Sudden loss of power steering, power brakes, and engine cutting off in certain GM vehicles has caused drivers to be at a greater risk of collision and injury because of a loss of control or because the airbags do not deploy.

Our experienced injury lawyers at AutoAccident.com are available to help drivers or passengers injured because of a sudden loss of electrical power steering in certain GM vehicles. Call us at (916) 921-6400 for a free consultation.

General Motors recently informed the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration that it would recall more than 2.1 million vehicles in the U.S. that may experience a sudden loss of power steering, brakes, and engine power.

This loss of power results from a faulty ignition switch, which requires significantly greater driver effort to control the vehicle. This increases the chance of a collision. The power loss affects the steering, braking, and engine, and the airbags do not deploy upon a collision impact.

Models subject to safety recall include:

• Chevrolet Cobalt 2005-2010
• Chevrolet HHR 2006-2011
• Pontiac G5 2005 – 2010
• Pontiac Solstice 2006-2010
• Pontiac Pursuit (Canada) 2005-2006
• Saturn ION 2003-2007
• Saturn Sky 2007-2010
  (General Motors, Official Global Site, Ignition Switch Safety Information).

The ignition switch problems that are the focus of this recall have resulted in many accidents and at least 13 reported deaths, causing a recall of nearly 2.1 million vehicles. The cars, upon being bumped by a knee, jarred by bad road conditions, or even being pulled down by weight on a key ring, suddenly switch out of the “run” position while being driven, causing the engine and electrical system to shut off and affecting the power steering, power brakes, and airbags.

The recall related to ignition issues was initially announced in February 2014. Subsequently, it expanded in March of the same year and attracted scrutiny from various federal entities, including Federal Regulators, Congress, and the Department of Justice. The primary concern revolved around the prolonged duration General Motors (GM) had taken to investigate a problem that had come to the automaker’s attention as early as 2001. According to federal law, safety defects must be reported to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration within five days of their discovery.

GM’s initial recall covered the 2003-2007 models of the Chevrolet Cobalt, Pontiac G5, Pontiac Solstice, Saturn Ion, Saturn Sky, and Chevy HHR vehicles. However, the recall was expanded in 2011 due to the possibility that newer models might have been repaired using older replacement parts that could be faulty. Owners were urged to bring their vehicles to authorized dealers for ignition switch replacements. Meanwhile, drivers were advised to refrain from using key chains containing items other than the car keys because the additional weight could increase the likelihood of unintended ignition rotation.

Over the past decade, General Motors has grappled with various vehicle defects, encompassing problems related to ignitions, steering, transmissions, and airbags. These issues have led to millions of recalls and, in some tragic instances, resulted in injuries and fatalities among motorists.

In March 2014, GM issued another recall concerning a specific problem that caused side-impact airbags and seat belt pre-tensioners to fail during crashes in specific models. This recall affected the 2008-2013 Buick Enclave and GMC Acadia models, the 2009-2013 Chevrolet Traverse, and the 2008-2010 Saturn Outlook.

In a prior recall, General Motors addressed an issue related to electric power steering in the 2005-2010 Chevrolet Cobalt and 2007-2010 Pontiac G5 vehicles. This problem led to an abrupt loss of power steering assistance that could occur at any moment, posing a safety hazard.

Yet another recall centered on a transmission problem that resulted in vehicles rolling away after being parked and the driver exiting the vehicle. This recall impacted 2009 models, including the Buick Enclave, Chevy Cobalt, HHR, Malibu, Traverse, GMC Acadia, Pontiac G5 and G6, and Saturn Aura and Outlook vehicles.

General Motors has faced a series of recalls and safety concerns over the years, particularly about ignition issues, steering problems, transmission malfunctions, and airbag failures. These recalls underscore the importance of prompt identification and resolution of safety defects to safeguard the well-being of motorists and prevent accidents and injuries.

As the New York Times reported, lawmakers have questioned General Motors over their decade-long failure to correct a defective ignition switch.  A new review of federal crash data shows that 303 people died after the airbags failed to deploy on two recently recalled models.

The review of the airbag failures from 2003 to 2012 by the Friedman Research Corporation adds to the growing reports of problems ignored before General Motors announced that it recalled more than 1.6 million cars worldwide because of the defective switch. G.M. has linked 12 deaths to the faulty switch in the two models investigated, the 2005-7 Chevrolet Cobalts and 2003-7 Saturn Ions, as well as four other models.

The assessment conducted by Friedman Research, a firm specializing in analyzing vehicle safety data, focused on instances where airbags did not activate during accidents. However, it did not investigate these collisions’ root causes.

If you or a loved one has been injured due to a suspected GM vehicle defect, please contact our injury lawyers at (916) 921-6400 or (800) 404-5400 or use our online contact form.

^{Editor’s Note: updated 10.24.23 Image by Free-Photos from Pixabay}