The owner of a 2011 Chevy Cruze that had its steering wheel fall off while driving at 65 mph posted this video to prove his point. It's a case study in how one person can sway a giant corporation.
According to the original poster, the wheel fell off while carrying four people, including a child, on a highway; the driver was able to coast to the side of the road after the steering wheel came loose. The incident forced General Motors to recall 2,100 Cruzes in the United States and an additional 400 in Canada; nearly all were still at the Ohio factory, and inspections there and at dealers found no other Cruzes with the same loose fastener that led to the Minnesota case.
In the realm of auto safety, a recall over one incident with no injuries is usually not a big deal. But because of this quasi-viral video, and the patina of "Government Motors" that surrounds GM like a cloud of exhaust, even one misstep can put GM back under scrutiny.