Five Years After Its Recall, A Defective Key Is Still Present In Camaro’s Parts Catalog

In the “baffling news of the day” section, it has been revealed that General Motors continued to sell a potentially dangerous ignition key as a replacement part for more than five years (!) after it was recalled.

Consumer Reports notes that, in June 2014, GM issued a recall for the key in question after it was discovered that a driver could knock it with their knee and inadvertently change the position of the key in the ignition. This meant the key could be nudged so it actually turned off the car’s engine and disabled various systems including the power brakes, power steering and airbags.

This campaign was similar to The General’s infamous ignition switch recall which has affected more than 30 million vehicles worldwide. However, in that case, the issue was with the ignition switch and not the key.

Also Read: Judge Dismisses Criminal Case Against GM Over Faulty Ignition Switches

A GM employee recently discovered that the faulty key recalled in mid-2014 was still available as a replacement part to owners of 2010 through 2015 Chevrolet Camaro models and alerted the car manufacturer in an internal safety review.

“It’s outrageous that GM left thousands of its customers at risk for more than five years after its ignition-switch recalls,” CR’s manager of safety policy William Wallace said. “The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration should get to the bottom of why this wasn’t discovered or reported sooner. If GM didn’t follow the law, NHTSA should issue steep fines to deter future misconduct.”

GM says it is not aware of any crashes, injuries, or fatalities due to the faulty Camaro keys. Those who own the switchblade key in question can get in contact with their local GM dealership and get a replacement key and fob.