GM ignition switch recall

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Azeem

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As many as 303 deaths linked.

Here.

The weird thing is it happened to me 9 months ago coming home from work,driving my 02 Pontiac Sunfire which is not on the recall list, doing 35 MPH on a back road. The car shut off completely and steering wheel froze. It was scary somewhat, managed to pull over and the ignition was off. and would not turn over for 2 minutes. then it started right up and no problem starting ever since or even before that.
 
Last edited:
Originally Posted By: Azeem
As many as 303 deaths linked.

Here.

The weird thing is it happened to me 9 months ago coming home from work,driving my 02 Pontiac Sunfire which is not on the recall list, doing 35 MPH on a back road. The car shut off completely and steering wheel froze. It was scary somewhat, managed to pull over and the ignition was off. and would not turn over for 2 minutes. then it started right up and no problem starting ever since or even before that.


If you have even the slightest inclination that your car has an ignition issue, please speak up about it. The problem may be more far-reaching that we know. IIRC, the initial recall didn't include all of the cars it does now. Yours may yet have an actual issue.
 
Originally Posted By: Klutch9
Originally Posted By: Azeem
As many as 303 deaths linked.

Here.

The weird thing is it happened to me 9 months ago coming home from work,driving my 02 Pontiac Sunfire which is not on the recall list, doing 35 MPH on a back road. The car shut off completely and steering wheel froze. It was scary somewhat, managed to pull over and the ignition was off. and would not turn over for 2 minutes. then it started right up and no problem starting ever since or even before that.


If you have even the slightest inclination that your car has an ignition issue, please speak up about it. The problem may be more far-reaching that we know. IIRC, the initial recall didn't include all of the cars it does now. Yours may yet have an actual issue.


I don't know much about cars, so, I thought it was just a fluke since it never happened again .But reading,today, about this recall got me thinking.

What route do I need to take to speak up?
 
I think this recall will broaden even more. I owned a 2000 Intrigue which had issues with the ignition switch. I had the car shut off on me while driving and at stop lights before I changed the switch. Luckily my commute wasn't on a busy road.

Azeem - I would call either your local GM dealership or the GM regional office. Maybe they can arrange for someone to look at it to give you peace of mind. Also they'll have record of your ocnversation.
 
Originally Posted By: Azeem
As many as 303 deaths linked.

Here.


There are two glaring issues in this report: It uses raw data and fails to create any type of control group.

The report is simply a list of cars that were involved in a collision where a front seat occupant died and the airbag didn't deploy. There is no data beyond that. Based on this data, it is impossible to deduce the cause of the airbag not deploying. In other words, correlation does not imply causation. All this study does is point out correlation. It's enough to generate a headline, which I'm sure was the point of releasing the study, but it doesn't stand up to any form of scrutiny.

The other glaring omission is a control group. What is a similar sample of cars that *don't* have ignition switch problems, like a Honda Civic from the same era, being involved in an accident where a front seat occupant dies and the airbag didn't deploy? 5 deaths? 50 deaths? 150 deaths? Without creating some type of comparison group, the statistic for GM cars will always be unrealistically skewed high. Without knowing what the normal is, you can't deduce what is exceptional.
 
Certain GM models always seemed to have far looser and easier to turn key switches as opposed to other cars.My 88 Dodge has very distinct detents in each position,no chance in h*ll that bumpy roads or a key fob would make it rotate.GM made its own mistakes and now will pay very greatly in $ to make up for it.Between recall costs and the loss of sales of new vehicles due to the publicity over this (and GM sales were already down),it goes to show that they should have just recalled them 10 years ago and moved on (to the next recall/flaw).
 
I owned a black 2006 Cobalt.

Had the ignition switch problem and they gladly charged me 260$ to fix it 3 years ago.

I had no clue that the car was a death trap, glad I dumped it on a trade with Honda during an end of year clearance.

I felt really bad dumping it early, took really good care of that car. But I needed a more practical vehicle (had the Coupe in Black with NO A/C).

I couldn't be happier with my Honda Fit, it has really turned me into a Honda fan.
 
Funnily, Honda of that era (late 90's & early 2000) are well-known to have ignition switch problem. As a matter of fact, there is already a safety recall on them.
 
It sounds like an electrical problem, so how could the steering wheel interlock engage with the key in the ignition?

Ignition switches do wear out over time, a lot of this seems to be happening with 10 year old cars. Having a heavy key chain is a great way to accelerate wear on your tumblers.
 
Last edited:
Originally Posted By: Azeem


What route do I need to take to speak up?




Contact your nearest dealer, even if you didn't buy the car from them, and let them know about the problem you had.
 
My soapbox:

When putting in a new car stereo or changing a tail light or whatever the service manual always says to disconnect the battery because OMG the airbag can go off even if the ignition switch is off.

Now they're saying well maybe it won't. Well will it or won't it?

I have an 07 HHR that's on the list and I'll get around to it eventually. I'll let the freakout crowd clog the service bays and let the techs get good practicing on other peoples' cars.
lol.gif
I just looked at my key and it has a long slot, not a hole, so there could be leverage towards turning it off from weight on it.

I drive stick shifts and have half a reflex for unexpected engine stalls. There are clues like heavy steering and a dash full of lights.

My dad has a 1940 ford. The ignition key rolls back a dead bolt, then a literal on-off switch goes up and down. This seems immune to this latest sort of problems.
 
It is a shame though as I used to be a parts guy at the local Saturn retailer when it was in business and the ION has had ignition switch issues for years.

Whenever we would have a cold spell there would be a batch of ION in for passlock problems due to those switches.

As much as Im a GM guy I still say shame on them.
 
Originally Posted By: FXjohn
don't hang a bowling ball off your keychain. common sense.
GM is going to fix the problem.


Yes, some, especially women it seems, use their key chains/rings as a sort of fashion statement/charm bracelet.
lol.gif
31.gif
 
Originally Posted By: Azeem
Originally Posted By: Klutch9
Originally Posted By: Azeem
As many as 303 deaths linked.

Here.

The weird thing is it happened to me 9 months ago coming home from work,driving my 02 Pontiac Sunfire which is not on the recall list, doing 35 MPH on a back road. The car shut off completely and steering wheel froze. It was scary somewhat, managed to pull over and the ignition was off. and would not turn over for 2 minutes. then it started right up and no problem starting ever since or even before that.


If you have even the slightest inclination that your car has an ignition issue, please speak up about it. The problem may be more far-reaching that we know. IIRC, the initial recall didn't include all of the cars it does now. Yours may yet have an actual issue.


I don't know much about cars, so, I thought it was just a fluke since it never happened again .But reading,today, about this recall got me thinking.

What route do I need to take to speak up?




Send a certified letter to the GM legal department in Detroit
 
Originally Posted By: FXjohn
don't hang a bowling ball off your keychain. common sense.
GM is going to fix the problem.


Sorry that is not the cause...GM is facing criminal investigation for ignoring the issue while people are getting killed. 1.6 million people don't have heavy key chains.
 
Originally Posted By: Doog
Originally Posted By: FXjohn
don't hang a bowling ball off your keychain. common sense.
GM is going to fix the problem.


Sorry that is not the cause...GM is facing criminal investigation for ignoring the issue while people are getting killed. 1.6 million people don't have heavy key chains.

Well technically 1.6 million people didn't report it either.

Having said that, not sure what took so long, and why it wasn't addressed as soon as it happened in testing.
 
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