GM Offers Employee Pricing to Owners in Ignition Recall

GM is now offering employee pricing on a new GM vehicle to owners of 2.6 million small cars under recall for faulty ignition switches. Some 2.2 million of those recalls — a slew of 2000s-era Saturns, Chevrolets and Pontiacs — are in the U.S., with repair work currently underway.

GM Ignition-Switch Recall: What Owners Need to Know

The quiet move comes weeks after GM said it would offer $500 off the purchase of a new vehicle to affected drivers — a provision that ran through April 30. The automaker’s latest program, also unadvertised, will save even more money for those who use it.

“This isn’t something we’re marketing, but it’s just something the dealers have in their toolbox,” GM spokesman Jim Cain told us. “People are taking advantage of it. The numbers — we’re not going to disclose the numbers at this time, but it’s several hundred. And you know [it will] probably increase as time goes on.”

How much does employee pricing save? Cain said he’d “prefer not to” reveal that but confirmed that the prices are generally under invoice, and — a crucial detail — owners can pile any existing cash-back offers on top of them.

“They have to have a recalled vehicle in their household, and it doesn’t require a trade [in],” Cain said. “It becomes a no-haggle price but you are eligible for other discounts that might be in the market… You’d get employee price plus any additional cash.”

We searched GM’s four brands (Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet and GMC) for cash-back deals this month across five major U.S. metro areas. Among the most attractive offers are up to $1,500 off certain 2014 Chevrolet Cruze and $2,500 off 2014 Chevrolet Malibu sedans, as well as up to $4,750 and $3,750 off 2014 Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra 1500 pickup trucks, respectively. Buick, meanwhile, offers up to $1,500 off the LaCrosse or Enclave. Add those onto employee pricing, and you could see serious savings.

If affected drivers want a used GM replacement, the automaker will also offer $500 off the purchase of a certified pre-owned vehicle, Cain said.

Naturally, owners of vehicles under the ignition recall should check with their local dealer for full details.

Cars.com photo by Evan Sears