Many GM dealers still awaiting ignition-switch parts

  • By Nathan Bomey Detroit Free Press
  • Tuesday, April 8, 2014 1:23pm
  • Business

General Motors dealers were to start replacing defective ignition switches at the start of the week, but many dealers said they did not have parts yet and that car owners were not beating down their doors demanding the fix.

GM said dealers would start getting the switches Monday for 2.5 million recalled small cars, mostly from 2003-2007, but production won’t be finished for all the parts until late fall and some will be trickling in at first.

The defect is blamed for at least 31 crashes and 13 deaths and has spawned lawsuits and government investigations, including a Justice Department probe that could lead to criminal penalties.

Matt Gilbertson, manager of Ed Koehn Chevrolet in Rockford, Mich., said his dealership has received “quite a few calls,” but many customers are waiting patiently for parts.

He said GM’s decision to pay for rental cars for customers who aren’t comfortable driving their recalled vehicles has alleviated some of the pressure on dealerships. GM has insisted that the cars are safe to drive if drivers use the naked ignition key unattached from a key chain or other keys. But safety advocates and lawyers have pressured GM to order drivers to refrain from driving the cars until they’re fixed.

“The biggest thing, of course, is making sure we got people into transportation, which we were able to do, and make sure they didn’t have any down time,” Gilbertson said.

Many customers decided not to get their cars fixed after hearing about the issue. The defective switches can suddenly drop into “accessory” position, cutting off power steering, air bags and other electrical features, even as the car is still in motion.

“A lot of people looked at it and said, ‘That’s fine.’ They weren’t worried about it,” he said.

Dealers said the repair should take about half an hour.

General Motors dealers are gearing up to replace ignition switches in 2.5 million small cars recalled for a defect the company didn’t disclose for more than a decade after engineers discovered the problem.

With new CEO Mary Barra pledging to fix 100 percent of the recalled ignition switches in the small cars, the automaker’s dealers are awaiting a full shipment of replacement parts.

Last month Barra pledged to ramp up ignition-switch production at a Delphi Automotive factory in Mexico, which makes the ignition switches.

“We’re going to use every means we can and every piece of information available,” Barra said. “And then once we . contact a customer in an appropriate way, we’re going to remind them and work with them to make sure the vehicle gets the part fixed.”

Burt Pacheco, service manager for Manfredi Chevrolet in Staten Island, N.Y., said he expects to start receiving parts next week. Until then he is offering rental cars to those who ask.

“If they don’t want to drive their cars or something, I bring them in, open a repair order and they will get the rental immediately,” Pacheco said.

K.J. Jezowski, assistant service manager of Martin Chevrolet in Saginaw, Mich., said service representatives are explaining the situation to customers.

“If you remove all your keys except for the ignition key, you can drive it,” he said, “And for those that don’t feel safe, we’ve had an ample supply of loaners.”

Jezowski said he expects to start receiving replacement parts later this week.

Talk to us

> Give us your news tips.

> Send us a letter to the editor.

> More Herald contact information.

More in Business

Black Press Media operates Sound Publishing, the largest community news organization in Washington State with dailies and community news outlets in Alaska.
Black Press Media concludes transition of ownership

Black Press Media, which operates Sound Publishing, completed its sale Monday (March 25), following the formerly announced corporate restructuring.

Maygen Hetherington, executive director of the Historic Downtown Snohomish Association, laughs during an interview in her office on Thursday, Feb. 15, 2024, in Snohomish, Washington. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)
Maygen Hetherington: tireless advocate for the city of Snohomish

Historic Downtown Snohomish Association receives the Opportunity Lives Here award from Economic Alliance.

FILE - Washington Secretary of State Steve Hobbs poses in front of photos of the 15 people who previously held the office on Nov. 22, 2021, after he was sworn in at the Capitol in Olympia, Wash. Hobbs faces several challengers as he runs for election to the office he was appointed to last fall. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren, File)
Secretary of State Steve Hobbs: ‘I wanted to serve my country’

Hobbs, a former Lake Stevens senator, is the recipient of the Henry M. Jackson Award from Economic Alliance Snohomish County.

Mark Duffy poses for a photo in his office at the Mountain Pacific Bank headquarters on Wednesday, Feb. 14, 2024 in Everett, Washington. (Annie Barker / The Herald)
Mark Duffy: Building a hometown bank; giving kids an opportunity

Mountain Pacific Bank’s founder is the recipient of the Fluke Award from Economic Alliance Snohomish County.

Barb Tolbert poses for a photo at Silver Scoop Ice Cream on Thursday, Feb. 29, 2024 in Arlington, Washington. (Annie Barker / The Herald)
Barb Tolbert: Former mayor piloted Arlington out of economic brink

Tolbert won the Elson S. Floyd Award, honoring a leader who has “created lasting opportunities” for the underserved.

Photo provided by 
Economic Alliance
Economic Alliance presented one of the Washington Rising Stem Awards to Katie Larios, a senior at Mountlake Terrace High School.
Mountlake Terrace High School senior wins state STEM award

Katie Larios was honored at an Economic Alliance gathering: “A champion for other young women of color in STEM.”

The Westwood Rainier is one of the seven ships in the Westwood line. The ships serve ports in the Pacific Northwest and Northeast Asia. (Photo provided by Swire Shipping)
Westwood Shipping Lines, an Everett mainstay, has new name

The four green-hulled Westwood vessels will keep their names, but the ships will display the Swire Shipping flag.

A Keyport ship docked at Lake Union in Seattle in June 2018. The ship spends most of the year in Alaska harvesting Golden King crab in the Bering Sea. During the summer it ties up for maintenance and repairs at Lake Union. (Keyport LLC)
In crabbers’ turbulent moment, Edmonds seafood processor ‘saved our season’

When a processing plant in Alaska closed, Edmonds-based business Keyport stepped up to solve a “no-win situation.”

Angela Harris, Executive Director of the Port of Edmonds, stands at the port’s marina on Wednesday, Jan. 24, 2024, in Edmonds, Washington. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)
Leadership, love for the Port of Edmonds got exec the job

Shoring up an aging seawall is the first order of business for Angela Harris, the first woman to lead the Edmonds port.

The Cascade Warbirds fly over Naval Station Everett. (Sue Misao / The Herald file)
Bothell High School senior awarded $2,500 to keep on flying

Cascade Warbirds scholarship helps students 16-21 continue flight training and earn a private pilot’s certificate.

Rachel Gardner, the owner of Musicology Co., a new music boutique record store on Thursday, Jan. 18, 2024 in Edmonds, Washington. Musicology Co. will open in February, selling used and new vinyl, CDs and other music-related merchandise. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
New Edmonds record shop intends to be a ‘destination for every musician’

Rachel Gardner opened Musicology Co. this month, filling a record store gap in Edmonds.

MyMyToyStore.com owner Tom Harrison at his brick and mortar storefront on Tuesday, Sept. 6, 2022 in Everett, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Burst pipe permanently closes downtown Everett toy store

After a pipe flooded the store, MyMyToystore in downtown Everett closed. Owner Tom Harrison is already on to his next venture.

Support local journalism

If you value local news, make a gift now to support the trusted journalism you get in The Daily Herald. Donations processed in this system are not tax deductible.