If it seems like GM has had a lot of recalls lately, it’s because it has. With 4.8 million vehicles being recalled in 2014, the company has recalled 6X the number of vehicles in three months as it did in the entire year of 2013… and those are just the figures for the United States.
It all started when faulty ignition switches in compact cars were linked to 13 deaths. This first, and most prominent, recall was for the Chevrolet Cobalt. The recall was then expanded to include six models: 2005-2010 Cobalts, 2006-2010 Pontiac Solstices, 2007-2010 Pontiac G5s and Saturn Skys, 2006-2011 Chevrolet HHRs and 2003-2007 Saturn Ions. Then, more recalls were added, this time in larger pickups, Suburbans and SUV’s, because oil transmission lines had loose fittings, which were linked to three fires.
It’s been a rough year under the new chief executive, Mary T. Barra, the first woman to become the head of a major automaker. However, it’s good to know that this new blood is cleaning up GM’s act. The company previously had a reputation for avoiding recalls, even at a risk of injury or death to its customers. In fact, it is now well known that the company delayed recalling the Cobalt for years.
Hopefully, GM has reached a turning point, and can begin to mend its broken reputation under new leadership.