The American car maker is enticing consumers with a $25 gift card for getting their cars fixed as more than a million cars are being recalled for ignition switch problems. This is a completely terrible issue for GM, considering fault switches have already been linked to at least 29 deaths. If drivers continue to use the cars in the same condition, it induces a severe threat to their lives.
The recall was originally announced in February, involving approximately 2.6 million cars. The car maker warned that the keys might pop out of the ignition, shutting down the engine, brakes, steering and airbags while the car is still running. GM said only about half of the total recalled vehicles were fixed over the course of nine months. The company also ran out of necessary parts for repairs during the process, which delayed the recall even further! According to CNN, the total cost to fix all the remaining vehicles will cross $70 million.
According to sources, this past week a GM spokeswoman said the company has sorted out the shortage of repair parts that can be used to fix the remaining lot. In order to communicate that particular message in a better way, GM is offering $25 store gift cards to those who bring in their affected vehicles to dealerships before the first day of December (which isn’t much more time!). The offer is valid for the owners of 2.6 million Chevrolet Cobalts, Saturn Ions, Buicks, Chevys, Oldsmobiles and Pontiacs that were recalled earlier this year, The New York Times reports.
“This is simply designed to encourage as many people as possible to get their vehicles repaired as quickly as possible,” James R. Cain, a company spokesman said.
Owners of these vehicles can get the car to the nearest dealership and choose $25 worth gift card for Amazon, AMC movie theaters, Applebee’s, Bass Pro Shops, Red Robin, Starbucks or Walmart.