Attention, Chevrolet Cobalt and Pontiac G5 drivers: Take off your Hello Kitty keychains immediately. General Motors is recalling 778,562 of the discontinued compacts because of faulty ignition switches that can loosen and shut off the engine while driving. Added weight on the key ring or a bump in the road, GM says, can cause the problem if the "torque performance is not to specification."
The 2005–2007 Cobalt and 2007 G5 (the first year it was produced) are affected, including 619,122 in the U.S. The remaining vehicles are in Canada and Mexico. Dealers will replace the ignition switch at a later date, and owners can call Chevrolet at 1-800-222-1020 or Pontiac at 1-800-762-2737 to find out if their vehicles are included.
"Until this correction is performed, customers should remove non-essential items from their key ring," GM said in a filing to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
At least six people have died in five frontal crashes related to faulty ignitions where the engine—and subsequently the airbags and other safety features—shut off, according to Reuters. An additional 17 related frontal crashes were also reported.
- Comparison Test: 2014 Chevy Cruze Diesel vs. 2013 Volkswagen Jetta TDI
- Feature: Fun at 40 MPG
- Instrumented Test: 2013 Buick Verano Turbo
In October 2012, GM recalled 40,859 cars in the U.S., including the 2007–2009 Cobalt and 2007–2009 G5, for cracking fuel pumps that could leak. That was an expansion of an earlier recall for the same problem in 2009. In March 2010, 1.3 million Cobalts from 2005–2010 and G5s from 2007–2010 were recalled worldwide for electric power steering that could suddenly shut down while driving.
from Car and Driver Blog http://ift.tt/nSHy27
Put the internet to work for you.
No comments:
Post a Comment