GM: 80 tests prove recalled cars safe

General Motors said Thursday that it has conducted more than 80 tests that demonstrate their 2.6 million recalled cars are safe to drive as long as there is only a single key in the flawed ignition switch.

The automaker has previously said that the use of a single key is a safe temporary solution to the problem with the ignition switch until the car can be repaired. On Thursday, it released a video featuring its new head of safety, Jeff Boyer, with footage from some of the tests it has conducted.

GM (GM) has recalled the cars worldwide to replace the switch. It warns that the ignition is at risk of turning the car off, disabling the airbag, anti-lock brakes and power steering if there is a heavy key ring on the key. At least 13 deaths have been tied to the faulty ignition switch, and GM has admitted that its employees were wrong to wait a decade after discovering the problem to recall the affected cars.

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The video, which GM says it has forwarded to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, shows cars being driven over rough cobblestone roads, over deep potholes and at a high enough speed over bumps on the road that the car becomes airborne. GM said in all those tests the ignition remained on as long as there is a single key.

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GM said drivers should not even have the key fob attached to the key, and that an original GM key be used, rather than a replacement key which might have a slot rather than a small circle at the end of the key.




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