GM Plans to Recall 474,000 Cars to Fix Shifter Flaw

General Motors Co. is preparing to recall 474,000 of its 2007-2010 Saturn Aura and 2008-2010 Chevrolet Malibu and Pontiac G6 sedans to repair a defect that could allow the vehicle to roll away while indicating it is in Park.

The campaign covers 474,000 vehicles in North America, 90% of which were sold in the U.S.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says tabs on the end of the affected transmission's shift cable could break and fall off. If that happens, the vehicle would be left in gear when the shifter indicates the transmission is in Park mode.

Under those conditions, the doors may not automatically unlock, the engine may not be able to restart and the Park indicator lamp would not illuminate. NHTSA reports seven cases where the failure allowed a vehicle to roll away and crash.

GM discovered the problem while assisting in a NHTSA investigation into a related shift cable flaw involving a new part design introduced in the second half of the 2008 model year. The company says the recall will fix both problems.

In 2009 GM recalled nearly 277,000 of its 2009-model cars and crossover vehicles to fix a similar problem involving faulty shift cables. Like the current campaign, that recall involved Chevy Malibu, Pontiac G6 and Saturn Aura cars.