GM to replace lock cylinders in vehicles with defective ignition switches

General Motors has announced that it is planning to replace ignition lock cylinders in 2.2 million vehicles that have already been recalled due to defective ignition switches.

The company now acknowledges a problem that allows the engine to continue running even after the key is removed from the cylinder.

The issue has been merely an annoyance for many drivers, however it also poses a potential safety threat for cars equipped with manual transmissions. When parking, some drivers simply leave the car in gear and turn off the engine without pulling the handbrake. This could cause an accident if the driver takes their foot off the clutch pedal without realizing the engine is still running.

“Searches of GM and government databases found one rollaway in a parking lot that resulted in a crash and one injury claim,” the company notes.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration complaint database includes several hundred complaints of such behavior. Another popular complaint points to an opposite problem, with keys sticking in the lock cylinder.

GM plans to replace the ignition lock cylinders in the 2003-2007 Saturn Ion, 2005-2010 Chevrolet Cobalt, 2006-2010 Pontiac Solstice, 2007-2010 Pontiac G5, 2007-2010 Saturn Sky and 2006-2011 Chevrolet HHR.

The company has redoubled its forecast for the costs associated with the ongoing recalls, bumping the estimate up to $1.3 billion.