The recall includes the 2003-2007 Saturn Ion and 2007 Sky, the 2006-2007 Pontiac Solstice and 2005-2

GM s ignition-switch recall may have reached new heights Thursday, with one auto-safety group declaring that 303 people have died as a result of airbags failing to deploy in two of the six cars recalled for faulty ignition switches. GM disputed the results on grounds dmv los angeles that the safety group s crash data correlates fatalities to failed airbag deployments but doesn t necessarily connect those failed deployments to faulty dmv los angeles ignition switches.
The recall includes the 2003-2007 Saturn Ion and 2007 Sky, the 2006-2007 Pontiac Solstice and 2005-2007 dmv los angeles G5, and the 2006-2007 Chevrolet HHR and 2005-2007 Cobalt. Questions abound. When will repairs be made? Could the issue affect non-GM cars, too? Where do Pontiac and Saturn owners take their cars? We researched the answers to these questions and reached out to GM spokesman Alan Adler for more information.
dmv los angeles If the ignition switches out of the On position, are the airbags dmv los angeles the only thing affected? Could other systems like antilock brakes, electronic stability control or power steering turn off, too? Yes, airbag dmv los angeles deployment failure isn t the only issue. If the ignition switch moves out of the Run position, the result would be a partial loss of electrical power and turning off the engine, which could affect items like power steering and power-assisted brakes, Adler said.
When will repairs be made? GM expects replacement ignition switches to be available starting this April, and in the meantime, it strongly advises affected owners to drive with only the key in the ignition; no keychain or anything else that might add weight should be attached to the key. When the parts come in, GM will ask customers to bring in their cars; the automaker said on a webpage dedicated to the recall that it sent out a letter the week of March 10. GM says it s working as quickly as possible to obtain parts. Swapping the ignition switch can be done in 30 minutes, but the volume of scheduling means dealers may need to keep cars longer.
What if I never get that letter? Can I still get the recall work done? GM says letters have been mailed to owner addresses from state vehicle registrations, but if you ve moved without updating dmv los angeles your registration, you may not receive the letter. Call GM s customer assistance center at 800-222-1020 (Chevrolet), 800-762-2737 (Pontiac) or 800-553-6000 (Saturn) for specific dmv los angeles instructions. Finally, check with your state for requirements on updating that registration.
Are all versions of those cars involved in the recall, or only some? All versions, Adler said. If your dealer says your car s vehicle identification number isn t associated with the recall, that s incorrect. GM has not released recall-specific VINs for this incident to dealers.
What if my car has already been serviced for a faulty ignition switch? Should I still bring it in? Yes, Adler said. All recalled cars must get the new part, regardless of whether earlier ignition repairs were made.
Can I get reimbursed for the money I spent on those earlier ignition repairs? Yes. GM s website says it will notify owners when parts are available (reportedly April) and provide instructions at that point for you to request a reimbursement. Owners are eligible for reimbursement after the recall repair is complete, Adler said.
I don t think my car is safe to drive until the repairs are made. Will GM provide a loaner vehicle in the meantime? Yes; that s what the automaker told the Detroit News . Adler didn t refute dmv los angeles the report but said it s not something dealers will push on owners. dmv los angeles We will work with customers individually to minimize dmv los angeles their inconvenience and concerns, he said. We are urging dealers to avoid making the recall into a marketing opportunity.
My car isn t worth much, so I carry minimal dmv los angeles insurance. Aren t I at higher risk in that loaner car? Potentially. CarInsurance.com notes that most auto insurance dmv los angeles extends to rental cars and dealership loaner cars, too . It s understandable that owners of these recalled cars might have minimal insurance; after all, a typical 2005 Chevrolet Cobalt is worth less than $8,000. But a liability-only policy could expose you to a lot of financial risk if something happened to that brand-new Malibu or Impala. Generally dmv los angeles a loan agreement includes a waiver stipulating that the borrower s insurance will pay first in the event of an accident, Des Toups, managing editor at CarInsurance.com, told us. Most dealers dmv los angeles have garage policies that would step in if you were unable to pay for damage. Their insurance company might choose to sue you to recoup its losses, though.
Adler said he didn t know if dealers would cover additional insurance in such cases, so a good rule of thumb is that no matter your personal car insurance policy, you should ask the dealer about coverage specifics on the loaner. Even if the owners of recalled GM cars have collision insurance, coverage is typically limited to the value of their own cars, Toups warned. That is, if you drive a Cobalt worth $7,000 and the dealer lends you a new Cruze worth $18,000, your collision coverage dmv los angeles would only pay the value of the Cobalt.
Could this recall affect dmv los angeles any other non-GM cars? In an age where supplier contracts crisscross like cooked spaghetti, you might think this recall could spread. (Think Takata Corp. s faulty airbag inflators, which affected four Japanese automakers in 2013.) This time, however, it s unlikely. Reuters reports that Delphi Automotive, the supplier of the ignition dmv los angeles switch, did not disburse the part to any other automaker.
We reached out to GM, and they said every dealer should have a letter that outlines the loaner dmv los angeles program. GM furnished the letter, and we reviewed it. The automaker will reimburse dealers for the program, so it shouldn t cost dealers anything to make it happen.
When the engine stops, the steering still works even though if the car has power steering, it will take more force to steer the car. If the driver does not panic, he can still the car until he can pull off of the road and stop.
The brakes will also work if the engine is not running. However, if the brake pedal is pressed more than one time, the power booster will stop working and considerably more force will need to be applied to the brake pedal, but that is well within the ability of most drivers, dmv los angeles IF THEY DO NOT PANIC!!
This also points up another advantage of manual dmv los angeles transmissions. With a manual transmission, if the engine loses power, it will continue turning because dmv los angeles it will be driven by the car. Thus, the power booster for the steering will continue to work and the engine will continue producing vacuum so the vacuum booster for the brakes will continue to work.
Every driver should at some time drive on a deserted road and, while driving at a moderate speed, shift to neutral dmv los angeles and shut of the engine to learn what happens if the engine stops. The car can be controlled; it just requires more effort. By knowing what to expect if the engine stops, the driver will be less likely to panic and will be able to control the car.
I own a Saturn ion and called gm and requested a loaner. They had the ordasity to tell me that they don t know where I heard of tat but it is untrue. Then when I told them that I had been following the story for sometime the representative called the nearest dealership near me to find me a loaner.I spoke to the manager and they say that I do not qualify for a loaner. Now this is my problem. They had no problem taking my money when I bought this car.
My daughter has a 2006 cobalt and is stationed in Las Vegas in the Air Force. I sent her the recall information dmv los angeles and she called the local dealer who told her they are not issuing out loaner cars to everyone, just the people who have had this problem. I called GM and got the same answer. I m not happy about this, I wonder if they are waiting until the ignition switch just fails completely and causes an accident before they will give the owners loaner dmv los angeles cars.
When will people stop driving these old school payphones? I drive an all electric Ford Focus. No key, no waiting to warm up, no waiting for heat to get hot, no sensors, no belts,no transmission, no exhaust, no oil, no need to turn on anything or turn off anything, no waiting to defrost( just set the thermostat and forget), no going to a dirty foreign owned gas station, no oil changes, insurance half the price, almost no service required( rotate wheels and grease doors). Just plug in when you home and forget it! Can leave AC on while parked in the lot during an eight hour shift and still have 90 percent battery capacity remaining. Just think cell phone, just a bit bigger. Been in a jet at take off? Drive an electric car (not a stupid hybrid) and you will know what us electric owners are talking about. Ultra smooth non shifting soooooooo silent, extreme high torque ( so much more than a sports car). Kind of feels like a turbo diesel or a supercharged sports car. 100 percent torque at zero RPM! Very Torqy! Or just stick with a payphone. Don t knock it till you try it! By the way, it cost just $2.40 cents of electricity to charge it up. Power company charges .11 a KWhr, has a 24 KWhr battery. Good luck with that old payphone and its resale value!!! I lease for 268 a month, zero down, ford pays taxes. (That is cheaper than you pay for gas in your paid off junker getting ready to break down. Good luck!!
I agree with J F Eggers about learning to drive in emergency situations But be advised. DO NOT TURN OFF YOUR IGN SWITCH if your car locks the steering wheel when the ign switch dmv los angeles is in the off position!
My stepdaughter has a 1999 Oldsmobile Alero that I am questioning if it has the same issue. Something has been wrong with the ignition for some time and even had it hooked up to tester but tech said, something wrong with it but not sure what. I want it checked again and fixed because I believe it is the same problem
This is in response to J F Eggars. Sorry but not everyone lives in an area where there are deserted roads that you can play with your car on. I can