Recalls: Another 8.4M cars bite the dust, and guess what, many are ignition related

As if the recalls weren’t already racking up as is…

General Motors officially announced another massive recall of get this–8.4 million cars in all of North America, and 8.2 million of those examples are being recalled due to “unintended ignition key rotation,” according to GM spokesperson, Alan Adler. However, according to Adler, this recall is not the same as the one plaguing the Chevrolet Cobalt recall.

Either way, here’s the rundown.

Of this recall, 7,610,862 vehicles total in all of North America are being recalled for this unintended ignition key rotation, 6,805,679 are in the United States. Another grouping of vehicles adds 616,179 vehicles to the grand total, 554,328 of these are in the United States.

Next, 20,134 North American models are being recalled due to an insulation issue with cars equipped with engine block heaters and the insulation on the power cord can become damaged during very cold weather. 2,990 cars exist in the US.

Following that, 117 vehicles in North America are being recalled over a Superhold joint fastener, which may not have been torqued to proper specification–106 of these cars are in the US.

12,002 North American pickups are being recalled because of a problem with electrical overloads in the systems of Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra HDs with auxiliary batteries.

And lastly, 188,705 SUVs are being recalled due to electrical shorts in the driver’s door modules, which could disable power door ock and window switches. In rare cases, they could overheat and cause a fire. 181,984 cars in the US.

For the full breakdown, check out the chart and press release below.

GM Announces Six Safety Recalls

DETROIT – General Motors announced today it will conduct six new safety recalls in the United States involving about 7.6 million vehicles from the 1997 to 2014 model years.

“We undertook what I believe is the most comprehensive safety review in the history of our company because nothing is more important than the safety of our customers,” said GM CEO Mary Barra. “Our customers deserve more than we delivered in these vehicles. That has hardened my resolve to set a new industry standard for vehicle safety, quality and excellence.”

Among these recalled vehicles, GM is aware of seven crashes, eight injuries and three fatalities. The fatal crashes occurred in older model full-size sedans being recalled for inadvertent ignition key rotation. There is no conclusive evidence that the defect condition caused those crashes.

“We have worked aggressively to identify and address the major outstanding issues that could impact the safety of our customers,” Barra said. “If any other issues come to our attention, we will act appropriately and without hesitation.”

GM has made changes to every process that affects the safety of its vehicles, and the company has acted or will act on all 90 of the recommendations put forward by former U.S. Attorney Anton Valukas in his independent report to the company’s Board of Directors.

GM expects to take a charge of up to approximately $1.2 billion in the second quarter for the cost of recall-related repairs announced in the quarter. This amount includes a previously disclosed $700 million charge for recalls already announced during the quarter.

Until the ignition recall repairs have been performed, it is very important that customers remove all items from their key ring, leaving only the vehicle key, and always use their seat belts. The key fob, if present, should also be removed from the key ring.

General Motors Co. (NYSE:GM, TSX: GMM) and its partners produce vehicles in 30 countries, and the company has leadership positions in the world’s largest and fastest-growing automotive markets. GM, its subsidiaries and joint venture entities sell vehicles under the Chevrolet, Cadillac, Baojun, Buick, GMC, Holden, Jiefang, Opel, Vauxhall and Wuling brands. More information on the company and its subsidiaries, including OnStar, a global leader in vehicle safety, security and information services, can be found at http://www.gm.com