GM Recalls 1.8 Million Cars For Ignition Problem

[ragingfish]

Quote » GM Recalls 1.8 Million Cars for Ignitions DETROIT - General Motors Corp. said Friday it is recalling 1.8 million cars to repair potential problems with the ignition switch that may cause a fire. The models involved are certain 1998-2001 Chevrolet Cavaliers and Pontiac Sunfires built between March 1997 and April 2001. In addition, some 1998 Pontiac Grand Am, Oldsmobile Achieva, and Buick Skylark cars built between March 1997 and January 1998 are being recalled. Of the total, 1.4 million of the vehicles are in the United States and 337,000 are in Canada. The remaining vehicles are outside these countries. The vehicles are to be serviced to prevent high electrical current flow through the ignition switch that may cause a fire in the steering column. The automaker said there have been reports of 80 incidents of heat build-up, melted components, smoldering parts or fires in the ignition system and steering column. It said no injuries or fatalities have been reported. Most of the incidents occurred within minutes of an unsuccessful attempt to start the car, GM said. In some of the vehicles, the ignition switch may deteriorate if the battery is weak, the engine fails to crank, and the driver holds the key in the "start" position for an extended period, GM said. Due to the number of vehicles involved in the recall, the repair process will occur in three phases. Beginning in early March, GM will begin notifying owners of the 1998-99 vehicles involved. They will be instructed to contact their dealers as soon as they get the letter. The owners of 2000 model year vehicles will be notified in May, asking them to contact dealers in May to arrange a service date, and the owners of 2001 model year vehicles will be contacted in June with service instructions for that month. In early trading on the New York Stock Exchange (news - web sites), GM shares were down 18 cents at $48.33. http://story.news.yahoo.com/ne...ecall

[ArcsVibe]

Funny thing is that my 1996 Cavalier was also called back for that same problem!(removed) GM!!

[Nervous_Dog]

Glad I traded in my 2000 Sunfire GT for a Vibe GT

[fuel4soul]

So, When do I take my car in?

[Mavrik]

Take your car in once you get your notice from GM. Your dealer will not be able to do any recall work until GM stocks us up in parts, service manual and tools for the job. Once GM has done that, they will sent out the notice to you. If you don't receive a notice but think your car might be effected, call you dealer and have them run the VIN.

[joatmon]

127,000 corvettes recalled http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/79 ... "According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, there have been 25 accidents and 10 injuries when the Corvette's steering column locked without warning while the vehicle was moving. The agency has recorded 344 complaints that the steering column locked without warning while the Corvette was traveling between 5 mph and 65 mph."

[threekrows]

I've done tons of these,and only seen about two that had any actual problem,and it wasn't a fire,but the ignition switch got hot enough to not work correctly.I think the accessories quit,like the radio and the wipers.It's a simple fix,all the dealers should have the parts.It doesn't take long,longer if you have a 2.4 liter engine.This is an old recall...most of them should be done by now.It first came out in May 02'

[stkos79]

ya this has been out for year new relay and a couple of splices

[Big_Red]

Knock on wood (or your head), no problems with the Vibe. Maybe this coordination with Toyota actually made this a great car.