Hi, reporter with NBC News looking to talk to folks with a 2005-2007 who had their ignition turn off while the key was still in it and got their ignition replaced before this round of recalls happened. What do you think now after hearing the news and deaths? ben.popken@nbcuni.com.

 

I want to see pictures of these people who have had issues, key chains. Mine is the factory, 1 ring, 1 car key, 1 fob. My house and work keys are on a separate ring set.

 

I never had an issue with my 07' Cobalt SS Supercharged. Granted I'm not a little kid with troll dolls, and 90 keys hanging off my key ring.

I've slammed into many potholes in my time (the downfall of living in Northeastern PA), and never had my car shut off. This is not to say this still can't happen to me though....

On a side note, I just read in a car and driver article online, that gm actually replaced the old ignition switch design sometime in 07', but never changed the part number.

Thus making it almost impossible to track which 07's are ok and which are not.

This.

 

Thing is, it doesn't matter how much **** you have on your keychain. GM shouldn't have skimped on a part thats critical. Hell man, I remember my parents old '88 Celebrity wagon. My dad had like 40 keys on that ring and they never had problems. The fault lied within the locking mechanism of the ignition cylinder, not the key ring.

 

This is far from the only ignition switch that fails when the keychain is loaded with weight.

 

HI MOM


Is this gonna be on the news?

 

Correct. Most owners manuals even call out not to load up your key chains with unnecessary weight.

 

Parents 'Boiling With Anger' After Daughter's Death in GM Car - NBC News

 

It makes me wonder about the deaths that happened and what they had on their chains. Some peoplr walk around with 5 pounds of keys and other crap on it

 

Ill take a video for you in about 45 minutes, but I only have about 3 or 4 keys on my ring with my fob, typical of most people and if I give a light tug on the key ring, the ignition snaps back.

 

Northvibe, we have 2009 cobalts. I think the issue of the ignition switch is only tied to 2005-2007 cars.

Ive had my own ignition switch issue though.... The key was stuck in the ignition "locked" due to the tumbler breaking. This kept me from turning the car off. Only way to power down the car was disconnect the battery and pull the fuel pump fuse.

I had the car towed to a local dealership and they told me that I was outside the 3 year, bumper to bumper warranty but as a "good faith" fix, they will replace the ignition for me...

From what I know, the issue I experienced was tied to 2007-2008 cobalts and here I was with a 2009. Also not the same issue as the key falling out of the ignition, but a serious issue none the less when it happens to you and you dont know what to do.

 

 

I'm going to try this out later as well.

Not driving my car of course, but running parked in the garage.

 

Well I will say among all the problems my lemon of a SS/SC had I didn't experience any issues with the car shutting off due to the switch. Passkey however did fail a few hours after I brought it home so it wouldn't start period

 

I will say that ive bumped my knee into my key while it was in the ignition and Ive easily shut the car off doing so but never while I was driving, only while it was parked and I was trying to exit the vehicle.

 

Here's the article I mentioned in post #3

GM Aware of Ignition Issues Three Years Earlier than Previously Stated ? News ? Car and Driver | Car and Driver Blog

 

i've been trying to do this all week and can't get anything to happen

 

 

This isn't the first ignition related recall for the Cobalts either. Either they shut the car off or don't turn the car on at all. Either way, GM fucked up by going cheap on the ignition cylinders.

 

I hit an entire semi-truck wheel at 90mph, had the car's passenger side wheels lift of the ground, slam back down, bounce, and spin before coming to stop. Even with busted radiator, heat exchanger, and 8k in damage it was still running....

 

Out of the power steering recall and this one, i have never noticed my car being affected. I never even had the power steering fixed because i hate taking my car for other people to work on it. My keychain has about 5 keys and a lanyard on it and my coilovers make the ride on my car rougher than most, but my car has never turned off unless it was my own doing.

 

Im actually disappointed no one trolled this thread like i expected.

 

Bob post pics of your cobalt

welcome to the site

 

LOL @ investigated the "black box". SMH.

 

Same here.


Ive had this happen in my car. Famous New England Potholes would cause it on the highway. i would be crusing around 70 and hit one, car would shut right down. I always assumed it was some sort of inertia switch that would kill fuel when a certain amount of force was felt by a specific sensor. the car always fired back up.

needless to say, when the parts are in, its going to get replaced. cant wait to have the tech replace a part under a recall @ 202K miles