General Motors is increasing the number and brands of cars included in a recall that was announced last week. The recall now affects 1.6 million vehicles built between 2003 and 2007.
In addition to 778,000 Chevrolet Cobalts and Pontiac G5s, GM also is recalling 592,000 Saturn Ions, Chevrolet HHRs, Pontiac Solstices and Saturn Skys in the United States, plus 253,519 more in Canada and Mexico.
A faulty ignition switch is the reason for the recall. The company says the weight of heavy key rings combined with bumpy roads can move the ignition to the off position, which shuts off the engine without warning and disables the airbags.
GM also increased the number of fatalities associated with the faulty switch to 13.