Posted on 03/31/2014 8:32:12 AM PDT by jazusamo
On Friday, General Motors expanded its recall of vehicles with an ignition switch defect, but Saturn Ions with a dangerous steering loss problem remain unrecalled, even though Chevy Cobalts and other models with the exact same defect were previously recalled. The two Congressional Committees holding hearings this week must directly ask GM CEO Mary Barra why these dangerous vehicles remain on the road.
It has now been almost two weeks since we requested that Barra immediately order a recall of Saturn Ions (MY 2004 to 2007) with defective electric power steering systems. GM had previously recalled Chevy Cobalts and Pontiac G5s in 2010 which had the same defective part (as reported here) and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has had an ongoing investigation on the defect for years. The fact that the cost to repair the steering column on the defective vehicles is much higher than what it cost GM to repair ignition switches on recently recalled vehicles (same vehicles, different defect) may be the reason for the delay.
GM recently recalled Saturn Ions for a faulty ignition switch after a deadly delay that is alleged to have cost 12 lives. The recall for the Ions only came after media sources criticized the company for doing a partial recall of defective vehicles when they recalled Chevy Cobalts and Pontiac G5s (two weeks prior to adding Saturn Ions to recall) with defective ignition switches but allowed dangerous Ions with the same defect to stay on the roads. GM knew about the deadly defect since 2003 and the company had meetings regarding the defect in May of 2009 (just two weeks prior to filing for bankruptcy) and again in 2011 ( confirming that "New" GM was aware of the issue).
The cost for the repair for the defective ignition was minimal. According to my sources, the cost to replace the defective steering components in Saturn Ions that have been left on the roads is about $1,500 per vehicle. Assuming that figure is close to being accurate, multiplying that cost by the approximate 400,000 vehicles that need to be recalled gets you a repair bill of over half a billion dollars for GM.
It is obvious that there is a problem with the Saturn Ions in question. NHTSA admits that they received 846 complaints and 3,489 reports from owners of the vehicles stating that they have experienced a sudden loss of power steering while driving the vehicles. If the power steering problem was severe enough to recall similar vehicles with the same defect, why does GM continue to stonewall and refuse to recall the rest of the defective vehicles?
The GM response on the ignition recall and the power steering defect is eerily similar. Chevy Cobalts get recalled while Saturn Ions with the same dangerous defects are left on the roads. While GM tries to appear compassionate and caring, their actions speak otherwise. It is only when media attention exposed GM's unethical behavior that the company recalled Saturn Ions with the ignition defects. Now, the company still has not recalled the Saturn Ions for the other defect; the same power steering defect that other vehicles were recalled for four years ago!
Regarding GM's deadly botched ignition recall, Mary Barra has stated that GM "...will take every step we can to make sure this never happens again." We are now only a week or so past when that statement was made and it certainly seems that GM is letting "this" happen again. I assume that by "this" happening again Ms. Barra means sacrificing the safety of lives to benefit corporate profits when they do not recall vehicles that they know have dangerous defects. So, Ms. Barra, we ask again. Please recall the Saturn Ions that have a power steering defect that prompted GM to recall vehicles with the same defect four years ago.
Mark Modica is an NLPC Associate Fellow.
Working link:
http://nlpc.org/stories/2014/03/27/why-hasn%E2%80%99t-gm-recalled-saturn-ions-power-steering-defect
They were too busy dreaming up ways to fine Toyota $1Billion dollars for AN IMAGINARY ‘sudden acceleration’ problem.
If I was the head of Toyota I WOULD NOT PAY and threaten to close factories in the USA.
Obama did not have to take over the entire auto industry at once. Just one company- then use the power of the government to force the others out of business.
They may have gotten distracted over health care, but you know thats what they want to do
The auto bailout with taxpayer money and the billions wasted on green energy is the biggest rip off of tax dollars in my lifetime.
There’s no doubt in my mind this wouldn’t have been on the scale it is with any president other than 0bummer.
Criminals are running things here.
Very interesting. Three months ago the ignition computer module failed in my 2003 Monte Carlo and cost about $500.00 for the dealer to diagnose and replace. My instrument cluster would just go dead at unpredictable times with the ignition shutting the car down. It took 2 trips to the GM dealership service center to diagnose and finally fix it.
What about the trillions wasted on the "war on poverty?"
I’d say you may have a point about the street racing angle back then, it was popular and Chevy had some hot cars.
I’d take anything that Nader claimed with a grain of salt because of his fiasco over the Corvair.
wasn’t part of that fix a simple chain from the frame to the engine? so if the mount let go the chain would catch it.
I’m driving a Saturn Outlook. It’s a Saturn version of the GMC Acadia. Purchased it before the bailout otherwise I would have bought FORD in a heartbeat. Great looking....sporty, BUT a fooking money pit. Water pump failure, transmission failure, Rack and Pinion failure TWICE, lift gate hydraulic failure, A/C blower motor failure, new hood installed because of rust at front edge....
My conclusion = GM failure.
need to drive at least 1 year in hopes no more failures so I can recoup some of my pay for the failures investment!
Then I buy a FORD!
Dang, that’s some costly stuff, GM fail is right.
that’s “old” GM....oh wait, what ? never mind !
Looks like Modica and NLPC may have made a difference, AP just announced a GM recall for power steering.
excerpt:
Included in the recall are the Chevrolet Malibu, Malibu Maxx, Chevrolet HHR, Saturn Aura, Saturn Ion and Pontiac G6. Model years vary, but all of the vehicles are from the 2010 model year or earlier.
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2014/mar/31/gm-recalls-13-million-cars-steering-defect/
Saturn car ping
cripes...now GM will need another bail-out
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