As we reported previously, every 5th Gen Camaro ever made has been recalled due to the possibility of shutting off the ignition by bumping the key fob with your knee, either accidentally or on purpose. While we aren’t aware of any deaths or injuries related to this “defect,” the possibility of engine power loss, no power steering, and deactivated airbags means it should be taken seriously.
Other GM ignition-related recalls have proven to be a bit of a logistical nightmare, with parts backordered for weeks delaying customer fixes, but for the Camaro, it seems the solution is simple: stop using the “switchblade” key that retracts into the remote fob, and use a conventional key instead. Since key blanks are a lot easier to produce than ignition locks (the point of failure in the main GM ignition recall), the Camaro fix should be quick and easy.
In this YouTube video, dealership employee Mike Polite shows how new Camaro keys and fobs are being shipped, with the “switchblade” mechanism still part of the fob but with no key attached. Mike, who brands himself as “Mr. Polite – YBTG” (Your Bow Tie Guy) has a bunch of different videos on his YouTube channel, and seems like a dealership guy we might actually like… Since he works out of a dealership local to yours truly, maybe we’ll have to pay him a visit someday!