Following Initial Recall, GM Orders Cadillac Dealers to Stop Selling Specific Versions of the CTS

Following their recent recall, General Motors Co. has made another drastic move, this time ordering Cadillac dealers to stop selling some versions of the CTS model-range. The stop-sale order was issued because the automaker reportedly has not found a way to fix cars recalled in late June. Like the vehicles in the initial recall, some CTS models may have a problem in which their engines can shut off if the driver’s knee bumps the ignition.

Recently, details of incidents leading up to the original June 30 recall: mostly consisting of three occasions in which GM employees bumped the keys and shut off the engines in 2012 CTSs, the information was made public Saturday, July 19th, by the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, which oversees vehicle safety recalls. The stop-sale order was apparently issued July 2 and updated July 8; it specifically named versions of the 2003-2014 CTS and 2004-2006 SRX that are equipped with the faulty ignition technology. This recall reportedly affected around 554,000 Cadillacs in the United States.

The problem with the SRX and some models of the CTS is that the potential for heavy key rings or a “jarring event”, such as a knee bump or a pot-hole, to turn the key out of the running position. If this happens, the car’s engine can shut off, causing the driver to lose their power steering. It can also prevent the air bags from deploying in the event of a crash. Similarly, while later model CTSs, from 2008 to 2014, have a smaller keyhole, their engines have still displayed susceptibility to being turned off by a knee bump.

This year, GM has recalled around 14.7 million vehicles worldwide due to switch-related issues, which are believed to be linked to at least 16 deaths. GM is intending to fix the issue by giving owners a new key with a small hole instead of a slot, which they have stated makes it more difficult to pull or jar the key out of the running position. However, the stop-sale order is still in effect, as the company’s engineers are reportedly trying to find a common solution for all of the recalled vehicles. Until the full effects of the recall and stop-sale order have been completed, GM has urged owners of recalled cars to remove all items from their key rings, including key fobs, and to adjust seats and steering wheels to ensure proper leg clearance.