General Motors has confirmed it is recalling 778,562 older Chevrolet Cobalt and Pontiac G5 compact cars in North America to fix a condition that could cause the engine and other components to turn off, according to Reuters.
Affected vehicles include the 2005-'07 Cobalt and 2007 G5. GM no longer makes either of the cars.
The weight on the key ring, road conditions, or some other event could cause the ignition switch to move out of the run position, thus turning off the engine and other key electrical components, GM said in a statement this week.
GM has been told of at least five frontal-impact crashes, and six front-seat fatalities in crashes where the vehicle's front airbag didn't deploy.
Each crash took place off road and while the vehicle was moving at "high speeds," where the chance of a serious or fatal injury was high even if the airbag did deploy, according to a GM spokesman.
Alcohol and failure to use seat belts were also factors in a couple of the incidents.
Dealers are being instructed to replace the ignition switch, free of charge.
Customers should remove all non-essential items from their key rings for now until the fix takes place, according to the company statement.
Approximately 619,122 of the affected vehicles were sold in the United States, 153,310 in Canada and 6,130 are in Mexico, according to GM.
The faulty parts were produced in Mexico, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
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