The Recall Desk
Our severity:SevereNHTSA·14V540000·Announced 2014-09-09

GM Recalls 2008-2013 Vehicles for Ignition Key Knee Interference Risk

General Motors is recalling 2008-2009 Pontiac G8 and 2011-2013 Chevrolet Caprice vehicles because the driver's knee may accidentally knock the ignition key out of the run position, potentially disabling safety systems.

What this means for you

Our assessment, not the agency’s: severity 4/5 (Severe).

The hazard poses a serious risk of illness, injury, or structural failure. Stop using the product immediately and contact the manufacturer for a refund or repair.

Our severity reasoning: The recall involves a structural vehicle defect where the ignition key can be dislodged, leading to the loss of critical safety systems (airbags, power steering, power braking) and increasing the risk of injury or crash.

Plain-English summary

General Motors LLC is recalling certain 2008-2009 Pontiac G8 and 2011-2013 Chevrolet Caprice vehicles. The recall covers 47,043 vehicles manufactured between July 25, 2007, and December 6, 2013. In these vehicles, the driver may accidentally hit the ignition key with their knee, unintentionally knocking the key out of the run position and turning off the engine.

If the key is not in the run position, the air bags may not deploy in a crash, increasing the risk of injury. Additionally, the key being knocked out of position could cause a loss of engine power, power steering, and power braking, which increases the risk of a vehicle crash.

GM will notify owners, and dealers will remove the key blade from the original flip key/RKE transmitter assemblies and install a revised key blade and housing assembly indexed by 90 degrees. The recall began on February 4, 2015. Until the repair is completed, drivers are advised to adjust their seat and steering column to allow clearance between their knee and the ignition key. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020 or Pontiac customer service at 1-800-762-2737.

The recalled product

Product
PONTIAC, CHEVROLET G8, CAPRICE
Brand
PONTIAC
Manufacturer
General Motors LLC
Category
Vehicle — Ignition System
Hazard
Affected units
47,043

Is your product affected?

Check your packaging against the codes below. If any of them match, the product is part of this recall.

Model numbers (2)

  • G8
  • CAPRICE

Distribution

Distributed nationwide across the United States.

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