GM Recalls 1.6m Cars to Fix Faulty Switches Linked to Fatal Crashes

GM adds 842,000 vehicles to recall linked to fatal crashes

GM says a heavy key ring or jarring from rough roads can cause the ignition switch to move out of the run position and shut off the engine and electrical power. That can knock out power-assisted brakes and steering and disable the front air bags. The problem has been linked to 31 crashes and 13 front-seat deaths. In the fatalities, the air bags did not inflate, but the engines did not shut off in all cases, GM said.

It was unclear whether the ignition switches caused the crashes, or whether people died because the air bags didn't inflate.

full article at link .............. http://www.cbsnews.com/news/gm-adds-588000-vehicles-to-recall/

I wanted to start a thread on this matter in the hopes that anyone who has a GM vehicle that has just turned off for no reason, takes it to their mechanic and have it looked at.

FWIW, I have had a few GM vehicles over the years (lol, well, a lot!) and did have this stalling, turning off ignition in a number of them. Each one was particular to certain scenarios and not the same as the others. I had these cars in the shop SEVERAL times, between the three I recall off hand right now. They could never find why it turned off and they also couldn't duplicate what was happening to me.

I had about an '83 Chevrolet Caprice that after about 40K miles, started turning off here and there, when I took off from a stop and attempted to take off swiftly. At that time, in order to get out of our neighborhood, I had to turn onto a street that the cars were moving pretty fast, there was no light or stop sign for the cross traffic, and it was pretty busy, so I often had to almost gun it to get out. A few times it stalled or turned off on me, making for a very scary situation. Especially if you have a car full of little ones who get scared and start crying.

Then I had a Ponitiac Grand Prix that I can't tell you how many times it turned off on me, usually at the exact same spot I drove regularly, and I was lucky I was never in an accident because of it. I cruised down a pretty steep hilled road and had to turn right into my neighborhood. (this is a different area than the first car mentioned) Just as I made the turn, many times the car would just turn off. Because it was fully automatic with power steering and brakes, you can imagine how it suddenly was like you were driving a boat that you couldn't steer. You'd be right in the middle of the turn when it turned off and not expecting the steering to suddenly almost lock up. I'm lucky I never encountered someone waiting at that intersection to pull out in that road when that happened to me. I would have hit them broadside. It was scary.

Then the last GM product I'll ever buy, was a '94 or 5 Pontiac Grand Am. It stalled too. Usually when you were going slowly.

I believe, like the article said, they have had this PROBLEM for YEARS! I even wrote to the president of GM about it and didn't even get the courtesy of a reply.

No wonder they went bankrupt!

JMHO
fran

I own a 2010 Jeep Commander and has been doing the same thing for about 6 months. I called the dealership and they acted totally ignorant about it. jmo

mck16, I would take it in and have it checked out. Now that they know there's a problem, they have to look at it. At least I would think so.

GM better stand behind their product or they're going to be in bankruptcy court again and the next time COULD be liquidation.

JMHO
fran


PS.... remember this GM flub? Prior to that lawsuit, we had one of those trucks too! Thank goodness we never got in an accident in it~ phew! I believe they knew of this fault but calculated their losses vs. recall expense. It was a business decision! I bet Shannon Moseley's parents were comforted with that knowledge.

Jury Finds GM Negligent in Fuel Tank Case

An Atlanta jury Thursday ordered General Motors Corp. to pay $105.2 million to the parents of a Georgia teenager who died in the fiery crash of a GM pickup truck in 1989.

The jury found GM guilty of negligence and awarded $101 million in punitive damages and $4.2 million in compensatory damages to Thomas and Elaine Moseley, parents of Shannon Moseley, the 17-year-old killed in the accident.

more at link ........... http://tech.mit.edu/V113/N3/gm.03w.html

I got rid of a 2nd hand Saturn that started doing just that. Paid more in parts, cleaning, whatever, then I did for the car. Never did get it fixed and went to several different shops to try. It would just stop running right in the middle of the road for no reason.

Now I have a 2nd hand Malibu, but, it liked to just not start if you turned it off, went into store, shopped, came out to leave. That was some stupid "anti theft" thing wired to the ignition. Cut that wire as soon as google gave me an answer, been okay for a year or so now, but I worry about the above problem as it is starting to sputter. Sigh.

Wish GM cars were not the only used cars I am able to afford when it is time to get another car. One shop told me to stop buying them, I explained I only have X amount of money whenever one goes, so I have to get what X amount will buy. At least they warned me.

Oh yeah. I also use a pull apart key chain, so all the other keys are in my pocket, not the ignition. I can put the car key back on when I get out of the car.

Like this:

They're talking about this on FOX news right now. They said GM has known about this problem for 10 years.

There have been 13 deaths.

Remember how the government went after Toyota when they had a problem of sudden acceleration a few years ago? Wiith GM, ~ crickets ~ :slap:

I realized after talking to my son that the car I had in the 80's was a Monte Carlo and not a Caprice. OTOH, just a weird thing that I had several car mechanics say they'd never heard of this happening before. About 6 months after I got my Pontiac Grand Am, I got a letter from GM wanting to take my car to a testing facility for a period of time, giving me another car to use. ............ That did make me take pause and wondered what they knew, but I also didn't take them up on it. We were just in the process of moving and with the kids and all, I just didn't have time to fool with their request.

JMHO
fran



http://www.usatoday.com/story/money/cars/2014/02/25/gm-ignition-recall/5813539/

GM adds four models to recall, doubles deaths to 13

The main shop in my life finally suggested Ford. IDK.

GM has had problems longer than 10 years though. {Neighbor that retired from GM and Army just before GM was shutting down and would not pay retirement anymore, so skip the angry mechanics that tell you they worked at GM, they want their money back too - but through us, 'cause they did deserve something, just my experience.}

DO NOT DRIVE WITH CHILDREN IN THE STALLING OUT CAR. Switch up with hubby, or, if no hubby, just get rid of the car now. NO, NO, No, it is too much when a car just stops running in the middle of a road for now reason. Trade it in, drive a family members car, walk, take the bus, but there is no fixing, and my cars were much earlier than the posted recall. Please do something. :blowkiss:

Take a car back if you still can to get something fixed. Keep the paperwork, and get rid of it. JMO, just too scary driving and the car just stops for no reason in full on traffic.