Now that the General Motors recall has become the auto industry story of the month, the question arises: How will the affect its new vehicle sales and used vehicle value retention? Recalling 1.6 million vehicles – Chevrolet Cobalts, Saturn Ions, and other GM compact models for faulty ignition switches – raises the flag on fatalities and driver safety, and provides new CEO Mary Barra with a pivotal career moment. Toyota has been able to move through a massive recall with strong new sales and high retention value – now attention will be on GM.