GM offers gift cards as bait for owners to get recalled cars fixed

DETROIT -- General Motors is dangling $25 gift cards to Starbucks, Bass Pro Shops and other retailers to persuade nearly 1 million owners of recalled cars with faulty ignition switches to get them fixed.

GM began mailing letters to owners last week, notifying them that parts are available to replace the defective switch and encouraging them to make an appointment at their dealership, according to a memo sent to dealers last week.

As of Oct. 27, GM dealerships had fixed 1.27 million of the 2.2 million recalled U.S. Chevrolet Cobalts, Saturn Ions and other small cars. The ignition switch can inadvertently slip out of the run position and cut power to the steering, brakes and airbags, a defect that has been linked to 30 deaths.

Owners who have their car repaired by Dec. 1 get their choice of a $25 gift card to Amazon, AMC, Applebee's, Bass Pro Shops, Red Robin, Starbucks or Wal-Mart.

The gift cards are "part of the outreach that we're doing to try and get people who haven't taken action yet to get their cars repaired," a GM spokeswoman said.

To reach the remaining owners, GM has taken the unusual step of delivering personalized online ads by matching the company's database with members of Facebook and other popular Web sites.

GM CEO Mary Barra has said she wants all of the recalled vehicles fixed. That's a tall order: The average recall-repair completion rate is 75 percent, with a much lower average for older vehicles, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. The cars covered in the ignition switch range from model years 2003 to 2010.