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According to a recent article in The Tampa Tribune, Floridians who own vehicles made by General Motors are keeping local dealerships quite busy after learning of the automaker's national recall. The company recently announced the recall of over two million automobiles because of a faulty ignition switch. GM dealerships all across the area have been flooded with calls from owners wanting to know if their cars are safe to operate and how soon they can have their ignition switches replaced. 

Fort Myers personal injury lawyers like Randall Spivey are aware first-hand of the devastating effect defective products can have on individuals and their loved ones. For the drivers of  2003-2007 Saturn IONs, 2005-2010 Chevy Cobalts and Pontiac G5s, 2006-2011 Chevy HHRs, 2006-2010 Pontiac Solstices, 2007-2010 Saturn Sky's and 2005-2006 Pontiac Pursuits, the uncertainty of how the problem might affect them is very troubling. In fact, during hearings on Capitol Hill, members of a Senate subcommittee stated that GM should have been telling owners of the recalled vehicles to stop driving them altogether until they have been fixed. Still, the CEO for GM noted that the vehicles were safe to operate until they could obtain the needed replacement part.

The Problem

The reason for the recall is that the faulty ignition switches in each of the above-listed vehicles can turn off the engine, as well as hinder the power steering, power brakes and front airbags from operating. That said, GM has encouraged drivers to make sure that there is nothing attached to their keys when using their vehicles.

As most Fort Myers personal injury lawyers may know, there have been a number of motor vehicle accidents, as well as 13 deaths associated with the ignition switch issue. GM was aware of the issue years ago; however, it wasn't until February of 2014 that the car maker took some sort of action to remedy the problem.

What Area Dealers Are Doing to Calm Owners?

One service manager of an area GM dealership noted when speaking with the Tribune that most owners and/or callers were "satisfied" once they heard the parts were coming in very soon and the repairs could be made fairly quickly. Another service manager of a local dealership stated that they had received a lot of calls from drivers of vehicles who did not have the faulty ignition and did not qualify for the recall, but their first priority was ensuring quality customer service.

One dealership has taken special efforts to take down the names and phone numbers of concerned vehicle owners so that they can call them to schedule an appointment when the appropriate parts arrive. Additionally, they offer those individuals who are afraid of driving their recalled vehicles loaner cars until their cars can be fixed.

Those individuals who have concerns or questions about their automobiles are encouraged to contact their local dealers. If you or someone you love has sustained injuries that you believe were caused by a manufacturer's defect or some other defect, contact Fort Myers personal injury lawyer Randall Spivey at the Spivey Law Firm, Personal Injury Attorneys, P.A. right away.