Ottawa, Ontario — December 15, 2014 — Transport Canada is reminding owners of any General Motors (GM) vehicles listed in the company’s ignition switch recall to take their vehicles into GM dealers for repairs as soon as possible.
Last winter GM recalled 368,073 vehicles in Canada due to the risk that ignition switches in some of the company’s vehicles could move out of the “run” position, resulting in a partial loss of electrical power, consequently turning off the engine. In the event of a crash, air bags may not deploy if the ignition switch is not in the “run” position, which increases the risk of injury.
The department notes that GM has contacted owners of the affected vehicles, including sending re-notification letters to owners in many cases. Despite numerous efforts, including a Safety Advisory from Transport Canada in October, as of December 8, 2014 there are still 140,782 vehicles on Canadian roads with this safety defect. This represents 38.2 percent of the affected vehicles in Canada.
Until the ignition recall repairs have been performed, it is critical that all items from the key ring be removed, as the risk is increased when it is carrying added weight. Where applicable, the key fob should also be removed from the key ring.
Owners of potentially affected vehicles should visit the GM website and enter their Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) to determine whether their particular vehicle has been recalled. The vehicle’s VIN can be found on top of the dashboard near the windshield, and also on the certification label located on the door latch post next to the driver’s seating position.
For more information on Transport Canada’s Defect Investigations and Recalls Division, please visit TC.gc.ca, or call 1-800-333-0510.
