Latest Auto Recall: Could Your Car Potentially Run Over You?

So you parked your car and you think it's secure. Well, if it is a certain model made by General Motors that may not be the case. And no, we're not talking about car theft.

In the latest round of recalls, General Motors Company has sent letters to owners of more than 400,000 GM cars letting them know that issues have been reported with the vehicles randomly rolling away.

It appears that there is a defect in the tabs on the end of transmission shift cable. The tabs can fracture and separate, leaving the transmission shift lever out of sync with the actual transmission gear. Basically, the shift stick may look like it is in "park" or "neutral," but in fact is actually in another gear.

Several accidents have been reported after drivers have left the vehicle, only to have it unexpectedly roll away and crash. While no one has yet been injured, it is only a matter of time before it happens.

The recall includes Saturn Aura (2007 to 2010 models), Chevy Malibu (2008 to 2010 models) and Pontiac Gs (2008 to 2010 models). GM has a fix in place that will keep the shift cable from pulling out of sync. But as we've written before, most people never respond to recalls, so many of these defective cars will remain on the roads and in parking lots - with unsuspecting people walking around them.

Source: Los Angeles Times, " GM announces big recall of Chevrolet, Pontiac and Saturn sedans," 9/21/12.