GM Issues New Recall for Ignition Lock Defect

General Motors (GM) has announced yet another recall due to ignition issues. This time, the automaker is recalling 92,221 full-size trucks and SUVs because of an ignition lock defect that the company says can cause problems in hot weather conditions.

Last year, GM issued recalls for almost 40 million vehicles for safety issues. Approximately 3 million vehicles were recalled because of defective ignition switches. According to the recall notice, a heavy key ring, or any other kind of “jarring” event, can cause the vehicle’s ignition to slip from position, causing the vehicle to suddenly lose power. The loss of power also causes the airbags to not deploy in a crash.

There have been 2,430 claims filed against GM because of the ignition switch defects. To date, there have been 260 wrongful death claims filed against the company, 172 claims for catastrophic injuries and 1,998 claims filed for injuries requiring hospitalization. GM has accepted liability for 42 death claims, seven catastrophic injuries and 51 less severe injuries.

The new recall covers certain models that were manufactured in 2011 and 2012, as well as other models manufactured between 2007 through 2014 that were already involved in GM’s prior recall notice. The company says that actuators contained in the ignition lock could be too wide and may make turning the key difficult if the temperature inside the truck becomes too hot.

The affected models of vehicles include:

• Cadillac Escalade, Escalade ESV and Escalade EXT;
• Chevrolet Avalanche;
• Chevrolet Silverado (both light-duty and heavy-duty pickup trucks);
• Chevrolet Suburban;
• Chevrolet Tahoe;
• GMC Sierra (both light duty and heavy-duty pickup trucks); and
• GMC Yukon and Yukon XL.

As of this writing, there have been no reports made to the company of any crashes or injuries caused by this defect. If you have been injured in an accident caused by a defective product, contact an experienced Chicago personal injury attorney to find out what compensation you may be entitled to for your pain and loss.