GM Ignition Switch Vehicle Recall: Findings Show GM Delayed Earlier Ignition Switch Vehicle Recall

On Thursday, July 17th, General Motors announced that the company had managed to replace about 20% of the faulty ignition switches in their 2.6 million unit GM ignition switch vehicle recall. However, findings show that despite the company’s efforts, the ignition switch problem could continue to get worse.

The company has issued vehicle recalls for 6.7 million cars just for an ignition switch problem, and some of the recalled model years go back as far as 1997. Investigators suggest that hundreds of people could have been injured or killed due to the long-delayed vehicle recalls, but GM recognizes only 13 deaths and around 60 personal injuries directly related to the ignition switch vehicle recalls.

The latest ignition switch vehicle recall came on June 26th and includes the 2000-2005 Chevrolet Impala and Monte Carlo, the 1997-2005 Chevy Malibu, the 1999-2004 Oldsmobile Alero, the 1998-2002 Oldsmobile Intrigue, the 1999-2005 Pontiac Grand Am and the 2004-2008 Pontiac Grand Prix.

All the recently recalled models have the same GM ignition switch vehicle recall delay.

According to notes from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), General Motors was alerted to the potential ignition switch problem in 2003 when a dealership in Michigan received a complaint from a customer that his Pontiac Grand Am was stalling. He demonstrated the problem to GM officials by going over a speed-bump, which stalled his car. GM, however, traced the problem back to several heavy keys and decorations on the vehicle owner’s key ring, and did not issue a vehicle recall – instead, the company issued a warning letter to GM dealerships across the country. Later that year, after receiving more complaints, GM made it more difficult to run some models of their vehicles, hoping the ignition switch problem would stop then, but still did not issue a vehicle recall.

As the investigation continues into GM’s delays, a key wrongful death lawsuit has been remanded back to a Georgia state court.

GM wanted the wrongful death lawsuit, involving an ignition switch defect, handled in federal court, but Federal Judge Thomas Thrash Jr said that the vehicle recall delay lawsuit should be handled in Cobb County, GA instead.

Victim Brooke Melton died on her 29th birthday when her Chevy Cobalt slipped out of the “run” position, causing her to crash. Her parents settled a previous wrongful death lawsuit with GM for $5 million, but that was before the company admitted that it delayed in the vehicle recall and knew about several deaths related to the ignition switch problem.

The Meltons could, according to GM, apply for additional compensation through the fund set up by attorney Kenneth Feinberg, but their original wrongful death award would be subtracted from any further amount they receive from the company.

A class action lawsuit against GM has also been consolidated into a multidistrict litigation (MDL), with 40 personal injury lawsuits with similar complaints against the company’s delayed vehicle recall.

The Strom Law Firm Can Help with Defective Products and Vehicle Recall Cases

If you have experienced a problem with a defective product in your automobile, especially if a defective part has led to an auto accident or personal injury, and a proper vehicle recall notice has not been issued, you may be entitled to compensation. The attorneys at the Strom Law Firm can help. We can help you with complicated auto insurance claims, and make sure you receive the compensation you deserve to help you with lost income and medical bills. Our attorneys are licensed to practice in South Carolina, Georgia, and New York. We offer free, confidential consultations to discuss the facts of your case. Contact us today at (803) 252-4800.