Regulators probe GM gear shift safety

Federal safety regulators are investigating problems with the automatic shift levers on several General Motors Co. cars that have caused at least seven crashes.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration in Washington said on its website Monday the probe began with complaints about the Saturn Aura midsize car from the 2007 and 2008 model years, affecting nearly 89,000 vehicles.

But the agency is checking to see if problems extend to other GM vehicles. The Chevrolet Malibu from the 2004 to 2008 model years and the Pontiac G6 from the 2005 to 2008 model years have similar shifting systems, the agency said in documents filed on its website.

NHTSA said the protective jacket around cables connecting the floor shift lever to the transmission can deteriorate, exposing the cables to the elements. Cables can corrode and weaken, and the shift position may not match the car's gear. That means a driver could put the car in park but the transmission could be in drive or reverse, or not shift at all.

The agency said it received three reports of crashes caused by the problem, while GM received four, with one person hurt. In that crash the driver put the gearshift in park, got out of the car and was hit when the car unexpectedly rolled backward, NHTSA said.

GM told the agency the problem affects mainly models with four-speed transmissions. GM spokesman Alan Adler said only that GM is cooperating in the investigation.