GM Tries Gift Cards to Lure Ignition-Switch Recall Candidates

General Motors Co. is offering $25 gift cards to coax U.S. owners of older-model cars with defective ignition switches to get their cars repaired.

In February GM called back 2.6 million cars built during the 2003-2010 model years to replace ignition switches that could abruptly cut off engine power and disable the airbags.

About 2.2 million of those cars are in the U.S., and GM so far has repaired nearly 1.3 million of them. Now the company is resorting to unconventional techniques to snag remaining owners.

The gift cards may be used at such retailers as Applebee's restaurants, Starbucks, Wal-Mart, AMC movie theaters and Bass Pro Shops. Affected owners must get their cars repaired by Dec. 1 to qualify for a card.

GM has said it hopes to fix all cars on its recall list. But the completion rate for such repairs is about 75% overall and declines significantly when older models are involved.