As the owner of a vehicle, you expect the manufacturer to take the utmost caution with concerns to driver and passenger safety. Unfortunately, even major auto corporations—General Motors, in this case—sometimes cut corners or don’t address a problem as quickly as they should.
According to a recent report from 7NEWS Denver, 13 GM traffic deaths have been linked to a faulty ignition switch that took 10 years to recall.
Sadly, the fix for the faulty ignition would have cost just 57 cents per vehicle to fix. Members of Congress demanded answers from GM’s CEO last month on just why it took a decade to recall the vehicles with the faulty ignition.
While GM’s CEO, who just took over the position in January, insists that the company does and will continue to put the safety of consumers first, the families of those lost due to the delayed recall question why it took so long for a recall announcement.
Since February of this year, GM has recalled 2.6 million cars, mostly Chevy Cobalts and Saturn Ions, for the faulty ignition switches. The dangerous problem can cause the engine to cut off in traffic, disable power steering, power brakes, and the air bags. The new switches became available on April 7.
The House Energy and Commerce Committee has found 133 warranty claims filed with GM over 10 years, detailing customer complaints of sudden engine stalling when they drove over a bump or brushed the keys with their knee. All of these claims were filed between June 2003 and June 2012.
If you or a loved one has been injured due to a faulty ignition in a GM vehicle, don’t hesitate to reach out to an experienced Colorado Springs car accident injury attorney today for the help you need. This is a problem that should have been addressed a decade ago—and has cost 13 lives due to hesitation on the part of General Motors.
