GM Recall - Know Your Legal Rights

[maxpayne]

DFW5.0 friends,

If you own or lease one of the recalled GM vehicles (listed below), you should know that this is a serious safety issue. My law firm is investigating this issue and you may contact me if you want to know more about your legal rights.

-2005-2007 Chevrolet Cobalt and Pontiac G5
-2003-2007 Saturn Ion
-2006-2007 Chevrolet HHR
-2005-2006 Pontiac Pursuit (Canada)
-2006-2007 Pontiac Solstice
-2007 Saturn Sky vehicles

On March 28, 2014, the recall was expanded to include the following vehicles:

-2008–2010 Pontiac Solstice and G5
-2008-2010 Saturn Sky
-2008-2010 Chevrolet Cobalt
-2008-2011 Chevrolet HHR.

Please feel free to shoot me a PM ASAP.

[DirtyD]

GM is is so screwed. I don't care if a lot of this technically happened under the "Old GM", the current GM regime should still be held responsible.

[Dominic Toretto]

What's going on with this person getting interviewed? Same issue? I haven't been following.

-Alex

[Dominic Toretto]

Actually here's an article from today on MSN.com

"WASHINGTON (AP) — Lawmakers on Capitol Hill accused General Motors of a potentially criminal cover-up of its defective ignition switches and fumed at the lack of answers from its new CEO during a second day of hearings Wednesday into why GM waited a decade to recall cars with the deadly flaw.



Members of a Senate subcommittee also said GM should tell owners of the 2.6 million cars being recalled to stop driving them until they are repaired. But CEO Mary Barra gave assurances that the cars, mainly Chevrolet Cobalts and Saturn Ions, are safe to use while owners wait for the replacement part, saying she would let her own son get behind the wheel if he took certain precautions.

GM has linked the switch to 13 deaths and dozens of accidents. Others, including relatives of some victims, have a higher count of fatalities.

The automaker has said the ignition switch can move from the "run" position to the "accessory" position because of weight on the key chain. That causes the engine to shut off, disabling power steering, power brakes and the front air bags.

As she did Tuesday at a House hearing, Barra said many of the answers Congress is seeking will come out in an internal GM investigation that should be completed in 45 to 60 days. She also said she was unaware of certain details about GM's handling of the problem — an assertion that frustrated some of the senators.

"You don't know anything about anything," Sen. Barbara Boxer, D-Calif., bristled.

Barra also tried to assure lawmakers that GM is now more focused on safety and the consumer. Few sounded convinced.

"If this is the new GM leadership, it's pretty lacking," Boxer said.

Senators aggressively questioned Barra about how GM approved a replacement switch in 2006 but never changed the part number. Failing to change the number makes the part harder to track. In this case, anyone investigating the cars wouldn't know why earlier switches were failing at a higher rate than later ones.

While Barra called the failure to change the part number "unacceptable," several members of the panel implied that it was done intentionally by a person or group within the company.

"I don't see this as anything but criminal," said Sen. Kelly Ayotte, R-N.H., a former prosecutor.

Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., who is also a former prosecutor, told Barra that the more he learns about GM, "the more convinced I am that GM has a real exposure to criminal liability."

The Justice Department is conducting a criminal investigation of GM's handling of the recall. Barra promised the company will cooperate.

Barra said the company has not yet fired any employees in connection with the recall. But she said if inappropriate decisions were made, GM will take action, including firing those involved.

As she began her testimony, Barra faced an angry and skeptical Sen. Claire McCaskill, D-Mo., the head of the subcommittee, who recounted the story of a woman who died in an accident involving a faulty switch.

McCaskill said GM had "a corporate culture that chose to conceal rather than disclose."

McCaskill also dismissed Barra's claim that there is a new culture at GM. She said that when emerging from bankruptcy in 2009, GM had ample time to recall cars with the faulty switch.

GM did not begin recalling the vehicles until February.

Blumenthal said GM should immediately tell owners of the recalled cars not to drive them until they're repaired because they're unsafe. GM plans to begin repairing the cars this month but has said it might take until October to get them all fixed.

Barra said GM has already provided 13,000 loaner cars to drivers who are concerned. But she said the company's testing on different types of roads shows the cars are safe as long as there is nothing but the ignition key on the key chain.

"I would allow my son and daughter — well, my son, because he's the only one eligible to drive — if he only had the ignition key," she said."

-Alex

[Dominic Toretto]

-Alex

[DirtyD]

But see, that is complete BS to tell people "Hey, we understand that everyone puts all their keys on to one key ring. Well we have determined that you can't do that if you drive one of our cars because the key will fall out of the ignition. So we have to inconvenience more in order to make your car safe for something it should've been design for in the future."

[Dominic Toretto]

I actually keep my car key separate from all other keys but, yeah I get what you're saying Derek. That's a pretty big fail on her part to even offer that as a suggestion. GM should fork over complimentary loaners with $100 gas cards until they can completely fix the cars.

-Alex

[Grandpa]

My GM doesn't even have an ignition key and I can remote start it to see if it will blow up or not. That's what I can call thinking ahead!

[DirtyD]

They have a fix. Had it since a couple of years after it was discovered, but didn't do anything about it. Sad part was 13 people died because of their carelessness, and their inability to think critically. A key should never, NEVER "slip" out of the ignition while the key is turned to the "on" position.

[Dominic Toretto]

Originally Posted by DirtyD They have a fix. Had it since a couple of years after it was discovered, but didn't do anything about it. Sad part was 13 people died because of their carelessness, and their inability to think critically. A key should never, NEVER "slip" out of the ignition while the key is turned to the "on" position.

Yeah, this is a pretty epic fail.

-Alex

[Grandpa]

GM will get passed it just like Ford did with the Edsel and Pinto and a number of cars Chrysler had to recall.

[DirtyD]

Originally Posted by SlowGreyGT GM will get passed it just like Ford did with the Edsel and Pinto and a number of cars Chrysler had to recall.

Oh, no doubt, but they aren't going to come out of it clean by any means.

[Grandpa]

Originally Posted by DirtyD Oh, no doubt, but they aren't going to come out of it clean by any means.

Consumers have a short memory and attention span. A few cheap sales, extreme marketing and it will be all but forgotten by the general public in no time.

[DirtyD]

Originally Posted by SlowGreyGT Consumers have a short memory and attention span. A few cheap sales, extreme marketing and it will be all but forgotten by the general public in no time.

Not for the families that lost loved one, it won't.

[blownaltered]

Originally Posted by DirtyD Not for the families that lost loved one, it won't.

Ok so 13 families will remember and the rest of the country will move on. It's the way it works, if it doesn't affect you personally you move on. Firestone is still in business and those tires killed a bunch of people.