Arizona GM drivers eligible in settlement over ignition switches
Thousands of Arizonans who drive General Motors vehicles could receive $200 or more each from a settlement brokered by the Arizona Attorney General’s Office over faulty ignition switches.
GM agreed this week to pay $6.3 million to 33,000 eligible drivers in Arizona and $1 million in fines to the state in the wake of revelations that ignition switches in its vehicles could turn off suddenly. The defect contributed to as many as 124 deaths across the country.
Other GM vehicles had problems with airbags and power steering, spurring recalls in 2014 of millions of vehicles.
The Arizona lawsuit alleged GM falsely advertised, concealed defects and created a corporate culture that devalued vehicle safety.
Arizona was the only state that obtained money for consumers, according to Attorney General Mark Brnovich.
He beefed up the state’s demands and broke away from a joint lawsuit on similar grounds brought against GM by 49 other state attorneys general that ended up settling for less than what Arizona negotiated, he said.
That settlement required GM to pay $120 million to those states, giving each about $2 million, according to the Associated Press.
“Consumers should always come first,” Brnovich said in a written statement. “I wasn’t going to settle until Arizona consumers received compensation.”
The settlement requires court approval before it is final.
Keep an eye out for a letter. You must sign and return a release form mailed to you by a claims administrator.
If you have questions, call the Attorney General’s Office in Phoenix at 602542-5763, in Tucson at 520-628-6648 or outside the metro area at 800-3528431.
You’ll get a minimum of $200 if everyone who is eligible submits claims. But you could receive more if fewer people apply.
Your vehicle must have:
❚ Been purchased between July 10, 2009 and July 10, 2014.
❚ Come new or certified pre-owned from a GM dealer in Arizona.
❚ Not been resold before the recall was announced in February 2014.