A Christmas gift from Cardachrome and the Blackbird

In August 2020, I blogged about receiving postcards that alerted me as being a member of a potential class action lawsuit. It seemed that my two prior cars – my 2005 Saturn Ion (“Cardachrome”) and my 2006 Chevrolet Cobalt SS (the “Blackbird”) were part of a group of GM-manufactured cars that experienced ignition problems and electrical issues, and the class action lawsuit would provide owners with some sort of compensation.

I filled out the postcards and returned them. Figured if nothing else, I’d get a few dollars back on some air fresheners or something.

Last Friday, I received two letters from the General Motors class action suit.

Letters, nothing. They were checks. One check for $150, another for $95. Made out to me, as the owner of Cardachrome and the Blackbird.

$245 total. That’s a lot of air fresheners, boy.

This is a nice little gift, and I’m glad to receive it. A little Christmas cheer in memory of two really good cars that were part of my life.

I bought Cardachrome in 2010, right after my first car – a 1991 Pontiac 6000 – finally gave up its ghost. It drove well for some time, it got me through a divorce and a series of bad post-divorce dates, but in 2012 it developed those nasty electrical issues that were part of the GM ignition settlement.

I traded Carcdachrome in for the Cobalt, nicknamed it the “Blackbird,” and continued on my way. And although I didn’t sense the same number of electrical issues as previously experienced, I did have the ignition switch replaced as part of a recall of GM cars that fell into those manufacturing years.

So now I have an additional $245 in my pocket, a last legacy of two great automobiles that got me through six years of my life.

Yeah, I’m definitely good with that.