GM Knew From Delphi Recalled Switches Didn't Meet Specs

[Purveyor]

WASHINGTON -- Congressional staff investigating the widening General Motors ignition switch recall of 2.2 million vehicles said Sunday there are indications GM approved the design of the switches in 2002 even though the company was aware they did not meet specifications.

Investigators also said records indicate that in 2005 — after GM opened an internal probe into issues reported with the switches — the company considered addressing the problems but that a GM engineer said it would be "close to impossible to modify the present ignition switch." Even so, GM personnel signed off on a change largely addressing the problem just the following year.

The revelations raise even more questions about why GM and federal regulators didn't act sooner to address what appears to have been a longstanding problem associated with defective ignition switches linked to 13 deaths and 31 crashes. Several families of people who died in crashes are considering lawsuits and at least one class-action suit regarding the vehicles has been filed as well.

Sunday's memo from investigators for the U.S. House Energy and Commerce Committee comes as GM CEO Mary Barra is to testify before the Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee at a hearing Tuesday on Capitol Hill. GM is recalling Chevrolet Cobalt and HHRs, Saturn Ions and Skys and Pontiac G5s and Solstices to replace switches that can be inadvertently jostled out of position, potentially causing airbags not to deploy in the event of a crash.

But the recall was ordered more than a decade after the first indications of switch problems. As early as 2001, during pre-production of the Ion, GM knew there were issues with the ignition switches, according to the company's timeline of events leading up to the recall.

MORE...

http://www.wusa9.com/story/money/consumer/2014/03/30/gm-knew-from-delphi-recalled-switches-didnt-meet-specs/7090303/

[gratuitous]

1. An interesting little factoid for y'all to chew over

Each and every recall you hear about in the popular media is voluntary. Recalls are practically never ordered by the government. GM kept these vehicles in production knowing that a certain number of their customers would be injured or killed by their defective product.

With all this talk of the legal personhood of corporations, is there any reason GM couldn't be charged with capital murder?

[Purveyor]

2. I've heard mention of possible criminal liability over this... eom

[TreasonousBastard]

3. Interesting thought, but was Ford ever indicted for...

it's outboard fuel tanks or Pinto fires?

What would be the penalty for a company as big as Ford or GM should they be judged guilty of, say manslaughter? Would it be worth it to put them out of business, what with the huge job losses and negative economic activity? Even if they cop a plea, what could they do that would be any "more just" than the settlements with victims?

[MisterP]

4. "Detroit's back!" nt