General Motors (GM) has faced major public scrutiny for a number of defects in their vehicles, resulting in at least two recalls in the past several years.

One of these recalls revolved around the ignition switch defect, which causes the engine to suddenly switch off even during typical driving situations.

The GM ignition switch defect has resulted in a recall, several federal investigations, and a massive amount of negative media exposure.

General Motors initially recalled approximately 1.6 million vehicles between Feb. 25, 2014 and April 09, 2014 for the ignition switch defect, which has allegedly been linked to 120 deaths.

An updated estimation of this recall had raised the number of recalled vehicles to 1.96 million in the United States, and 2.36 million worldwide. GM had initiated this recall after receiving numerous complaints of engines shutting off while customers were driving their cars.

Overview of GM Ignition Switch Defect

More specifically if enough external weight from key chains is applied, the key actually shifts to the off position in the ignition switch.

This would cause the cars to suddenly shut off while driving, as well as causing the cars airbags and other safety features to fail. The problems associated with the GM ignition switch defect include:

• Airbags not deploying during frontal collision
• Drivers losing their ability to steer their car while driving
• Engine suddenly shuts off while driving
• Power Brakes can suddenly ceases working while driving

When the ignition suddenly turns off, the power to the safety features to car are cut off causing them to fail unexpectedly. The defective ignition switches have been explained though defective parts, particularly the low torque in the switch.

Even though this safety defect has been linked to hundreds of death, experts speculate the number could be much higher. According to internal investigation reports, General Motors had known about the ignition switch defect since 2001 but had opted to not resolve the problem until recently.

Furthermore, it has been reported that General Motors could have resolved the ignition switch defect for as much as 57 cents. The automobile company eventually fined $35 million by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).

The GM ignition switch defect affects a number of vehicles from the automobile company including: 2005-2010 Chevrolet Cobalt, 2007-2010 Pontiac G5, 2003-2007 Saturn Ion, 2006-2011 Chevrolet HHR, 2006-2010 Pontiac Solstice and 2007-2010 Saturn Sky vehicles.

As part of the GM ignition switch defect recall, experts believe the settlements could reach to the hundreds of millions. Customers who have been affected by the ignition switch defect, or other GM recalls, may be able to file legal action against the company.

Potential claimants can contact a specialized lawyer to determine their eligibility for a GM recall lawsuit.