Category: Vehicle Defects

More GM Recalls Issued in May 2014: Why Now?

General Motors has been in the news a lot during the first part of 2014. From January 1, 2014 to May 20, 2014, GM issued 29 safety-related recalls. According to the Washington Post, that brings the current number of GM-recalled vehicles to approximately 13.6 million so far this year—a number that breaks previous recall records.

What’s the Problem This Time?

The May 2014 recall involved approximately 2.4 million vehicles. According to GM, there have been at least 18 crashes and one injury because of problems with seat belts in crossover models and issues with gearshift, air bags, and retention clips in other vehicles. The effected vehicles include:

• More than one million Buick Enclave, Chevrolet Traverse and GMC Acadia full-size crossovers from model years 2009 to 2014, and some 2009–2010 Saturn Outlooks.
• More than one million four-speed automatic transmission Chevrolet Malibu and Pontiac G6 from model years 2005 to 2008.
• More than one thousand Cadillac Escalades and Escalade ESVs from model year 2015.
• About 58 Chevrolet Silverado HD and GMC Sierra HD full-size pickups from model year 2015.

If you have questions about the safety of your vehicle, please talk to your local GM dealer as soon as possible.

And Know What to Do If You’re Hurt

If you are hurt in a traffic crash on Stevenson Expressway, Lake Shore Drive, or anywhere else in the Chicago area because of a defect in your GM vehicle, then please contact us directly to discuss your options. We also encourage you to follow us on Facebook to stay up to date on important recall news.

Potential Airbag Problems Reported in Chevy Impalas

On April 7, 2014, the Center for Auto Safety asked the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) to investigate a potential defect in 2003-2010 model year Chevrolet Impalas.

According to information provided in a letter to the NHTSA, a software flaw could cause the control module to misread a passenger’s weight and cause the front airbags to become ineffective in a crash. More specifically, the letter suggests that a flawed algorithm was used to determine weight and the force with which the front bags are deployed in these vehicles.

To date, the Center for Auto Safety claims that there have been 143 fatalities in Chevy Impalas when the airbags failed to deploy. Ninety-eight of those who died were wearing their seat belts at the time of their accidents. The NHTSA does not keep track of why airbags fail to deploy. Thus, it is not yet possible to determine whether all of these fatalities were due to the potential software flaw.

The NHTSA and General Motors (GM) did not immediately respond to the allegations raised by the Center for Auto Safety.

This Problem May Not Be Only for GM Owners

In the past two years, the federal government has investigated or a recall has been issued due to defective airbags in vehicles by the following automakers: Toyota, Ford, Chrysler, Volvo, and Honda.

Faulty Airbags Are Not Just a National Problem

For the families of the 143 people who died, the problem of faulty airbags is not a national problem—it is personal one. If you have lost a loved one on the Northwest Tollway, or if you have been hurt on the Stevenson Expressway because your Chevy Impala airbag failed to deploy, you deserve to be compensated for your loss.

It is important to understand your rights. Please feel free to peruse related articles on our web site and then contact us directly for more information.

 

 

The recall of General Motors (GM) vehicles with faulty ignition switches has raised many questions. Whether you have already been in an accident in Skokie or you are concerned about being in an accident on the Chicago Skyway, you are probably wondering about the following:

1. Why is the GM recall different from other automaker recalls? The most important difference in this recall is that GM allegedly knew about the defective ignition switch, but did not issue a recall. As a result, people died, were injured, or were involved in accidents that could have been prevented. On the other hand, Toyota’s recall of approximately 6 million vehicles in April 2014 was not associated with any reported fatalities or injuries related to the defects.
2. Is there an investigation? The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is currently investigating GM. As of April 8, 2014, GM was being fined $7,000 a day by the NHTSA for failing to answer the agency’s questions by the required deadline. At the same time, GM is facing congressional panels. The NHTSA is also being investigated by congressional panels and the federal Department of Transportation’s inspector general’s office for missing the faulty ignition switch in the now-recalled vehicles.
3. What should you do if you have been hurt or lost a loved one because of a faulty ignition switch in a GM vehicle? You should contact an experienced lawyer—your injury, or your loved one’s death, may have been preventable.

 

As government and other investigations into the GM ignition switch recall continue, more answers should become available. Please check our website regularly for important updates.