Despite recalling a potentially dangerous ignition key more than five
years ago, GM continued to sell it as a replacement part to owners of
2010 through 2015 Chevrolet Camaros.
General Motors originally
recalled the faulty key in June 2014 because a driver could knock it
with their knee and inadvertently change the position of the key in the
ignition, increasing the risk of a crash. That's because the key
movement could unexpectedly shut off the car’s engine and disable the
brakes, power steering, and even air bags.
GM is now recalling the
faulty key again after an employee discovered it was still for sale by
GM as a replacement part. Though recalled for use with the Camaro,
the switchblade-like “flip” design key is still used for other GM
vehicles not involved in the recall.
CR found that it still remains listed for sale from various third-party online sellers as a replacement part for the Camaro.
“It’s
outrageous that GM left thousands of its customers at risk for more
than five years after its ignition-switch recalls,” said William
Wallace, CR’s manager of safety policy. “The National Highway Traffic
Safety Administration (NHTSA) should get to the bottom of why this
wasn’t discovered or reported sooner. If GM didn’t follow the law, NHTSA
should issue steep fines to deter future misconduct.”
GM
spokesman Dan Flores told CR in an email that the automaker is not aware
of any crashes, injuries, or fatalities due to faulty Camaro keys.
The
original 2014 recall was similar to—but separate from—a massive recall
of more than 15 million Chevrolet, Buick, Pontiac, Cadillac, and Saturn
vehicles that took place around the same time. That recall involved a
faulty ignition switch, not a poorly designed key, and was linked to at
least 124 fatalities and hundreds of injuries.
 |
| © Provided by Consumers Union of United States, Inc. |
The recalled keys fit 2010 through 2015 model year Camaro coupes and
convertibles and had a switchblade-like “flip” design that extended
directly from the remote locking fob.
To remedy the issue,
Chevrolet changed the design of the key, removing the flip-out blade and
replacing it with a traditional key that attached to the fob with a
ring. However, Chevrolet continued to sell the “flip” key as a
replacement to Camaro owners until a GM employee noticed the issue and
brought it up in an internal safety review.
According to Flores, the keys were still for sale "due to an error in our online parts catalog. They are not available anymore."
Owners
of these faulty replacement keys can contact customer service at
1-800-222-1020. Dealers will replace the switchblade key with a
traditional key and fob. NHTSA’s number for this recall is 19E064 GM's
number for this recall is N192223230.
