Despite Recall, Many GM Cars Unlikely to be Fixed

While GM cars have caused massive heartbreak, injuries and even death, many of the defective vehicles might not be fixed. Although GM has recalled many of its models, Carfax has tracked the history of repairs and recalls and estimates that hundreds of thousands of those vehicles won't be fixed. The defective switch installed in GM vehicles has already caused 30 deaths.

While GM has admitted to the vehicles' faulty ignition switches and other critical problems, a large number of people who own those vehicles will ignore the recall notices. Carfax's data analysis arrives on the outset of GM's commencement of faulty ignition switch repairs. In total, 2.6 million GM vehicles have been affected. The automaker has worked alongside of R.L. Polk & Co. to find and notify vehicle owners of recalled models. They sent the recall notices in special envelopes that drew attention to the fact that the vehicle is being recalled.

If Your Vehicle Has Been Recalled, Bring It In

Unfortunately, many of these vehicle owners won't take the time to bring their car into the dealership for the installation of the proper equipment. The results could be devastating.

These tragedies will occur because many vehicle owners don't take the recall notice seriously. Others just don't think it is worth the investment of their time to get the problem fixed.

No Matter the Car's Age, Have It Inspected

Another component of the explanation for why so many vehicle owners will ignore the recall notice is the fact that many of the recalled vehicles are fairly old. Some of the recalled vehicles were sold over a decade ago. This means that they could have changed hands multiple times over the years. Many owners will choose to simply trade in the recalled vehicle instead of having it repaired.

Also, those who have owned vehicles for a decade or longer typically expect things to go wrong. So they don't feel the urge to bring the vehicle in for a recall. This is a stark contrast with those who have recently purchased a vehicle. People in this crowd are much more inclined to trade in their vehicle because they place a high value on their recent purchase.

Vehicles Repaired Recently

A little over 50 percent of the recalled vehicles have been fixed. This is a paltry number when compared to the 75 percent average completion rate of repairs on recalled vehicles (over an 18 month span). Part of the problem has been the delay caused by the remarkable number of recalled GM vehicles. Over 2 million were recalled. It has taken plenty of time for all of the replacement parts to be built. GM dragged its feet on the matter, waiting until two months after the recall announcement to perform the first repairs.

Is Your Vehicle on the Recall List?

Those who still drive the recalled models are being told to drive the vehicles with the key in the ignition and nothing attached to the key ring. The fact that many will continue to drive these flawed vehicles is a danger to both themselves and other drivers on the roads. Some GM vehicles can come to a complete stop when hitting a bump in the road. Imagine colliding with a vehicle that stopped in the middle of an intersection. This horrific hypothetical situation illustrates precisely why everyone who knows an owner of a GM vehicle owner should ask them to check if it is on the recall list and actually bring it in for the necessary repairs.