General Motors vehicle defects – including problems with ignitions, steering, transmissions and airbags – have resulted in massive recalls and, in some cases, serious motorist injuries and deaths.
An ignition switch problem in GM compact cars has resulted in numerous crashes and at least 13 reported deaths, prompting a recall of nearly 2.6 million vehicles.
The cars can suddenly switch out of the “run” position while being driven, resulting in the engine and electrical system shutting off and affecting the power steering, power brakes and airbags. The recall includes 2003 to 2011 models of the Chevrolet Cobalt, Chevy HHR, Pontiac G5, Pontiac Solstice, Saturn Ion and Saturn Sky.
If you or a loved one was seriously injured or killed in an accident involving a suspected faulty ignition switch or other problem with a General Motors auto, you should call us at 800-243-1100 a General Motors recall attorney for a free evaluation of your case.
Kline & Specter, PC, with more than 50 attorneys, is a Philadelphia-based law firm that handles cases nationwide and has the expertise and experience battling major corporations in product liability cases, particularly those involving carmakers. Among its major courtroom victories were verdicts of $152 million and $53 million against the Ford Motor Co. in cases tried in Nevada involving defective F-150 parking brakes. Similar litigation in Pennsylvania yielded an $8.25 million verdict.
The ignition-related recall, announced in 2014, was being investigated by Congress, federal regulators and the Department of Justice, with concerns over why it took General Motors so long to address an issue first noted by the automaker as early as 2001, according to news reports. Federal law requires that safety defects be reported within five days of their discovery to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
GM first recalled 2003-2007 models of the Chevrolet Cobalt, Pontiac G5, Pontiac Solstice, Saturn Ion, Saturn Sky, and Chevy HHR vehicles but expaned the recall to 2011 because newer models may have been repaired with older replacement parts that could be faulty. Owners were asked to bring their vehicles to a dealer to replace ignition switches. In the meantime, drivers were advised to avoid using keychains containing items other than their car keys because the extra weight of other objects could make an accidental ignition turn more likely.
In March 2014, GM announced another recall due to a problem that caused a failure to deploy in side impact airbags and seat belt pretensioners during crashes in certain models: 2008-2013 Buick Enclave and GMC Acadia models, 2009-2013 Chevrolet Traverse and 2008-2010 Saturn Outlook vehicles.
In a previous recall, General Motors announced a problem with electric power steering in 2005-2010 Chevrolet Cobalt and 2007-2010 Pontiac G5 cars which could result in a sudden loss of power steering assist that could occur at any time.
Another recall involved a transmission problem that resulted in vehicles rolling away after they were parked and the driver had exited the automobile. That recall affected 2009 models including the Buick Enclave, Chevy Cobalt, HHR, Malibu, Traverse; GMC Acadia, Pontiac G5 and G6; and Saturn Aura and Outlook.
Kline & Specter works on a contingent fee basis, meaning we only get paid if and when you are financially compensated.
Call us at 800-243-1100 to speak with a General Motors recall lawyer today.
