Although the company changed the switch design in 2006, capping the initial recall at 2007, some of the older parts could have remained in dealer inventories for several more years. In a limited number of cases, newer vehicles that were built with the revised switch could have been unknowingly repaired with a defective part.
“About 95,000 faulty switches were sold to dealers and aftermarket wholesalers,” GM noted. “Of those, about 90,000 were used to repair older vehicles that were repaired before they were recalled in February.”
The company is unaware of any accidents, deaths or fatalities associated with the estimated 5,000 defective units that made their way into newer vehicles. It is nonetheless taking the “extraordinary step” of recalling all compatible years because it is “not feasible” to track the parts.
Vehicles added to the recall include 2008-2011 Chevrolet HHRs, along with 2008 to 2010 Chevrolet Cobalts, Pontiac Solstices, Pontiac G5s and Saturn Skys.
“We are taking no chances with safety,” Barra said. “Trying to locate several thousand switches in a population of 2.2 million vehicles and distributed to thousands of retailers isn’t practical.”
Although the company promises to be approaching the situation with quick action and an “abundance of caution,” the announcement timing — at 5:15pm on a Friday — suggests the company may be trying to minimize additional attention.
The announcement comes after weeks of nearly continuous bad press, including several lawsuits and investigations related to the recall. Reports also point to a mysterious sales halt for the Cruze — Chevrolet’s best-selling model in the US — without any official disclosure of an apparent problem.
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