That’s a million more than the initial recall numbers from General Motors. Why so many new additions? A decision not to change the part number, which critics claim was intended to keep GM from having to deal with the issue, may mean that newer cars that didn’t have the defect before may have had it introduced in later repairs. The model years now stretch from 2003-2011:

General Motors Co expanded its global recall of cars with defective ignition switches to 2.6 million on Friday, adding 971,000 later-model vehicles due to concerns over faulty replacement parts.

The recall now includes all model years of the Chevrolet Cobalt, Chevrolet HHR, Saturn Ion, Saturn Sky, Pontiac G5 and Pontiac Solstice made from 2003-2011. …

GM redesigned the faulty part for model years after 2007, but it did not change the part number, and it fears that some newer-model cars could have been repaired with defective older-model switches.

Switches still available in parts stores may not be defective, but it is nearly impossible to tell new ones from older-design ones unless they are taken apart or the manufacturing history is checked, Reuters reported.

Until now, the recall only affected model years 2003-7 from certain GM cars. This will certainly raise a few more questions for GM to answer — and the NHTSA, too.