The Problem: General Motors says that the ignition switches in the 2005-2007 Chevrolet Cobalt and 2007 Pontiac G5 can inadvertently turn off. If there is lots of weight on the switch from a heavy keychain, a “jarring event” like hitting a pothole or a crash could bump the ignition switch from Run into the Off position. At best, that would stop the engine. At worst, if that happens during an accident, it could prevent the airbags from deploying, increasing the risk of injury to passengers. According to Reuters, GM has reports of six deaths related to this problem, although the automaker maintains fatalities were still possible in those crashes even if the airbags functioned normally.
The Fix: GM dealers will replace the ignition switch on all vehicles for free, although the automaker has not yet determined when the recall will begin.
Number Of Vehicles Potentially Affected: 619,122 cars, of which 32,899 are the 2007 Pontiac G5 and 586,223 are the 2005-2007 Chevrolet Cobalt.
