DETROIT — Eight months after General Motors began recalling more than 2 million cars because of a deadly ignition-switch defect, less than half the owners have gotten their vehicles fixed.
DETROIT — Eight months after General Motors began recalling more than 2 million cars because of a deadly ignition-switch defect, less than half the owners have gotten their vehicles fixed.
At first, the problem was a shortage of parts. But now the problem is people.
Despite the heavy publicity surrounding the scandal, many drivers evidently haven’t heard of the recall or haven’t grasped how serious the defect is because it hasn’t given them any trouble.
As a result, GM has been forced to go beyond the usual ominous-sounding recall letters.
It has sent out Facebook messages and made phone calls to owners of the cars, mainly Chevrolet Cobalts and Saturn Ions. CEO Mary Barra has even sent a personal letter urging people to get the switches replaced.
“In some cases we’ve gone to the owners’ home and gotten the vehicle, gave them a loaner, and are working to fix it,” Barra said last week.
GM announced in February and March that it was recalling the cars after taking more than a decade to disclose the defect, now linked to at least two dozen deaths.
The switches can slip out of the run position, causing the engine to shut off. That can knock out power-assisted steering and disable the air bags.
Despite recall letters that bluntly warn that the defect can lead to injury and even death — and despite five congressional hearings and thousands of news stories about the furor — only about 1.16 million of the 2.36 million affected vehicles still on the road have been bought in for repairs.