GM Knew of Ignition Defects in Cobalt 10 Years Ago
General Motors conducted a recall for the Chevy Cobalt and Pontiac G6 just last week, despite knowing about the issue with cars way back in 2004.
The ignition switch is the issue, as it can inadvertently shut down the engine while driving, causing the car’s safety systems, such as airbags, to also lose power. At least one GM engineer knew about the issue after experiencing it while testing a brand-new 2005 Cobalt back in 2004, according to documents from a 2010 lawsuit.
In the recall last week, GM said that it knows about six deaths in five different accidents that were a result of the ignition switch issue.
SEE ALSO: Chevy Cobalt, Pontiac G6 Recall Affects 778,000 Cars
In 2005, GM issued a technical service bulletin and created a snap-on key cover to try and help with the issue, and advised dealers to install the part if owners complained. However, the TSB did not specify that the clip-on cover be installed before the cars were sold. It also did not tell dealers to alert buyers to the issue.
The cover was simply an “improvement, it was not a fix to the issue,” Gary Altman, program engineering manager for Cobalt during its development, said in a deposition last June. Despite that, Altman said “I think that the insert should have been put into the cars, yes.”
[Source: USA Today]
Stephen covers all of the day-to-day events of the industry as the News Editor at AutoGuide, along with being the AG truck expert. His truck knowledge comes from working long days on the woodlot with pickups and driving straight trucks professionally. When not at his desk, Steve can be found playing his bass or riding his snowmobile or Sea-Doo. Find Stephen on <A title="@Selmer07 on Twitter" href="http://www.twitter.com/selmer07">Twitter</A> and <A title="Stephen on Google+" href="http://plus.google.com/117833131531784822251?rel=author">Google+</A>
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So when is GM being sued like Toyota? Need to be fair and treat all car companies the same