My grandma had a cobalt back in 2006 the car would always stall on her on the highway and when she took it to the Chevy dealership they would Always say the same thing “We can not duplicate your problem” after that my grandma got a corolla and then 8 years later she gets a letter in the mail saying their was a recall and if she bought another Chevy she would get her money back and she always told me “Why would I buy a Chevy after I was almost killed in one.” It was ridiculous GM didn’t care about this problem.
The big culprit was overloaded key rings. And the unable to "duplicate the problem"... huge problem for the diagnosis tech. That is why I'd ALWAYS have the customer take me on the initial test drive. Too often THEY could make it happen when I could not. You have to duplicate the CONDITIONS to make faults appear. It also showed that I really cared about their problems. (Had a lot of unhappy customers when I had to retire for medical issues)
I remember reading about this back in '06, '07 or so here in the States. Initially, people were told to remove heavy stuff from their key-rings, or just keep the key separate from all other keys. When they finally fixed the problem, they were going to add a -1 (or something like that) to the new part number. They didn't. The part number remained the same. This compounded the problem immensely-- after the recall, dealers had no way to know if they were changing a defective switch with a new one... or if that switch had already been changed. Chaos. The decision to keep the part number the same clearly came from upper level management-- to keep the whole thing quiet. Result? Numerous cars had new switches installed multiple times, and many cars never got the new switch. Absolutely no way to tell one from the other. Ridiculous and irresponsible. Criminal, even. I'm sorry, Canada, that your Transport Canada department is so spineless, and that they are a "hand-me-down" organization only following what US NTSB decides. That, too, is criminal.
It wasn't until after watching this program that I realized how fortunate that I am. The Chevy that I drove did the same thing and the key could be pulled out with the ignition in the "on" position. I didn't think much of it except that it was odd. Now I know just how dangerous that was. Thanks for sharing.
I've been an avid GM enthusiast for over 45 years . It's video evidence like this that prove how stupidly naive I have been and I am ashamed of the level of deceit the upper management has positioned themselves in and I am both humbled and appreciative to the fifth estate for their every effort taken in exposing these not so slick white collar criminals for who they really are .
I'm mechanic and I can honestly say that the majority of my revenue comes from GM,FORD AND CHRYSLER but mainly General Motors. Stay away from domestic vehicles! Vote with your money!
I was an independent shop owner during the time that GM was hiding the facts regarding that "detent pawl" issue . I had begun advising customers to never place more than 2 keys on the same ring as the ignition switch key due to the fact that the switch was so easily turned to the accessory position as early as 2004, due to 2 other GM compact models that exhibited the same type of defect. Hiding problems and lying about problems to preserve profits is the hallmark of American corporations. Killing people to preserve profits should be a criminal offense, with those guilty parties prosecuted.
McDonell Douglas now part of Boeing had an issue with its rear cargo door on the DC-10 that could come open and depressurize the jetliner. It was cheaper to take lawsuits from crashes than to fix the door.
@@rscott2247 When some of the airplane makers began the shift to "fly by wire" there were several fatal crashes. I had a close friend that died in a C-5A @ Dobbins AFB due to a defective servo....
I remember watching this video for the first one back in early 2016, I had just purchased a 2010 Chevrolet Cobalt LT, it had the recall preformed on it for the switch but the little nervousness of my car unable to shake. Eventually around the 95k mile mark it blew a head gasket a no longer ran correctly. That was last American vehicle we will own in our home. Was so disappointed in myself for my poor research of this car and to this day have convinced several of my friends & coworkers to NEVER buy a GM product!
This decision by GM is no different than any other publicly traded company. The motto is, "If the stockholders are happy, everyone should be happy". I've owned mostly GM vehicles over the past 44 years. I still have 7 in my 'collection' and daily drive an '89 Buick. That being said, when the 'bailouts' were occurring I said back then "LET THEM FAIL". Even though I like GM vehicles AND worked for a supplier for GM, incompetence in running a business, whether a car company or a banking firm should NOT be an excuse to ask for a bailed out. Pain is a lasting lesson , be it physical, emotional, or FINANCIAL. Had the car companies AND banks NOT been bailed out PERHAPS a lesson would have been learned and history would NOT repeat itself.
But if GM went under... Who would recall the cars? ... I also wonder how much effort is put into finding and notifying Saturn and Pontiac owners as those dealers no longer exist.
I remember back when that recall happened. My mom had one of the affected vehicles we got second hand, so we just took the switch out entirely and just touched the wires together to start, and pull a fuse to turn it off. I think we ended up selling it for its weight in scrap because there were simply so many parts going bad at once that it was cheaper to get the scrap money and buy another car with fewer problems.
Chrysler Concord 1994 we bought used in 1997. The switch didn't move, but at 65 mph it would short out the gauges would slam max then zero out and the transmission would go into first gear. Scared the crap out of us. No one encounters a similar problem. I had the ignition switch swapped out and it fixed the problem. No recall ever on the cars ingnition. I have never had a car not have one or more electrical problem.
No accountability, leads to a sense of false entitlement. Many modern corporation believe their is no cost to great in the name of profit. We are to told to be proud of this, when in fact we should be ashamed.
gary bulwinkle plus it’s the dealerships own mechanics that would’ve been fixing them. I dont know if it really would’ve taken all that long to replace.
I'm mechanic and I can honestly say that the majority of my revenue comes from GM,FORD AND CHRYSLER but mainly General Motors. Stay away from domestic vehicles! Vote with your money!
This "defect" was caused partly by user error. When the engine turns off, you loose power steering and have limited number of power assisted brakes. The ignition switch in "acc" mode will still allow you to steer (the car will have mechanical steering) and have full power of braking (vacuum assist is stored in the booster). The ignition key should be used without any extra junk on the key ring. Over time, the wear and tear from the weight of the extra stuff on the key would cause the switch to turn off. Most people have never bothered to read the owner's manual or learn how to drive without power brakes and steering. Finally, GM built tons of POS cars that didn't allow the Airbags to deploy when the engine off - Key on.
@@brarautorepairs I had a '85 Renault Encore like that, non power steering and brakes standard on that car, well familiar driving with no power anything.
@Brandon S if those other companies also ignore problems, they are irresponsible too. this doesn't change the fact that the actions make the company irresponsible... such a strange rebuke.
Laws should be passed to hold GM execs criminally responsible for such actions. Transport Canada, the same goes for them. Fire the whole lot and rebuild the program. As for the politicians, they too should be held to the same standards and go to jail when found to be lying like she did. Where are our so called Canadian ethics? I feel for all the people that have been affected by the greed of all the above horrible people. Thanks to institutions like The Fifth Estate. Regards.
GM's history of ignoring lethal safety defects and wiggling out of liability with the help of the US government is why I will never buy a GM product again. It's not just the callous indifference to its customers' safety, but that even if they did it again it's likely they'll get out of responsibility for it because GM is just that powerful in my country. At least foreign car companies are held liable for their failures.
I approve this message, and I also support your NCSOFT Boycott, I'm a former CoV, Tabula Rasa, Auto Assault, and Exteel player, so I feel your pain. ;)
actually they became fully liable for old GM after the cover up since it was in violation of the terms of the bankruptcy . they had actually fixed a recall that was recalled 3 time for the same issue on 3.8l engines that "catch fire" for older pre 2007 gm cars
"Been drinking heavily with friends" 25:47. That means Dany was just as a potential murderer as the faulty ignition switch, endangering other innocent road users. I have sympathy with his parents but I have no respect or sympathy for drunk drivers, sorry Dany.
Sadly it caused the investigators to drag their feet with the investigation, "drunk driver.. he might have bumped it, thats all" and might not have dug into it as deeply as they could have.
I've turned off my ignition while driving to test a problem I was and having and all it does is gradually bring you to a stop. Steering is a little stiffer and brakes require more effort. but no loss of control. There is way more to these accidents that we are not being told
AUDI did the same, the cars just stopped, I found myself at night on 3000 meters altitude with two crying toddlers, in freezing temperatures. No one around. Fortunately I had a fully charged cellphone. In Europe there's no punitive damages in court. They just paid the expenses to come and get me, and to fix the car. And they knew the A6 had the defect. Never again an Audi!
I'm American, this Canadian show is very nice to see, so I appreciate the segments that've been published, even though the video is now very old. However, it is exactly the GM Delta platform (which was the Saturn Ion, Chevrolet Cobalt, Pontiac G4/Pursuit) that will keep me from even considering a GM product from the 2002 to 2022 model years. Not just the ignition switch, but general reliability. That's not to say that Ford hasn't made mistakes, but GM's sure seem to be the worst in that they do like to hide things. Ford's transmission woes and even body component defects on its mid-size and full-size SUVs (the Ford Explorer from 2001 and onward, specifically, from experience, for the body issue, and about half of their model lineups featuring JUST the Automatic transmissions from about 1992 to about 2007) make it bad enough, but at least we are aware of and are able to plan for such terminal issues, they aren't necessarily life threatening. Mostly expensive or an inconvenience from the perspective of preserving the appearance of the vehicle. Not to mention, the feel of GM vehicles have been something I disliked. I've driven a 2000 Chevy Blazer; didn't care for the soft front suspension feel, having been used to the firm and planted Explorer from 1999 and then 2001 and 2002. I drove a 2009 Impala for a day and returned it to the rental agency because I hated the feeling of the car. And Just 5 seconds seated in the HHR was enough for me to refuse to even put the key in the ignition. The one and only GM vehicle I liked was a 50th Anniversary 2003 Chevrolet Corvette that I drove for 2 miles in a very gentle and careful fashion, just because I was offered the chance to drive such a performance vehicle. I don't care what you own or drive, a real car person respects the Corvette, even if you dislike it. Call it bias, but the feel of Ford has long been my preference. Not just for driver comfort, but for the way they feel connected to the road. Ranger, Taurus, Explorer, F-Series. They all shared a comfortable ride, comfortable seating and a firm, sure-footed connection to the pavement with perfectly responsive steering. My biggest complaint IS the Transmission but only if it has an automatic. The manual transmission is something you cannot and should not mess with. Our 1967 Ford Ranger has never once had the transmission opened, and has only been disconnected from its engine twice in 51 years, both times for a rebuild of the engine and the engine alone. But that's what we've considered a very special truck, in that most of them don't survive quite as heartily as that truck has, even to this day.
I bought a Lexus GS460 over another car I was considering: an Impala LTZ. I preferred the GS460’s fit/finish, quiet cabin, performance, ride, and handling, and will be buying a next generation Mazda6 when it goes RWD.
Friday 11/21/2014 my 2007 Chevy cobalt lost steering and braking i slammed into a guard rail at 65 mph my airbags failed to deploy luckily i only sustained minor injuries. On sat 11/22/2014 I received the recall letter in my mail. And to add insult to injury I received a ticket for failing to control the vehicle which I intend to fight
Just because you lose ign. power, does NOT mean you lose all steering control. True, you do lose power assist, But not the ability to steer the car. It will take more effort, but at highway speeds it isn't that bad. Not sure how this situation caused you to lose control of the car... You still have unassisted steering, and you still have brakes, albeit without anti-lock, but you should still be able to bring the car to a safe, controlled stop. So, what happened???
Andrew Jackson Another thing. You said you didn't get your recall letter until November??? Everybody else got theirs by February/March. Your story is full of holes...
@steve b Blame Obama for that We had 100 companies by 1920 and one by one 97 of them went out of business The U. S. Government should have focused on Tesla and new American car companies preferly like Tesla electric cars.
Brandon S you literally just said it’s their own faults and you didn’t feel bad for those ppl who were victims of faulty accelerators and floor mat issues and you’d chalk it up to inexperienced white knuckle drivers...now you’re using it as examples of problems in cars you should avoid?
I’ve had a notice on my 2007 Buick Lucerne CXL 4.6 for about two years. The ignition switch was replaced in July 2021, as I wasn’t going to risk it on the Lodge as I drove between Farmington/Farmington Hills and Detroit.
It started around 47,000 unit recalls and escalated to 27.5 million+ as it spanned multiple gm brands and models, however the cobalt was the worst struck. Only the tecada airbag recall is larger thus far; also side note. at one point I saw a cobalt almost once every other day on the road, now there extremely rare! Hmm I wonder why?
Good grief!!! How the hell do these people live with themselves, when they've consciously made a decision to put a $ amount on someone's life vs. a product recall? I realise GM isn't alone in committing these heinous crimes, but it boggles my mind that ANYONE would EVER conceive of such a deliberate plan of 'inaction', almost literally playing Russian roulette with their customer's lives. I recognise I'm most probably hopelessly naïve, but apart from a small percentage of people in the population who are diagnosable as psychopaths or sociopaths, I honestly expected better from the majority of the human race. I mean, we're not talking about just a couple of people in a company trying to cover up a mistake - there had to be all sorts of engineers, lawyers, management (etc) involved. Yet they ALL kept quiet??!!! If it's seemingly so easy for a sizeable group of people to brazenly do something that's patently, terribly wrong, it kinda makes me give up on the human race as a whole. DAMN!!!
Profits first. These people don't give a crap about anyone except themselves. They'd throw their own family under the bus to make more money. It's all about money; in America, everything is always about money. ALWAYS.
The last line of this video should tell you all you need to know about these people. 15 people lost there jobs so the executives could point a finger away from themselves.
I own a GMC sierra 2014 single cab and my dad ownes a 2011 GMC sierra SLT double cab and my mom drives a 2008 GMC ACADIA + A tahoe 2009 Z71 in standby. I have to say that am so disappointed. shame on you GM. shame on you >_>
This corporate greed culture is tolerated if not encouraged by governments .... everywhere. If you sue they never suffer, top lawyers and bully tactics. GM, , EXXON VALDEZ, BP. We can't fight corporate fraud without government help. They are complicit. Always.
@@baronvonlimbourgh1716 I see no one trying to get into office that isnt out to steal our money...ever. I am turning 50 next week and I cant remember any leader getting out alive. The people blame, but the leaders all steal, and it keeps goin round.
This isnt just cobalt , its also in 2003 cheve monte carlos. I know I got one. The recall they did was on the key, not the switch. The switch is still in the car. This is the last G.M car I will ever purchase.
I know lots 2 people in my family who have GM vehicles. My Aunt Jo has a 2012 Chevy Cruze, and my Uncle Brian has a 2014 Chevy Corvette Stingray. When I'm in a Buick, a Pontiac, and a Chevy I ask the person who's driving it if they got that recall. I better own a vehicle by Ford Motor Company, Not GM Motors. Shame on GM Motors.
Starting to have flashbacks regarding the Ford Pinto and its infamous exploding gas tank. I’m still floored by that business case. Ford actually had a group of people do an analysis that would compare the cost of the recall, including the cost of material (about $2 each), the labor to make the part switch (I don’t have this figure), and perhaps some incidental costs (not sure if rental cars were part of recalls back then), vs what the total cost would be for legal, including litigation, attorney fees and settlement costs. The analytics team deemed the cost of all legal would be less than the cost of an entire recall. Here’s the thing...somebody, or somebodies, forgot to factor in punitive damages. As bad as deeming that incurring legal fees would be less costly in the end, the fact that they just simply ignored the value of human lives is simply incomprehensible.
A value on human life.... this is what happens when we allow the version of capitalism we embrace to include (nay, necessitate) a heartlessness on the part of those involved. So long as the structure of the corporation is designed to put maximizing profit above life, we will inevitably find that said corporations MUST try to calculate the value of the incalculable (ie - the value of a human life). And for the sake of that almighty dollar they MUST come to a digit which represents human life value. If I'm reading this right, then a human life is worth $200, 000. This is our fault. Either by our action, or more often our INaction, we have allowed this system to be built around us. One which tries to calculate the value of human life, and MUST come to an answer on this, regardless of whether they're making a car, a blender, or a "medicine". Profit first. Welcome to the Curse of the 20th century. We've got just under 100 years to make certain it is not the legacy of the 21st as well.
Is this Canada’s first time dealing with this??? Car manufacturers do this so often that I thought it was common knowledge. It’s so common that the 1984 movie Top Secret showed a Ford Pinto being lightly tapped on the bumper, causing the car to explode due to a well-known manufacturing flaw that had killed many people in real life. Ford felt that it would cost less money to pay the lawsuits than to retool their factories and correct the problem, so they did nothing other than discontinuing the Pinto. I think the Corvair had a similar problem caused by side impacts...whoa, while typing this they actually talked about the Corvair in the video. Long story short, it’s important to do research before buying a vehicle. I recommend never buying a car that’s new to the market, but to stick to a line of vehicles that has been around for a while and has had the kinks worked out (loving my 2014 Mustang). And always check the national recall database whether you buy new or used.
I still have my 2006 Cobalt, which has been fixed since the recall. it was my first car, driving it faithfully and quite often from the time I turned 16 (2008) until my husband and I bought a new car in 2016, the Cobalt becoming his work car. And I used to have a lanyard dangling from my keys before it became a work car. I think I once pulled on the lanyard accidentally while I was in park when I was 18, turning the ignition to accessory. But at the time, I just thought all vehicles did that, as that lanyard was pulled hard when it got caught. But then to hear all the reports after the recall was announced, I couldn't believe that I shrugged off that moment. It was my first car and since no other vehicle I had driven in did not have a lanyard, I just thought it was a lanyard problem, not a severe ignition problem! I have a safe driving record as of the date of this comment (never been in an accident, never got a ticket), but a safe record can't protect you from a tug on those keys when driving 110 km on the highway. I'm just thankful I stayed safe when driving that car until it got fixed. I don't drive with a lanyard anymore either, haven't since getting the new car. I do like Chevy, but GM needed and still needs to get their act together.
the new stuff is all junk. the last GM forged steel crankshaft was in 1968. the new ones are just cast so they wont last. the last time MOPAR offered a 200 mph speedometer was 1971 as I have one from the factory in my Dodge Charger. if I were to actually buy a new car I would buy a Tesla model 3 but I can rebuild cars so I don't have to own junk. the model 3 is priced reasonably and has a warranty for those with limited brain power and zero mechanical ability. it has very parts to wear out compared to a car with internal combustion engine. I would avoid any other electric car except maybe the original tesla roadster as I love Lotus and these cars are upgradeable to newer battery packs and tesla parts.
I have a Cobalt that I got in 2008 and it's been the best car I've veer had. 85,000 miles and not one problem. I got a letter about the ignition switch and was told to bring it into the dealership to be fixed immediately. I did that and they replaced it. I feel terrible for the victims but I love my car. I will have had it for 12 years in January.
I cant even watch this one bc GM still is in business and it just reminds me how we as humans need to stand up for ourselves against these companies and we aren't
Everyone is criticizing GM for the switch and I can’t blame them. But I will have to say that today their quality has gone up. I still think that GM from 1987-2013 absolutely sucked. They made unreliable shitboxes that were very unsafe and unreliable. Now I think GM is finally doing well again, not great, but better. Let’s also not forget the Toyota “sticky pedal” recall.
GM has been getting away with murder for way too long. Some are going to laugh at that statement, but it's true. GM is the reason the US and Canadian Governments had to step in and make sure Auto makers were building safe automobiles, bringing in new safety regulations and laws. With these new rules came new and costly oversight, which lead to safer cars right? Not at GM, or Ford in the 1970's both had vehicles with gas tanks that would explode in a impact. The difference is Ford fixed the Pinto's gas tank, GM did nothing. Time and time again GM fails to recall defected products, yet when the economy collapsed they took money offered from the Government ( Our Tax Dollars) to keep from closing their doors. Yet they still do not care about us The People that buy their Cars, The People that saved them from Going Out Of Business. Just a side note here Chrysler also took money but they do recalls pretty fast, Ford did not take nor need any bailout money but they too recall or send out warnings asap. GM still just hopes no one will know, WHY?
I felt really bad people were killed in the fatalities accidents due faulty ignition switches. However i'm sticking my own Dodge, Ram, Jeep, Chrysler, Toyota, Honda, Acura, Subaru, Mitsubishi, Kia, Nissan, Maserati, Mercedes-Benz, Scion, Volvo, Lexus, Audi, Mini Cooper, Hyundai, Suzaki, Land Rover, Infiniti, Jaguar, Tesla and Aston Martin.
Do you have any of the Jeeps that have the gas tank right behind the rear bumper? Chrysler's solution was to install a trailer hitch to strengthen the rear of the car. Ah, no thanks.
The 2018 Freightliner tractor does the same thing, bump it with your knee and the engine turns off, but accessory is 2 clicks from run. From the off position, right is run and to the left is accessory.
I've never heard anything good about Transport Canada either. alot of these cars look like distracted driving and or speeding deaths to cause that damage. But nope it''s GM's fault....So for all you know GM probably did make note to Transport Canada, but TC probably just brushed it off like they do for School Buses and their seat belts. Funny how that one drunk kid died from drinking and riving but yet it's still GM's fault lol WOW...
I have a 2008 Impala. They did a recall a year or two ago on it. And what they did was mind boggling. The ignition key had a slot to put it on the keyring with, and what they did was to install a filler block on the slot with a round hole in the middle of it. Supposedly it was to "prevent" the key from being pulled on its side(and therefore turning it) Looks like they still haven't fixed the problem at the source. A proper recall would have been to replace the ignition switch with one that was more robust. But no, that would cost them a couple of bucks/per car.
One also needs to look at the switch positioning (ACC is the the key being positioned perfectly vertical) along with the fact that other keys and a key ring will most likely be hanging from that ignition key. Could going over a bump with a heavy key ring hanging move the key from ON to ACC ???
Guy Rutledge I have a 2015 Toyota Tacoma and I have a decently heavy and large key ring. I have gone over the WORST bumps off-road and on road and not once have I even come close to having any issue. My keys take a decent bit of force to move which is a great safety feature. This is crap of GM
A guy I worked with had a F150 cruise control caught fire in the cab & burnt his truck to the ground it took a car on each side and in front of it with it.
Basically all American cars are junk lol. Not that I haven't owned any though but yea it's very hit and miss. I actually think Chrysler has had less safety issues than Ford or GM even though they have a horrible reputation for quality as well lol
oddball0045 you're right all the manufacturers have gone down in quality in the last ten years or so. It's all about profits now, not pride in their products
I had an 05 cobalt SS Supercharged. When i got it i was like wo the ignition switch is really light. I took off all my keychains. It turned off two times in the 5 years i owned the car. Once while in a parking lot, and once on a freeway going 60+. The recall came out and said to remove keychains from your keys. I also had the power steering failures in this car. That failed so many times. Ill never by a GM car again, ticking time bomb
+Жак Морозов Your comment lost all credibility when you said Nissan isn't bad. They're almost as bad as Chrysler. Their CVT (that they put in everything) is total garbage and their quality is abysmal, especially since they "partnered" with Renault.
Knowingly aware of the GM's Cobalt's fatal faulty ignition switch back in 2001, THEY still decided to mass produce it!! In their cost effective analyses, the GM corporation, willfully decided that IT WAS CHEAPER to pay for each and any legal claims against them instead of paying$.57 to correct along with labor costs in a nationwide manufacturer's recall!! All in the name of saving and making more money on the backs of their customers safety!! Then, in 2008, during the financial U.S. depression, THEY CAME to Capitol Hill, in their PRIVATE CORPORATE JETS, to ask for bailout money. AND CONGRESS KNOWINGLY AWARE OF THEIR MANUFACTURING FAILURE, Instead of forcing them to correct it, fine, and deny their request for the bailout??!!! It just goes to show, the les of corruption within the government, Congress, and big corporations that conscientiously CHOOSE TO PUT GAINS AND PROFITS AHEAD OF PEOPLE'S SAFETY!! BECAUSE THEY KNOW THAT THE LAWS IN THE BOOKS ARE AND CAN BE CIRCUMCISED/CIRCUMVENTED WITH BIG FINANCIAL CONTRIBUTIONS TO KEY POLITICIANS!!! When are we going to stand up, say ENOUGH!, and hold them accountable?!! These matters include and involve EVERYONE across America!! Our daughters, sons, wives, sisters, brothers,etc. ARE INVOLVED!! IF we continue to ignore these BLATANT illegal, corrupt and selfish big corporations decisions, only shows how indifferent and uncaring we have become about how much we ACTUALLY "CARE" WHEN IT COMES TO THE SAFETY OF THOSE WHOM WE CLAIM AND PROFESS LOVE FOR, All on the name of the ALMIGHTY DOLLAR!!
You take the total number of cars in the field, A, multiply by the probable rate of failure, B, and multiply by the result of the average out-of-court settlement, C.... A x B x C equals X... if X is less than the cost of a recall, we don't do one.
@@Bartonovich52 fight club was years before this issue was public. The mustang gas tank predates the pinto, which I think(not sure) was the same gas tank issue. But this is all good commenting in this thread. I am glad you brought up the pinto brah!!
I thought that Canada would have the same or better protection laws than the U.S. I never heard of the Pontiac Pursuit until after watching this report. Good investigative reporting.
Not quite. This documentary shows that GM has had quality and safety issues for decades, and despite the fact that their mistakes and negligence continue to cost lives, they are prioritizing profit over safety with the Canadian government's blessing.
I am going to tell you people right now, GM is not the only company that will do this type of thing. I worked at a motorcycle dealership. I've seen this type of thing from all Japanese brand motorcycles we sold. there are a lot of bikes out on the road that have defects like this that only get issued a service bulletin. my 2003 yamaha R6 was one of them. it would randomly shut off while riding. as for the keyed ignitions, the problem mainly comes from people putting too many keys on their keyring. gm isn't the only company that has had "too easy to turn" ignitions. Volkswagon was one that would do it too. you can't install 10 keys and a bunch of tags on a set of keys and not expect it to put pressure on the ignition and damage it over time. thankfully now we can move on from keyed ignitions to push button and remotes. and keep in mind a lot of these components are not made by the manufacture of the cars. almost no manufacture makes all of it's own parts. only the major parts of the vehicle. I would even bet my house that the only thing most of them do is make their own body and the rest is made by contracted companies. so if this plunger was changed it's very likely GM didn't actually know about it.
My mom bought a lightly used 2005 and still under warranty . Had it a week and would just drop dead constantly .She took it to several dealers for service and after changing injectors cleaning the fuel tank and a software upgrade she drive off confident and dropped dead entering traffic .Dealership took it back in gave her a loaner and flew a engineer in from the east coast to supposedly install a new version of the ecm or computer .Her stepson bought it and got the switch recall notice so he took it in and they checked vin and said nope it's been fixed already .Now I hate GM as a truck I bought new was taken in 27 times for issues then the paint flaked off and no warranty for that but they hid the switch issue and fixed it without admitting any problem to my mom
What i fail to understand having a good amount of automotive experience myself is even if your ignition moves to the accessory position your steering wheel doesn't lock and your brakes work the same if your car isn't running yes you will loose power steering so unless they were in a turn when the car shut off I find it unbelievable they could not maintain control...however the airbags not deploying If the ignition is in accessory position is a engineering blooper
What do they do to try an fix this giant problem? Maybe give car owners a new ignition assembly which requires more torque to turn it? Of course not! They just give you a key housing with a hole instead of a slot to avoid it swinging as much... Thats a GM recall for ya...
So many times we’ve heard about fatal accidents caused by known defects. When will there be criminal charges against the CEO’s for holding profit over someone’s life.
Ford Explorer aka ford Exploder. Ford has been guilty of the same business culture. Pretty much all your large car manufacturers. That's why it really pays to do extensive research on any vehicle you plan on purchasing.
Just a friendly reminder: GM Products still, from the factory, are coming with safety recalls and defects. 2018+ Silverado's, Tahoe's, and Suburbans (and the same platform through other brands) have a seat belt failure where the insert may come loose from the seat at any moment without warning. Said vehicles are also seeing gasket failures at or under 5k miles.
well after watching this im going out 2 gms in my driveway with keys and inspecting them both for this defect since the years of them are close to the colbalts in this
I had a 2006 Cobalt. Loved it. No problems at all. Conversely I met a woman at the local post office who would only drive hers around town reluctantly. Said she had many problems with it shutting off while driving. Said she was " Stuck" with the loan and couldn't get rid of it. I dk. I was amazed she drove it at all.
How dark is your heart that you can actually say that you'd rather just pay off the lawsuit than to fix a problem that's going to save lives? That's saying that you're perfectly fine with people dying to save your pockets. No...that means you put a pricetag on people's lives. I guess you don't know them, they're just faceless people to you, it comes with the business. That's what's most disturbing.
No matter what is said and done coming from a technician, automotive tuner and overall lifetime automotive person, Toyota and Honda are the best vehicles period! FACTS
You can argue every car manufacturers had problems like this like audi had a similar problems with the TT but unlike GM they addressed the problems much faster in months or a year before the new year car model sad that US tax payers keep these companies afloat
I will start out by admitting that I am a super pro GM person. I love American automobiles and at the present time Ford and GM are the only American automobile companies standing. I want these companies to prosper and succeed. I will only buy an automobile that is designed and manufactured in the United States - even if it was garbage! It is clear that high level GM management were fully aware of the low detent problem on the ignition switch for probably 15 years. They tried very hard to cover up the problem in an attempt to save money. The bean counters have done careful cost analyses on each known problem before if any action is taken. The goal is maximize profit. This is absolutely criminal with no excuses. That said, it would be naive for any one of us to believe that this problem is confined to GM. I am sure that all companies make profit their top priority. If there is any doubt just look at how many jobs have been farmed out to China. These days it seems to me that it is in the American culture to make a quick profit now, and not worry about the consequences in the future. I don't think this is just an American problem either. I am sure it applies to companies around the world. Everybody is talking about customer service and company integrity but the truth is making a quick profit is above all. Yes, this is tragic.
opjoipopikopp[pl[p[ I want GM to do well, too. There is a GM plant in our area that's just about the only think we have go ing for us, economically, and it hasn't been doing well lately. They recently went down to one shift only. Interestingly, it's one of the plants that manufactured the Cobalts. (Lordstown, Ohio.)
A female friend of mine died in an accident back in 2012 in Kansas driving a 2008 Chevy Cobalt. She lost control stopping at a stop light on a wet road. It was dismissed as a driver error, but I'm pretty sure it was due to this.
My grandma had a cobalt back in 2006 the car would always stall on her on the highway and when she took it to the Chevy dealership they would Always say the same thing “We can not duplicate your problem” after that my grandma got a corolla and then 8 years later she gets a letter in the mail saying their was a recall and if she bought another Chevy she would get her money back and she always told me “Why would I buy a Chevy after I was almost killed in one.” It was ridiculous GM didn’t care about this problem.
The 16-Bit Guy Thank God she survived her Cobalt!
Toyotas have a long standing issue with their seats. The issue has killed many people but Toyota refuses to make any changes. Look it up.
That's the problem with Ford, Chevy! Honda, Toyota have problems with their products but it's how they handle them that's the difference.
Low-End Computing she needed to take care of her vehicle
The big culprit was overloaded key rings. And the unable to "duplicate the problem"... huge problem for the diagnosis tech. That is why I'd ALWAYS have the customer take me on the initial test drive. Too often THEY could make it happen when I could not. You have to duplicate the CONDITIONS to make faults appear. It also showed that I really cared about their problems. (Had a lot of unhappy customers when I had to retire for medical issues)
All because GM management ignored the lower level Engineers screaming about the issue for over a decade.
Still better than Tesla
@@dacealksne Tesla hasn't people with their iginitoin switch yet, GM's faulty ignition did.
why are the senior executives not in jail
They should be rotting in Jail!! #BoycottGM
The answer was in your question... "Senior Executives" You know the "Elite" people always talk about? yea, thats them....
It's called white collar crime for a reason!
The best justice money can buy
Money solves many problems.
I remember reading about this back in '06, '07 or so here in the States. Initially, people were told to remove heavy stuff from their key-rings, or just keep the key separate from all other keys. When they finally fixed the problem, they were going to add a -1 (or something like that) to the new part number. They didn't. The part number remained the same. This compounded the problem immensely-- after the recall, dealers had no way to know if they were changing a defective switch with a new one... or if that switch had already been changed. Chaos. The decision to keep the part number the same clearly came from upper level management-- to keep the whole thing quiet. Result? Numerous cars had new switches installed multiple times, and many cars never got the new switch. Absolutely no way to tell one from the other. Ridiculous and irresponsible. Criminal, even. I'm sorry, Canada, that your Transport Canada department is so spineless, and that they are a "hand-me-down" organization only following what US NTSB decides. That, too, is criminal.
I don't know why part of my comment has a line through it. Weird.
It's not just a problem in Canada and it's not just the Cobalt. This is so sad that anyone should lose a life because of a defective car.
I've known of the same problem in Chevy pick ups and full size Buicks.
It wasn't until after watching this program that I realized how fortunate that I am. The Chevy that I drove did the same thing and the key could be pulled out with the ignition in the "on" position. I didn't think much of it except that it was odd. Now I know just how dangerous that was. Thanks for sharing.
I've been an avid GM enthusiast for over 45 years . It's video evidence like this that prove how stupidly naive I have been and I am ashamed of the level of deceit the upper management has positioned themselves in and I am both humbled and appreciative to the fifth estate for their every effort taken in exposing these not so slick white collar criminals for who they really are .
I'm mechanic and I can honestly say that the majority of my revenue comes from GM,FORD AND CHRYSLER but mainly General Motors. Stay away from domestic vehicles! Vote with your money!
Why did the government bail them out again?
D Ch Chinese money in back door deals. Thats why.
Obummer and the unions! Pure evil!!!
D Ch because the world is a business mr. beale
the gov bailed out everyone even ford who has recalls over doors opening, steering wheels falling off...
No u
I was an independent shop owner during the time that GM was hiding the facts regarding that "detent pawl" issue .
I had begun advising customers to never place more than 2 keys on the same ring as the ignition switch key due to the fact that the switch was so easily turned to the accessory position as early as 2004, due to 2 other GM compact models that exhibited the same type of defect.
Hiding problems and lying about problems to preserve profits is the hallmark of American corporations.
Killing people to preserve profits should be a criminal offense, with those guilty parties prosecuted.
McDonell Douglas now part of Boeing had an issue with its rear cargo door on the DC-10 that could come open and depressurize the jetliner. It was cheaper to take lawsuits from crashes than to fix the door.
@@rscott2247 When some of the airplane makers began the shift to "fly by wire" there were several fatal crashes. I had a close friend that died in a C-5A @ Dobbins AFB due to a defective servo....
I remember watching this video for the first one back in early 2016, I had just purchased a 2010 Chevrolet Cobalt LT, it had the recall preformed on it for the switch but the little nervousness of my car unable to shake. Eventually around the 95k mile mark it blew a head gasket a no longer ran correctly. That was last American vehicle we will own in our home. Was so disappointed in myself for my poor research of this car and to this day have convinced several of my friends & coworkers to NEVER buy a GM product!
This decision by GM is no different than any other publicly traded company. The motto is, "If the stockholders are happy, everyone should be happy".
I've owned mostly GM vehicles over the past 44 years. I still have 7 in my 'collection' and daily drive an '89 Buick. That being said, when the 'bailouts' were occurring I said back then "LET THEM FAIL". Even though I like GM vehicles AND worked for a supplier for GM, incompetence in running a business, whether a car company or a banking firm should NOT be an excuse to ask for a bailed out.
Pain is a lasting lesson , be it physical, emotional, or FINANCIAL. Had the car companies AND banks NOT been bailed out PERHAPS a lesson would have been learned and history would NOT repeat itself.
But if GM went under... Who would recall the cars? ... I also wonder how much effort is put into finding and notifying Saturn and Pontiac owners as those dealers no longer exist.
I remember back when that recall happened. My mom had one of the affected vehicles we got second hand, so we just took the switch out entirely and just touched the wires together to start, and pull a fuse to turn it off. I think we ended up selling it for its weight in scrap because there were simply so many parts going bad at once that it was cheaper to get the scrap money and buy another car with fewer problems.
I'm on a fifth estate binge
Judith Jackson same;)
Same!
Me too, it's so interesting! I wish American journalism was this good!
I’m not even from Canada..
Chrysler Concord 1994 we bought used in 1997. The switch didn't move, but at 65 mph it would short out the gauges would slam max then zero out and the transmission would go into first gear.
Scared the crap out of us. No one encounters a similar problem. I had the ignition switch swapped out and it fixed the problem.
No recall ever on the cars ingnition.
I have never had a car not have one or more electrical problem.
All car manufactures do this, they silently update parts and never notify the consumer unless they're forced to.
users.wfu.edu/palmitar/Law&Valuation/Papers/1999/Leggett-pinto.html
TESLA too?
@@Brent_Mosey _ALL_ car brands
No accountability, leads to a sense of false entitlement. Many modern corporation believe their is no cost to great in the name of profit. We are to told to be proud of this, when in fact we should be ashamed.
It would cost allot more than .52$ to fix those switches!! I'll bet it would take a couple hours of labor, which is where the money would be spent!
gary bulwinkle well it wouldn’t have cost more than it ended up costing them...including criminal charges and having to do the recall anyway.
gary bulwinkle plus it’s the dealerships own mechanics that would’ve been fixing them. I dont know if it really would’ve taken all that long to replace.
The Fifth Estate , Great Canadian Program !!!!
the ignition switch issues are still happening even now in 2015 and GM still hasn't fixed it
That's crazy!
I know shame on GM for not telling us about this serious problem
Good thing my mom's Montana was repossessed.
Eli Loechel HA! You are poor!
GM cannot be trusted with their vehicles
I'm mechanic and I can honestly say that the majority of my revenue comes from GM,FORD AND CHRYSLER but mainly General Motors. Stay away from domestic vehicles! Vote with your money!
those cars are garbage, plain and simple.
This fiasco and all the innocent lives lost hurts my heart.. I've never been a fan of GM products and will never EVER purchase a GM product.
This "defect" was caused partly by user error. When the engine turns off, you loose power steering and have limited number of power assisted brakes. The ignition switch in "acc" mode will still allow you to steer (the car will have mechanical steering) and have full power of braking (vacuum assist is stored in the booster). The ignition key should be used without any extra junk on the key ring. Over time, the wear and tear from the weight of the extra stuff on the key would cause the switch to turn off.
Most people have never bothered to read the owner's manual or learn how to drive without power brakes and steering.
Finally, GM built tons of POS cars that didn't allow the Airbags to deploy when the engine off - Key on.
You do realize every single car manufacturer on the planet is guilty of this to some extent... GM just got caught...
Same! Gm is trash
@@boydcrowder6130 So true. Name any car manufacturer.
@@brarautorepairs I had a '85 Renault Encore like that, non power steering and brakes standard on that car, well familiar driving with no power anything.
GM must be the most irresponsible company in the world.
@Brandon S if those other companies also ignore problems, they are irresponsible too. this doesn't change the fact that the actions make the company irresponsible... such a strange rebuke.
*Chrysler Group has entered the chat with the 1993-04 Grand Cherokee fuel fed fires*
@@rileysmith9843 Didn't that start in like 2013? I wasn't sure when that recall started.
@@kylechellino2579 Some of these fires happened before the recall even began.
@@rileysmith9843 Damn, and Chrysler new about it I assume?
Pretty obvious if you ride in any GM product made in the last 20 years that it is a collection of cut corners.
Laws should be passed to hold GM execs criminally responsible for such actions.
Transport Canada, the same goes for them. Fire the whole lot and rebuild the program.
As for the politicians, they too should be held to the same standards and go to jail when found to be lying like she did.
Where are our so called Canadian ethics?
I feel for all the people that have been affected by the greed of all the above horrible people.
Thanks to institutions like The Fifth Estate.
Regards.
GM's history of ignoring lethal safety defects and wiggling out of liability with the help of the US government is why I will never buy a GM product again. It's not just the callous indifference to its customers' safety, but that even if they did it again it's likely they'll get out of responsibility for it because GM is just that powerful in my country. At least foreign car companies are held liable for their failures.
I approve this message, and I also support your NCSOFT Boycott, I'm a former CoV, Tabula Rasa, Auto Assault, and Exteel player, so I feel your pain. ;)
actually they became fully liable for old GM after the cover up since it was in violation of the terms of the bankruptcy . they had actually fixed a recall that was recalled 3 time for the same issue on 3.8l engines that "catch fire" for older pre 2007 gm cars
They've all done it at some point.
Remember the sticking accelerator issue that Toyota knew about but covered up several years ago?
they all do it it is not just GM we use a lot of Ford trucks and there was a huge recall on Fuel lines and fires
Lee S. Nissan’s chairman Charles Ghosn was fired this year.
"Been drinking heavily with friends" 25:47. That means Dany was just as a potential murderer as the faulty ignition switch, endangering other innocent road users. I have sympathy with his parents but I have no respect or sympathy for drunk drivers, sorry Dany.
Sadly it caused the investigators to drag their feet with the investigation, "drunk driver.. he might have bumped it, thats all" and might not have dug into it as deeply as they could have.
Her drinking has no relevance to the faulty switch.
Pyrobob *His
I've turned off my ignition while driving to test a problem I was and having and all it does is gradually bring you to a stop. Steering is a little stiffer and brakes require more effort. but no loss of control. There is way more to these accidents that we are not being told
were you expecting the ignition switch to be turned off? Were you in a curve at high speed? Were you in one of these cars?
That's you though, BUT some people panic!
It's a lot different when you EXPECT it to happen & you know about cars. Duh.
My wife got messed up by a bad airbag sensor in her gm Saturn. We weren’t informed of the recall until after the wreck!
what happened? the airbag exploded for no reason?
AUDI did the same, the cars just stopped, I found myself at night on 3000 meters altitude with two crying toddlers, in freezing temperatures. No one around. Fortunately I had a fully charged cellphone. In Europe there's no punitive damages in court. They just paid the expenses to come and get me, and to fix the car. And they knew the A6 had the defect. Never again an Audi!
I'm American, this Canadian show is very nice to see, so I appreciate the segments that've been published, even though the video is now very old.
However, it is exactly the GM Delta platform (which was the Saturn Ion, Chevrolet Cobalt, Pontiac G4/Pursuit) that will keep me from even considering a GM product from the 2002 to 2022 model years. Not just the ignition switch, but general reliability. That's not to say that Ford hasn't made mistakes, but GM's sure seem to be the worst in that they do like to hide things. Ford's transmission woes and even body component defects on its mid-size and full-size SUVs (the Ford Explorer from 2001 and onward, specifically, from experience, for the body issue, and about half of their model lineups featuring JUST the Automatic transmissions from about 1992 to about 2007) make it bad enough, but at least we are aware of and are able to plan for such terminal issues, they aren't necessarily life threatening. Mostly expensive or an inconvenience from the perspective of preserving the appearance of the vehicle.
Not to mention, the feel of GM vehicles have been something I disliked. I've driven a 2000 Chevy Blazer; didn't care for the soft front suspension feel, having been used to the firm and planted Explorer from 1999 and then 2001 and 2002. I drove a 2009 Impala for a day and returned it to the rental agency because I hated the feeling of the car. And Just 5 seconds seated in the HHR was enough for me to refuse to even put the key in the ignition. The one and only GM vehicle I liked was a 50th Anniversary 2003 Chevrolet Corvette that I drove for 2 miles in a very gentle and careful fashion, just because I was offered the chance to drive such a performance vehicle. I don't care what you own or drive, a real car person respects the Corvette, even if you dislike it.
Call it bias, but the feel of Ford has long been my preference. Not just for driver comfort, but for the way they feel connected to the road. Ranger, Taurus, Explorer, F-Series. They all shared a comfortable ride, comfortable seating and a firm, sure-footed connection to the pavement with perfectly responsive steering. My biggest complaint IS the Transmission but only if it has an automatic. The manual transmission is something you cannot and should not mess with. Our 1967 Ford Ranger has never once had the transmission opened, and has only been disconnected from its engine twice in 51 years, both times for a rebuild of the engine and the engine alone. But that's what we've considered a very special truck, in that most of them don't survive quite as heartily as that truck has, even to this day.
I bought a Lexus GS460 over another car I was considering: an Impala LTZ. I preferred the GS460’s fit/finish, quiet cabin, performance, ride, and handling, and will be buying a next generation Mazda6 when it goes RWD.
I will never purchase a GM product!
Friday 11/21/2014 my 2007 Chevy cobalt lost steering and braking i slammed into a guard rail at 65 mph my airbags failed to deploy luckily i only sustained minor injuries. On sat 11/22/2014 I received the recall letter in my mail. And to add insult to injury I received a ticket for failing to control the vehicle which I intend to fight
Just because you lose ign. power, does NOT mean you lose all steering control.
True, you do lose power assist,
But not the ability to steer the car.
It will take more effort, but at highway speeds it isn't that bad.
Not sure how this situation caused you to lose control of the car...
You still have unassisted steering, and you still have brakes, albeit without anti-lock,
but you should still be able to bring the car to a safe, controlled stop.
So, what happened???
Steering locked and brakes failed
Andrew Jackson
The steering did not lock, and the brakes did not fail...
Did you not comprehend anything I said above?
Andrew Jackson
Another thing.
You said you didn't get your recall letter until November???
Everybody else got theirs by February/March.
Your story is full of holes...
Woman and youths have different upper body strengths than others
no wonder they went bankrupt
And were bailed out by our tax money
mithun manohar the reason also has to do with the unions getting what they want excessive pay and benefits.
GM should have been put out of business for this
They have all done it, Ford, GM, Chrysler, FIAT, Honda, Toyota, VW, name the brand.
@steve b Blame Obama for that We had 100 companies by 1920 and one by one 97 of them went out of business The U. S. Government should have focused on Tesla and new American car companies preferly like Tesla electric cars.
@@kevinloving5688
Tesla....
Oh yeah, the ones with the vehicles that burst into flames from battery fires???
O5fordgtx
Following that line of logic, ALL car makers whould have been put out of business.....
@@lees.4084 That was the Fisker Karma
GM is crap. Their once good reputation went downhill since the arrival of the Vega over 40 years ago.
@Brandon S I mean it's true, when has GM ever made a good 21st century car that wasn't a Tahoe or Silverado?
You know why that Chevy ad is saying forever young? It's because the drivers are Chevy will never grow old, cause they'll be dead
This is why all companies need to be heavily regulated. For profit companies will not voluntarily disclose their errors that leave them liable.
Elizabeth M (most) Corporations & ALL corrupt Politicians have "hiding the truth" in common, sad to say.
GM should have been forced to offer to buy the cars back I think
@steve b They did. I had mine replaced free after a recall letter.
c z I simply traded my Impala in for an ES350 in 2015.
....but screaming, when VW had non critical issues with there Diesel
Canadian govt conspires to this day. We just scrapped the E Test in Canada... most likely dictated by VW's Corporate Screw Twisters.
non critical? Wait until you can't breath. Apparently , only then will you'll understand. No one notices problems until it affects THEM.
@@d.e.b.b5788 even if every Canadian drives a VW diesel, it won't be half as bad given the population density.
Drive an import, the life you save could very well be your own
GM is an American company, Chevy’s are imports in Canada.
@@louiemarroquin40 Truth...
Brandon S you literally just said it’s their own faults and you didn’t feel bad for those ppl who were victims of faulty accelerators and floor mat issues and you’d chalk it up to inexperienced white knuckle drivers...now you’re using it as examples of problems in cars you should avoid?
This is scary. These bastards know no limits.
Who? The car company, or the minister, or the bureaucrats?
@@abhinandanb all of them
This wasn't or isn't just limited to the cobalt, alot of cars got those crap ignitions, I got a notice for my grand prix.
I think my friend's Monti Carlo had that notice as well.
My Camry was like that bad.
We've had a notice issued for our 2002 Malibu base model a few years ago. The ignition switch on it has since been replaced.
I’ve had a notice on my 2007 Buick Lucerne CXL 4.6 for about two years. The ignition switch was replaced in July 2021, as I wasn’t going to risk it on the Lodge as I drove between Farmington/Farmington Hills and Detroit.
It started around 47,000 unit recalls and escalated to 27.5 million+ as it spanned multiple gm brands and models, however the cobalt was the worst struck. Only the tecada airbag recall is larger thus far; also side note. at one point I saw a cobalt almost once every other day on the road, now there extremely rare! Hmm I wonder why?
Good grief!!! How the hell do these people live with themselves, when they've consciously made a decision to put a $ amount on someone's life vs. a product recall? I realise GM isn't alone in committing these heinous crimes, but it boggles my mind that ANYONE would EVER conceive of such a deliberate plan of 'inaction', almost literally playing Russian roulette with their customer's lives.
I recognise I'm most probably hopelessly naïve, but apart from a small percentage of people in the population who are diagnosable as psychopaths or sociopaths, I honestly expected better from the majority of the human race. I mean, we're not talking about just a couple of people in a company trying to cover up a mistake - there had to be all sorts of engineers, lawyers, management (etc) involved. Yet they ALL kept quiet??!!! If it's seemingly so easy for a sizeable group of people to brazenly do something that's patently, terribly wrong, it kinda makes me give up on the human race as a whole. DAMN!!!
The love of money is the root of all evil.
Profits first. These people don't give a crap about anyone except themselves. They'd throw their own family under the bus to make more money. It's all about money; in America, everything is always about money. ALWAYS.
No one cares how it boggles your mind🤣
The last line of this video should tell you all you need to know about these people. 15 people lost there jobs so the executives could point a finger away from themselves.
I own a GMC sierra 2014 single cab and my dad ownes a 2011 GMC sierra SLT double cab and my mom drives a 2008 GMC ACADIA + A tahoe 2009 Z71 in standby. I have to say that am so disappointed. shame on you GM. shame on you >_>
Trade them in for a Toyota NOW!
GM must be one of the least Trustworthy companies in the world !
You never Drove a FORD have you?
Matt seen a lot more junk that is GM then anything else myself. Its always been that way.
*WHAT CRAZY FUCK WOULD BUY A GM*
This corporate greed culture is tolerated if not encouraged by governments .... everywhere. If you sue they never suffer, top lawyers and bully tactics. GM, , EXXON VALDEZ, BP.
We can't fight corporate fraud without government help. They are complicit. Always.
Then stop voting in politicians that get campaign funds from corperations...
@@baronvonlimbourgh1716 I see no one trying to get into office that isnt out to steal our money...ever. I am turning 50 next week and I cant remember any leader getting out alive. The people blame, but the leaders all steal, and it keeps goin round.
Criminals defending and protecting criminals since 1776
@@BigWesLawns they are there, but not on tv. Cause they don't have any money to run a campaign..
EVERYONE does cost calculations... the GOV does the same thing...
Mr. McKeown is a fantastic interviewer/reporter.
This isnt just cobalt , its also in 2003 cheve monte carlos. I know I got one. The recall they did was on the key, not the switch. The switch is still in the car. This is the last G.M car I will ever purchase.
I know lots 2 people in my family who have GM vehicles. My Aunt Jo has a 2012 Chevy Cruze, and my Uncle Brian has a 2014 Chevy Corvette Stingray. When I'm in a Buick, a Pontiac, and a Chevy I ask the person who's driving it if they got that recall. I better own a vehicle by Ford Motor Company, Not GM Motors. Shame on GM Motors.
Moral of the story: We need to make sure that lawsuits are always more expensive than not solving a technical issue.
Agree 👏
Bought a cobalt in 2008, traded it in for a Toyota after this ignition failed on me twice on low city speeds. My Corolla has no issues at 280K km.
The way Bob McKeown speaks makes me feel like I'm losing my mind.
Oh my goodness... me too !!!!
Starting to have flashbacks regarding the Ford Pinto and its infamous exploding gas tank. I’m still floored by that business case. Ford actually had a group of people do an analysis that would compare the cost of the recall, including the cost of material (about $2 each), the labor to make the part switch (I don’t have this figure), and perhaps some incidental costs (not sure if rental cars were part of recalls back then), vs what the total cost would be for legal, including litigation, attorney fees and settlement costs.
The analytics team deemed the cost of all legal would be less than the cost of an entire recall. Here’s the thing...somebody, or somebodies, forgot to factor in punitive damages.
As bad as deeming that incurring legal fees would be less costly in the end, the fact that they just simply ignored the value of human lives is simply incomprehensible.
A value on human life.... this is what happens when we allow the version of capitalism we embrace to include (nay, necessitate) a heartlessness on the part of those involved. So long as the structure of the corporation is designed to put maximizing profit above life, we will inevitably find that said corporations MUST try to calculate the value of the incalculable (ie - the value of a human life). And for the sake of that almighty dollar they MUST come to a digit which represents human life value. If I'm reading this right, then a human life is worth $200, 000.
This is our fault. Either by our action, or more often our INaction, we have allowed this system to be built around us. One which tries to calculate the value of human life, and MUST come to an answer on this, regardless of whether they're making a car, a blender, or a "medicine". Profit first. Welcome to the Curse of the 20th century. We've got just under 100 years to make certain it is not the legacy of the 21st as well.
Is this Canada’s first time dealing with this??? Car manufacturers do this so often that I thought it was common knowledge. It’s so common that the 1984 movie Top Secret showed a Ford Pinto being lightly tapped on the bumper, causing the car to explode due to a well-known manufacturing flaw that had killed many people in real life. Ford felt that it would cost less money to pay the lawsuits than to retool their factories and correct the problem, so they did nothing other than discontinuing the Pinto. I think the Corvair had a similar problem caused by side impacts...whoa, while typing this they actually talked about the Corvair in the video. Long story short, it’s important to do research before buying a vehicle. I recommend never buying a car that’s new to the market, but to stick to a line of vehicles that has been around for a while and has had the kinks worked out (loving my 2014 Mustang). And always check the national recall database whether you buy new or used.
I love how the GM headquarters building is shaped like the people who make those decisions.
I still have my 2006 Cobalt, which has been fixed since the recall. it was my first car, driving it faithfully and quite often from the time I turned 16 (2008) until my husband and I bought a new car in 2016, the Cobalt becoming his work car. And I used to have a lanyard dangling from my keys before it became a work car. I think I once pulled on the lanyard accidentally while I was in park when I was 18, turning the ignition to accessory. But at the time, I just thought all vehicles did that, as that lanyard was pulled hard when it got caught. But then to hear all the reports after the recall was announced, I couldn't believe that I shrugged off that moment. It was my first car and since no other vehicle I had driven in did not have a lanyard, I just thought it was a lanyard problem, not a severe ignition problem! I have a safe driving record as of the date of this comment (never been in an accident, never got a ticket), but a safe record can't protect you from a tug on those keys when driving 110 km on the highway. I'm just thankful I stayed safe when driving that car until it got fixed. I don't drive with a lanyard anymore either, haven't since getting the new car. I do like Chevy, but GM needed and still needs to get their act together.
Never going to buy a GM car ever. GG
+Waltzcarer So many companies have done this sort of thing. So many companies have put themselves dead-centre in a scandal. Each product is different.
Waltzcarer Plus I was nearly killed after a rollover accident in a 2008 Tahoe. Never buying a narrow track SUV. I think it was an icy road.
jacob is right toyota sticking fuel peadles,ford sterring wheels coming off
ford seatbelts dont retract either and they have the same key bump movement in the 2012 Focus due to key position
the new stuff is all junk. the last GM forged steel crankshaft was in 1968. the new ones are just cast so they wont last. the last time MOPAR offered a 200 mph speedometer was 1971 as I have one from the factory in my Dodge Charger. if I were to actually buy a new car I would buy a Tesla model 3 but I can rebuild cars so I don't have to own junk. the model 3 is priced reasonably and has a warranty for those with limited brain power and zero mechanical ability. it has very parts to wear out compared to a car with internal combustion engine. I would avoid any other electric car except maybe the original tesla roadster as I love Lotus and these cars are upgradeable to newer battery packs and tesla parts.
I have a Cobalt that I got in 2008 and it's been the best car I've veer had. 85,000 miles and not one problem. I got a letter about the ignition switch and was told to bring it into the dealership to be fixed immediately. I did that and they replaced it. I feel terrible for the victims but I love my car. I will have had it for 12 years in January.
I cant even watch this one bc GM still is in business and it just reminds me how we as humans need to stand up for ourselves against these companies and we aren't
I live about 100 miles from marigold,ms awesome yall came down to my neck of the woods
Everyone is criticizing GM for the switch and I can’t blame them. But I will have to say that today their quality has gone up. I still think that GM from 1987-2013 absolutely sucked. They made unreliable shitboxes that were very unsafe and unreliable. Now I think GM is finally doing well again, not great, but better. Let’s also not forget the Toyota “sticky pedal” recall.
Toyota didnt stick it was all the media that thru that out there for gm to get ground
GM has been getting away with murder for way too long. Some are going to laugh at that statement, but it's true. GM is the reason the US and Canadian Governments had to step in and make sure Auto makers were building safe automobiles, bringing in new safety regulations and laws. With these new rules came new and costly oversight, which lead to safer cars right? Not at GM, or Ford in the 1970's both had vehicles with gas tanks that would explode in a impact. The difference is Ford fixed the Pinto's gas tank, GM did nothing. Time and time again GM fails to recall defected products, yet when the economy collapsed they took money offered from the Government ( Our Tax Dollars) to keep from closing their doors. Yet they still do not care about us The People that buy their Cars, The People that saved them from Going Out Of Business. Just a side note here Chrysler also took money but they do recalls pretty fast, Ford did not take nor need any bailout money but they too recall or send out warnings asap. GM still just hopes no one will know, WHY?
I felt really bad people were killed in the fatalities accidents due faulty ignition switches. However i'm sticking my own Dodge, Ram, Jeep, Chrysler, Toyota, Honda, Acura, Subaru, Mitsubishi, Kia, Nissan, Maserati, Mercedes-Benz, Scion, Volvo, Lexus, Audi, Mini Cooper, Hyundai, Suzaki, Land Rover, Infiniti, Jaguar, Tesla and Aston Martin.
Do you have any of the Jeeps that have the gas tank right behind the rear bumper? Chrysler's solution was to install a trailer hitch to strengthen the rear of the car. Ah, no thanks.
I have a challenger and a grand caravan. Love them both never a hint of a problem.
Dodge Jeep killed Anton Yelchin.
Where do you buy a suzaki?
But you'd buy a Mini?
The 2018 Freightliner tractor does the same thing, bump it with your knee and the engine turns off, but accessory is 2 clicks from run.
From the off position, right is run and to the left is accessory.
I've never heard anything good about Transport Canada either. alot of these cars look like distracted driving and or speeding deaths to cause that damage. But nope it''s GM's fault....So for all you know GM probably did make note to Transport Canada, but TC probably just brushed it off like they do for School Buses and their seat belts. Funny how that one drunk kid died from drinking and riving but yet it's still GM's fault lol WOW...
I have a 2008 Impala. They did a recall a year or two ago on it. And what they did was mind boggling. The ignition key had a slot to put it on the keyring with, and what they did was to install a filler block on the slot with a round hole in the middle of it. Supposedly it was to "prevent" the key from being pulled on its side(and therefore turning it) Looks like they still haven't fixed the problem at the source. A proper recall would have been to replace the ignition switch with one that was more robust. But no, that would cost them a couple of bucks/per car.
One also needs to look at the switch positioning (ACC is the the key being positioned perfectly vertical) along with the fact that other keys and a key ring will most likely be hanging from that ignition key. Could going over a bump with a heavy key ring hanging move the key from ON to ACC ???
Guy Rutledge I have a 2015 Toyota Tacoma and I have a decently heavy and large key ring. I have gone over the WORST bumps off-road and on road and not once have I even come close to having any issue. My keys take a decent bit of force to move which is a great safety feature. This is crap of GM
Yeah, another reason not to like GM. Hyundai/Kia are also really bad about recalls as well.
Look up "Ford cruise control switch fires" while you are here! I've seen some of those in person doing salvage.
Let's not forget the Pinto.
A guy I worked with had a F150 cruise control caught fire in the cab & burnt his truck to the ground it took a car on each side and in front of it with it.
Top of the line
In utility-sports!
Unexplained fires
Are a matter for the courts!
Basically all American cars are junk lol. Not that I haven't owned any though but yea it's very hit and miss. I actually think Chrysler has had less safety issues than Ford or GM even though they have a horrible reputation for quality as well lol
oddball0045 you're right all the manufacturers have gone down in quality in the last ten years or so. It's all about profits now, not pride in their products
I had an 05 cobalt SS Supercharged. When i got it i was like wo the ignition switch is really light. I took off all my keychains. It turned off two times in the 5 years i owned the car. Once while in a parking lot, and once on a freeway going 60+. The recall came out and said to remove keychains from your keys. I also had the power steering failures in this car. That failed so many times. Ill never by a GM car again, ticking time bomb
General mistake!
Thank you very much for this post!
Just buy a Toyota, Honda, Nissan, Subaru, Mazda, Isuzu, Mitsubishi...
BMWs and Mercs are great if you love $3000 worth of needlessly computerized parts every time you do maintenance.
Mazda and ford are the best!
+Жак Морозов
Your comment lost all credibility when you said Nissan isn't bad. They're almost as bad as Chrysler. Their CVT (that they put in everything) is total garbage and their quality is abysmal, especially since they "partnered" with Renault.
I did buy a Nissan, went back to American cars...
then your gas pedal will stick wide open
The same thing happened to me in 1995 but in a different car
Thumbs up thanks for sharing
Peace
Was it a cavalier ?
Ya, that's why I laugh when someone says GM is the best! Shame on your GM!!
Knowingly aware of the GM's Cobalt's fatal faulty ignition switch back in 2001, THEY still decided to mass produce it!! In their cost effective analyses, the GM corporation, willfully decided that IT WAS CHEAPER to pay for each and any legal claims against them instead of paying$.57 to correct along with labor costs in a nationwide manufacturer's recall!! All in the name of saving and making more money on the backs of their customers safety!! Then, in 2008, during the financial U.S. depression, THEY CAME to Capitol Hill, in their PRIVATE CORPORATE JETS, to ask for bailout money. AND CONGRESS KNOWINGLY AWARE OF THEIR MANUFACTURING FAILURE, Instead of forcing them to correct it, fine, and deny their request for the bailout??!!! It just goes to show, the les of corruption within the government, Congress, and big corporations that conscientiously CHOOSE TO PUT GAINS AND PROFITS AHEAD OF PEOPLE'S SAFETY!! BECAUSE THEY KNOW THAT THE LAWS IN THE BOOKS ARE AND CAN BE CIRCUMCISED/CIRCUMVENTED WITH BIG FINANCIAL CONTRIBUTIONS TO KEY POLITICIANS!!! When are we going to stand up, say ENOUGH!, and hold them accountable?!! These matters include and involve EVERYONE across America!! Our daughters, sons, wives, sisters, brothers,etc. ARE INVOLVED!! IF we continue to ignore these BLATANT illegal, corrupt and selfish big corporations decisions, only shows how indifferent and uncaring we have become about how much we ACTUALLY "CARE" WHEN IT COMES TO THE SAFETY OF THOSE WHOM WE CLAIM AND PROFESS LOVE FOR, All on the name of the ALMIGHTY DOLLAR!!
You take the total number of cars in the field, A, multiply by the probable rate of failure, B, and multiply by the result of the average out-of-court settlement, C.... A x B x C equals X... if X is less than the cost of a recall, we don't do one.
David Jimenez - Haha! Fight Club, FTW!
Ford did that with the Pinto long before Fight Club.
I was hoping somebody would point out Fight Club told us about this.
@@Bartonovich52 fight club was years before this issue was public. The mustang gas tank predates the pinto, which I think(not sure) was the same gas tank issue. But this is all good commenting in this thread. I am glad you brought up the pinto brah!!
I thought that Canada would have the same or better protection laws than the U.S. I never heard of the Pontiac Pursuit until after watching this report. Good investigative reporting.
This documentary goes to show that GM vehicle quality has gone down over the years.
Not quite. This documentary shows that GM has had quality and safety issues for decades, and despite the fact that their mistakes and negligence continue to cost lives, they are prioritizing profit over safety with the Canadian government's blessing.
Not quite. My Tahoe hasn't had a problem. It has 563,419 miles and has not had a problem! Not a single problem! Everything done on time in that thing!
Also, no problems in my Silverado! 579,383 miles! No problems!
Oh yeah what about this www.cbc.ca/news/business/general-motors-recall-airbag-software-1.3755030
What year is your silverado because if it's 15-17 it has a issue with it's airbag
I am going to tell you people right now, GM is not the only company that will do this type of thing. I worked at a motorcycle dealership. I've seen this type of thing from all Japanese brand motorcycles we sold. there are a lot of bikes out on the road that have defects like this that only get issued a service bulletin. my 2003 yamaha R6 was one of them. it would randomly shut off while riding.
as for the keyed ignitions, the problem mainly comes from people putting too many keys on their keyring. gm isn't the only company that has had "too easy to turn" ignitions. Volkswagon was one that would do it too. you can't install 10 keys and a bunch of tags on a set of keys and not expect it to put pressure on the ignition and damage it over time. thankfully now we can move on from keyed ignitions to push button and remotes. and keep in mind a lot of these components are not made by the manufacture of the cars. almost no manufacture makes all of it's own parts. only the major parts of the vehicle. I would even bet my house that the only thing most of them do is make their own body and the rest is made by contracted companies. so if this plunger was changed it's very likely GM didn't actually know about it.
My mom bought a lightly used 2005 and still under warranty . Had it a week and would just drop dead constantly .She took it to several dealers for service and after changing injectors cleaning the fuel tank and a software upgrade she drive off confident and dropped dead entering traffic .Dealership took it back in gave her a loaner and flew a engineer in from the east coast to supposedly install a new version of the ecm or computer .Her stepson bought it and got the switch recall notice so he took it in and they checked vin and said nope it's been fixed already .Now I hate GM as a truck I bought new was taken in 27 times for issues then the paint flaked off and no warranty for that but they hid the switch issue and fixed it without admitting any problem to my mom
What i fail to understand having a good amount of automotive experience myself is even if your ignition moves to the accessory position your steering wheel doesn't lock and your brakes work the same if your car isn't running yes you will loose power steering so unless they were in a turn when the car shut off I find it unbelievable they could not maintain control...however the airbags not deploying If the ignition is in accessory position is a engineering blooper
What do they do to try an fix this giant problem? Maybe give car owners a new ignition assembly which requires more torque to turn it? Of course not! They just give you a key housing with a hole instead of a slot to avoid it swinging as much... Thats a GM recall for ya...
So many times we’ve heard about fatal accidents caused by known defects. When will there be criminal charges against the CEO’s for holding profit over someone’s life.
I'll stick to my fords
FORD PINTO
Ford Explorer aka ford Exploder. Ford has been guilty of the same business culture. Pretty much all your large car manufacturers. That's why it really pays to do extensive research on any vehicle you plan on purchasing.
GOOD IDEA THEY JUST POP OUT OF PARK AND ROLL AWAY HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAAA
be carful they have a recall to sterring wheels falling off
Hunter Fox I'll stick with Subarus! Safest vehicles on the road.
Just a friendly reminder: GM Products still, from the factory, are coming with safety recalls and defects. 2018+ Silverado's, Tahoe's, and Suburbans (and the same platform through other brands) have a seat belt failure where the insert may come loose from the seat at any moment without warning. Said vehicles are also seeing gasket failures at or under 5k miles.
well after watching this im going out 2 gms in my driveway with keys and inspecting them both for this defect since the years of them are close to the colbalts in this
Well, here it is 3 years later. lol. Are you back yet? What did you find out?
I had a 2006 Cobalt. Loved it. No problems at all. Conversely I met a woman at the local post office who would only drive hers around town reluctantly. Said she had many problems with it shutting off while driving. Said she was " Stuck" with the loan and couldn't get rid of it. I dk. I was amazed she drove it at all.
How dark is your heart that you can actually say that you'd rather just pay off the lawsuit than to fix a problem that's going to save lives? That's saying that you're perfectly fine with people dying to save your pockets. No...that means you put a pricetag on people's lives. I guess you don't know them, they're just faceless people to you, it comes with the business. That's what's most disturbing.
No matter what is said and done coming from a technician, automotive tuner and overall lifetime automotive person, Toyota and Honda are the best vehicles period! FACTS
GM should not exist after this wtf.
Breathtaking documentary
You can argue every car manufacturers had problems like this like audi had a similar problems with the TT but unlike GM they addressed the problems much faster in months or a year before the new year car model sad that US tax payers keep these companies afloat
My son died in a Cobalt and the GM attorneys found a way around the lawsuit! I couldn't get them found legally responsible! He was 21 years old!
I will start out by admitting that I am a super pro GM person. I love American automobiles and at the present time Ford and GM are the only American automobile companies standing. I want these companies to prosper and succeed. I will only buy an automobile that is designed and manufactured in the United States - even if it was garbage! It is clear that high level GM management were fully aware of the low detent problem on the ignition switch for probably 15 years. They tried very hard to cover up the problem in an attempt to save money. The bean counters have done careful cost analyses on each known problem before if any action is taken. The goal is maximize profit. This is absolutely criminal with no excuses. That said, it would be naive for any one of us to believe that this problem is confined to GM. I am sure that all companies make profit their top priority. If there is any doubt just look at how many jobs have been farmed out to China. These days it seems to me that it is in the American culture to make a quick profit now, and not worry about the consequences in the future. I don't think this is just an American problem either. I am sure it applies to companies around the world. Everybody is talking about customer service and company integrity but the truth is making a quick profit is above all. Yes, this is tragic.
opjoipopikopp[pl[p[ - It’s called a paragraph. Look it up. You might never have heard about it before.
opjoipopikopp[pl[p[ I want GM to do well, too. There is a GM plant in our area that's just about the only think we have go ing for us, economically, and it hasn't been doing well lately. They recently went down to one shift only. Interestingly, it's one of the plants that manufactured the Cobalts. (Lordstown, Ohio.)
Huh Chrysler is also American and standing.
@@johnq6257 now in italian hands, has been foreign owned for 20 years when first "merged" with the germans
A female friend of mine died in an accident back in 2012 in Kansas driving a 2008 Chevy Cobalt. She lost control stopping at a stop light on a wet road. It was dismissed as a driver error, but I'm pretty sure it was due to this.
Ugh! I HATE this reporter's roller-coaster voice!
Forget about the reporter, keep an eye out for out of control GM cars heading your way.
Bob knocking it out again!!!