Chevy Camaro Recall: GM Says Ignition Switch Problem Can Be Fixed With New Key

General Motors Co. (NYSE:GM) announced Friday it’s recalling more than a half million of its Chevrolet Camaros for an ignition switch problem very similar to the one that led to a massive recall of Chevy Cobalts and other older-model GM sedans.

Like a previous ignition switch problem linked to at least 13 deaths and 47 accidents, the ignition key could fall from its “on” position while the car is in motion, GM said. But the company said the problem isn’t linked to a tiny spring inside the ignition switch but rather the design of the key and the fob that can cause it to be bumped from the “on” position while the car is in motion.

The flaw has been linked to three accidents and four minor injuries, according to GM. The company will issue a newly designed ignition key with a separate fob. The Camaro recall affects the 2010 to 2014 model years.

"Discovering and acting on this issue quickly is an example of the new norm for product safety at GM," said Jeff Boyer, vice president of GM Global Safety.

The fix is similar to the one proposed by GM engineers in 2005 to fix the ignition switch defect in the Cobalts and Saturn Ions. At the time, they suspected a key redesign would fix the problem, but the proposal was rejected. It took eight more years before the company issued a recall in January to replace the ignition switch.