The old Chevrolet Cobalt shown here was later replaced by the current Chevy Cruze model.

General Motors is recalling nearly 800,000 older compact cars due to a problem that the company acknowledges is linked to six deaths.

The recall covers Chevrolet Cobalt and Pontiac G5 models sold in North America during model-years 2005 through 2007.  According to GM, the weight of the key ring can inadvertently lead to the ignition switch moving out of the Run position when the vehicles are driven on rough roads.  In such a situation, their airbags may not operate during a crash.

In all, GM reports there have been 22 separate accidents resulting from the problem, including five frontal impact crashes and six fatalities in which front airbags did not deploy. However, a GM spokesperson also noted that in all the incidents resulting in death, the crashes occurred off-road and at high speeds, where fatal injuries might have occurred even if the airbags worked.

Alcohol use was involved in some of the fatal crashes, according to GM, while it appears some of the victims were not wearing seatbelts at the time.

GM says there were at least 17 additional, non-fatal crashes in which the airbags did not deploy.

The maker is advising owners to remove non-essential keys and other items from their key rings until it can complete repairs on the 778,562 Chevy Cobalt and Pontiac G5 models involved in the recall.  All were sold in North America — 619,122 in the U.S., 153,310 in Canada and 6,130 in Mexico.

The maker plans to replace the ignition switch as part of the recall, with owners to receive advisories in the coming weeks. Repairs will be made at no charge.

The significance of the new recall could prove an embarrassment for General Motors which has been struggling to convince consumers that it has addressed the quality and reliability problems of years past.  Indeed, it had two of the top five brands in the 2014 J.D. Power and Associates Vehicle Dependability Survey released yesterday, as well as winners in eight individual vehicle segments.

(For more on the latest Vehicle Dependability Study, Click Here.)

But the maker still has been plagued by problems, like the new ignition switch recall, involving older models. Neither the Cobalt nor Gr are now being produced and the Pontiac division itself was abandoned during GM’s 2009 bankruptcy.

But the maker has had issues with newer models, as well, including a recall involving approximately 20,000 of its new 2014 Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra pickups shortly after their launch last year.

GM had the third highest number of recalls of any manufacturer, behind Toyota and Honda, in 2012.  Final figures for 2013 have not yet been released by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

(Toyota recalling 1.9 million Prius hybrids. Click Hereto find out why.)