Nearly 140,000 Recalled GM Vehicles Are Missing
GM is mired in a recall debacle the likes of which this industry has never faced before. But things just keep getting worse for the Detroit-based automaker. Now they can’t find nearly 140,000 cars and trucks that are subject to their ignition-switch call-back.
Crunching the numbers, about 6.4 percent of notification letters mailed to owners were not deliverable. This is because older model cars and trucks have been traded in or sold, often multiple times. This makes it extremely difficult to track down 100 percent of the recalled vehicles. Again, GM is calling back nearly 2.2 million cars and trucks for faulty ignition switches.
Aside from changing hands, many of these cars are pretty old, a decade are better. Consequently many have wound up in junk yards, which makes them all the more challenging to track down.
SEE ALSO: GM Ignition Switch Recall Lawsuits Total $10B
Through the end of June nearly 282,000 vehicles have been repaired, but as of August 4 that figure has grown to more than 693,000, thanks in large part to greater component availability. It’s projected that by October the company will have enough parts on hand to repair about 2.6 million vehicles worldwide.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) the recall-completion rate in the U.S. is about 75 percent, though it’s MUCH lower for older vehicles. GM’s completion rate is supposedly the best in the business at 80 percent in the first year and 85 in the second.
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[Source: The Detroit News]
Born and raised in metro Detroit, Craig was steeped in mechanics from childhood. He feels as much at home with a wrench or welding gun in his hand as he does behind the wheel or in front of a camera. Putting his Bachelor's Degree in Journalism to good use, he's always pumping out videos, reviews, and features for AutoGuide.com. When the workday is over, he can be found out driving his fully restored 1936 Ford V8 sedan. Craig has covered the automotive industry full time for more than 10 years and is a member of the Automotive Press Association (APA) and Midwest Automotive Media Association (MAMA).
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GM recalls vehicles almost constantly. It just can't recall where they are.