GM still has no switch fix for half-million Cadillacs

Three weeks after a recall and telling dealers not to sell them, General Motors continues to look for a way to fix an ignition switch risk in half a million Cadillacs.

"We're still working on it," GM spokesman Alan Adler said Monday, noting that it's unclear how long it will take to find a solution.

The ignition switches in 554,328 Cadillacs from the 2004-2014 model years can move out of the "run" position for two reasons: Heavy key rings can pull the switch out of "run" if the car is jarred by severe bumps; and the driver's knee can bump the key and knock the switch out of position.

"We're working on a solution that will work on all," Adler says.

When the key moves out of "run," it shuts off the engine, kills the power-assist to steering and brakes and can disable the airbags, the same problem that forced a GM recall of 2.19 million U.S. small cars in February and March; the recall is linked to 13 deaths. The recalled Cadillacs don't use the same switches as those cars.

GM has barred dealers from selling any recalled Cadillacs on their lots until it comes up with a fix. Dealers borrow money to buy their inventories, so are eager for GM to find a solution.

Recalled are the 2003 to 2014 CTS vehicles — excluding the new-design CTS four-door sedan. Also recalled are the 2004 to 2006 SRX crossovers. The vehicles were among 7.55 million in the U.S. in GM's June 30 announcement of six recalls.

It's isn't unusual to recall cars for a danger before a fix is devised. By law, automakers have to tell the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration of any safety flaw within five working days.