GM recall worry some?

[Chevy_cowboy]

Originally Posted by Normagene

The Lawyers will be eating GM money for Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner for years and years.

I'm sure you're right about that, but it won't be gm footing the bill for all the frivolous lawsuits, it'll be us, the customers/enthusiasts.

[Angrybird 12]

Originally Posted by Chevy_cowboy

I'm sure you're right about that, but it won't be gm footing the bill for all the frivolous lawsuits, it'll be us, the customers/enthusiasts.

From what I have been reading GM may not be legally liable for the deaths. Since this happened under the old GM and now the new GM is a LLC. It has something to do with the bankrupt agreement. But of course when our government gets involved in anything today it seems legalities are thrown out the window.

[LostPony]

In our Accident Avoidance course here we teach an engine failure drill as part of our regular course. I show them how even switching the key off does not lock the steering, and that in an automatic you can't turn the key back far enough to remove it if the vehicle isn't in Park. I show them how to bump the car into neutral in the evnt the throttle sticks. We practice driving through a series of tight turns with no engine power and most, even the little teeny bopper girls can steer the car.

There is no loss of braking power for the first few applications of the brakes as the system works on stored vacuum. After a few pumps it goes away, but YOU CAN STILL STOP THE CAR simply by pressing harder. We (the instructors) pump the pedal repeatedly to release all the vacuum and then have the student stop the car.

YOU can help train your sons and daughters by going to a large parking lot with no traffic and practicing these drills yourself. I recommend you try it and see what happens, and then teach your kids. I am lucky, I have a racetrack to use and practice lots of things with my spouse including what to do in the event the driver is incapacitated.

Don't wait for someone else to train your kids, YOU teach them!

[Angrybird 12]

Originally Posted by LostPony

In our Accident Avoidance course here we teach an engine failure drill as part of our regular course. I show them how even switching the key off does not lock the steering, and that in an automatic you can't turn the key back far enough to remove it if the vehicle isn't in Park. I show them how to bump the car into neutral in the evnt the throttle sticks. We practice driving through a series of tight turns with no engine power and most, even the little teeny bopper girls can steer the car.

There is no loss of braking power for the first few applications of the brakes as the system works on stored vacuum. After a few pumps it goes away, but YOU CAN STILL STOP THE CAR simply by pressing harder. We (the instructors) pump the pedal repeatedly to release all the vacuum and then have the student stop the car.

YOU can help train your sons and daughters by going to a large parking lot with no traffic and practicing these drills yourself. I recommend you try it and see what happens, and then teach your kids. I am lucky, I have a racetrack to use and practice lots of things with my spouse including what to do in the event the driver is incapacitated.

Don't wait for someone else to train your kids, YOU teach them!

Amen!
I saw on the news now some manufacturers want to replace rear view mirrors with cameras. Wait till the cameras fail and someone wrecks because they didn't see the car coming up beside them... Another lawsuit waiting to happen.

[2010SLVRBULIT]

unless your car is directly involved, wouldn't be too concerned. But it could potentially have an effect on upcoming GM products(say 6th?)..only GM knows.

[shaffe]

Originally Posted by Angrybird 12

From what I have been reading GM may not be legally liable for the deaths. Since this happened under the old GM and now the new GM is a LLC. It has something to do with the bankrupt agreement. But of course when our government gets involved in anything today it seems legalities are thrown out the window.

well from what I have been reading/hearing isn't that the main problem. Not so much the recalls or lack off but that GM "may have known about it, but did not mention it in the bankruptcy so that if anything did happen they wouldnt be liable bc it was old gm" or something like that.

I put that in quotes bc I think thats what is being reported from various news outlets

[TheReaper]

It could go either way.

GM, however, could still have protection on any claims against it for crashes involving the vehicles prior to July 2009. As part of its bankruptcy reorganization, product claims were separated from the new company's liabilities. Lawyers, however, could try to get that shield removed if it can be shown that GM executives knowingly misled the bankruptcy court about the threat posed by the switches.

[Angrybird 12]

Originally Posted by TheReaper

It could go either way.

GM, however, could still have protection on any claims against it for crashes involving the vehicles prior to July 2009. As part of its bankruptcy reorganization, product claims were separated from the new company's liabilities. Lawyers, however, could try to get that shield removed if it can be shown that GM executives knowingly misled the bankruptcy court about the threat posed by the switches.

Wouldn't it have to be the current GM executives that concealed the information?
I think the NHTSA needs to be held at least partially responsible for failing to act on the crash information and doing their own investigation. Which in other cases have have done more with less information.

[Chevy_cowboy]

Originally Posted by LostPony

In our Accident Avoidance course here we teach an engine failure drill as part of our regular course. I show them how even switching the key off does not lock the steering, and that in an automatic you can't turn the key back far enough to remove it if the vehicle isn't in Park. I show them how to bump the car into neutral in the evnt the throttle sticks. We practice driving through a series of tight turns with no engine power and most, even the little teeny bopper girls can steer the car.

There is no loss of braking power for the first few applications of the brakes as the system works on stored vacuum. After a few pumps it goes away, but YOU CAN STILL STOP THE CAR simply by pressing harder. We (the instructors) pump the pedal repeatedly to release all the vacuum and then have the student stop the car.

YOU can help train your sons and daughters by going to a large parking lot with no traffic and practicing these drills yourself. I recommend you try it and see what happens, and then teach your kids. I am lucky, I have a racetrack to use and practice lots of things with my spouse including what to do in the event the driver is incapacitated.

Don't wait for someone else to train your kids, YOU teach them!

For us farm kids, big pastures work pretty well too. Guess you could call it cow avoidance.

[Chevy_cowboy]

Originally Posted by 2010SLVRBULIT

unless your car is directly involved, wouldn't be too concerned. But it could potentially have an effect on upcoming GM products(say 6th?)..only GM knows.

yeah expect either push button start, or a 6" neon orange warning label on the dash about weight on your keychain on all future cars. Probably one that warns that airbags are not active when you turn the key off also.

[mynetdude]

Looks like my answer was already answered in a few posts above (see the reply below about locking steering wheels)

[Manbearpig]

Originally Posted by LostPony

In our Accident Avoidance course here we teach an engine failure drill as part of our regular course. I show them how even switching the key off does not lock the steering, and that in an automatic you can't turn the key back far enough to remove it if the vehicle isn't in Park. I show them how to bump the car into neutral in the evnt the throttle sticks. We practice driving through a series of tight turns with no engine power and most, even the little teeny bopper girls can steer the car.

There is no loss of braking power for the first few applications of the brakes as the system works on stored vacuum. After a few pumps it goes away, but YOU CAN STILL STOP THE CAR simply by pressing harder. We (the instructors) pump the pedal repeatedly to release all the vacuum and then have the student stop the car.

YOU can help train your sons and daughters by going to a large parking lot with no traffic and practicing these drills yourself. I recommend you try it and see what happens, and then teach your kids. I am lucky, I have a racetrack to use and practice lots of things with my spouse including what to do in the event the driver is incapacitated.

Don't wait for someone else to train your kids, YOU teach them!

[fastball]

To put the blame on someone having too much "stuff" on their keychain seriously hurt GM's credibility in all of this.

You don't blame people for something like this. I know people with a crap load of crap on their keychains on cars with 150,000 miles and the thing never once had an ignition problem.

GM needs to give every one of these families with victims who died from their complete lack of competence and common sense $50m. Every one of them.

[Angrybird 12]

Not trying to excuse GM for it but I wonder how many of us have had a car die while driving and managed not to crash?
I know it's happened to me a few times, timing belt break, fuel pump go out, or run out if gas, I even had a friend reach over and cut it off because he thought it's funny. I have always maintained control and got to the side of the road and stopped or even knock it into neutral and try to restart it. Do people not know what to do when their car quits while driving? Maybe before anyone gets their license they should need to know how to do that.