power you should contact the Strom Law Firm, L.L.C. for a free consultation to discuss the facts of your case and whether you may be able to file a GM vehicle recall lawsuit.
The GM vehicle recall applies to 1.3 million vehicles for defective ignition switches and lock cylinders to include the following:
- 2003-2007 Saturn Ion
- 2005-2010 Chevrolet Cobalt
- 2006-2010 Pontiac Soltice
- 2007-2010 Pontiac G5
- 2007-2010 Saturn Sky
- 2006-2011 Chevrolet HHR
General Motors Admits The Key/Lock Cylinder is defective, and that if the ignition is moved out of the “run position” the air bags may not deploy in the event of an accident. With the loss of engine power, a driver may also experience loss of power steering, leading the driver to lose control of the vehicle and potentially injure himself/herself as well as other innocent drivers.
GM is recalling these vehicles because the ignition switch torque performance may not meet GM specifications. If the torque performance is not to specification, and the key ring is carrying added weight or the vehicle goes off road or experiences some other jarring event, the ignition switch may inadvertently be moved out of the “run” position.
The timing of the key movement out of the “run” position, relative to the activation of the sensing algorithm of the crash event, may result in the airbags not deploying, increasing the potential for occupant injury in certain kinds of crashes
In the event the ignition switch is turned in the off or accessory position while driving, drivers will experience loss of engine power and the power steering and airbags will be disabled leading to a loss of control.
But the danger does not end here. In addition to the faulty ignition cases, GM has recalled over 18 million cars and trucks this year for problems.
GM Vehicle recall 2014:
January 2014: 324,970 2014 Chevrolet Silverado and 2014 GMC Sierras for overheated exhaust parts
February 2014: 1,367,146 2005-07 Chevrolet Cobalt, 2006-07 Chevrolet HHR, 2005-07 Pontiac G5, 2006-07 Pontiac Solstice, 2003-07 Saturn ION, 2007 Saturn Sky, 2007 Opel GT, 2007 Daewoo G2X for ignition switch; 355 of the 2014 Buick Enclave, LaCrosse, Regal and Verano; 2014 Chevrolet Cruze, Impala, Malibu and Travers; 2014 GMC Acadia for transmission shift cable adjuster
March 2014: 63,903 of the 2013-14 Cadillac XTS for brake vacuum booster; 303,013 of the 2009 Chevrolet Express and GMC Savana for airbag; 1,178,407 of the 2008-13 Buick Enclave, 2008-13 Chevrolet Traverse, 2008-13 GMC Acadia, 2008-10 Saturn Outlook for airbag; 656 of the Cadillac ELR for electronic brake control; 823,788 of the 2008-11 Chevrolet HHR, 2008-10 Chevrolet Cobalt, 2008-10 Pontiac G5, 2008-10 Pontiac Solstice, 2008-10 Saturn Sky, 2008-10 Opel GT, 2008-09 Daewoo G2X for ignition switch; 174,046 of the 2013-14 Chevrolet Cruze for front axle shaft; 489, 936 of the 2014 Chevrolet Silverado, 2014 GMC Sierra, 2015 Chevrolet Tahoe and Suburban, 2014 GMC Yukon and Yukon XL for oil cooler fitting; 1,340,447 of the 2004-06 Chevrolet Malibu and Malibu Maxx, 2004-06 Pontiac G6, 2004-07 Saturn Ion, 2008-09 Chevrolet Malibu, 2008-09 Pontiac G6, 2008-09 Saturn Aura, 2010 Cobalt, 2009-10 Chevrolet HHR for electric power steering.
April 2014: 2,191,014 of the 2005-10 Chevrolet Cobalt, 2006-11 Chevrolet HHR, 2007-10 Pontiac G5, 2006-10 Pontiac Solstice, 2003-07 Saturn ION, 2007-10 Saturn Sky for ignition key cylinder; 50,571 of the 2013 Cadillac SRX for acceleration lag; 23,249 of the 2009-10 Pontiac Vibe (built by Toyota) for air bags; 51 of the 2015 Chevrolet Silverado HD and 2014 GMC Sierra HD for diesel transfer pump; 51,640 of the 2014 Chevrolet Traverse, 2014 GMC Acadia and 2014 Buick Enclave for inaccurate fuel gauge; 56,214 of the 2007-08 Saturn Aura for shift cable
May 2014 7: 8,208 of the 2014 Chevrolet Malibu and 2104 Buick Lacrosse for brake rotors; 111,889 of the 2005-07 Corvette for headlight low beams; 19,225 of the 2014 Cadillac CTS for windshield wipers; 140,067 of the 2014 Malibu for brake boost; 2,440,524 of the 2004-12 Chevrolet Malibu, 2004-07 Malibu Maxx, 2005-10 Pontiac G6 and 2007-10 Saturn Aura for brake lamps; 477 of the 2014 Chevrolet Silverado and 2015 Chevrolet Tahoe for steering tie-rod; 1,402 of the 2015 Cadillac Escalade for passenger air bag; 1,339,355 of the 2009-10 Saturn Outlook, 2009-14 Chevrolet Traverse, 2009-14 GMC Acadia and 2009-14 Buick Enclave for front seat belts; 58 of the 2015 Chevrolet Silverado HD and 2015 GMC Sierra HD for loose fuse block; 1,075,102 of the 2004-08 Chevrolet Malibu and 2005-08 Pontiac G6 for shift cable (expands April 29 Saturn Aura recall).
The Strom Law Firm, LLC Can Help with Defective Products and Vehicle Recall Cases
If you have experienced a problem with a defective product in your automobile, especially if a defective part has led to an auto accident or personal injury, and a proper vehicle recall notice has not been issued, you may be entitled to compensation. The attorneys at the Strom Law Firm can help. We can help you with complicated auto insurance claims, and make sure you receive the compensation you deserve to help you with lost income and medical bills. Our attorneys are licensed to practice in South Carolina, Georgia, and New York. We offer free, confidential consultations to discuss the facts of your case, so contact us today at 803.252.4800.
