GM’s Recall Woes Worsen as CEO Prepares for House Hearing
By Tim Higgins and Jeff Plungis Apr 1, 2014 1:18 PM ET
The pressure on General Motors Co. (GM) is mounting as Chief Executive Officer Mary Barra prepares to testify before Congress at 2 p.m. about why the automaker waited more than a decade to recall cars linked to 13 deaths.
House investigators said in a memo today that consumers complained to GM dealers 133 times about cars unexpectedly stalling or turning off when they went over bumps or nudged the ignition key. At a news conference outside the U.S. Capitol, family members of crash victims called for tougher criminal penalties for automakers that fail to report defects.
Henry Waxman, the top Democrat on the U.S. House Energy and Commerce Committee, said he will introduce legislation today to increase penalties on automakers that fail to disclose defects, strengthen disclosure requirements for companies, and boost funding for the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
“We must improve the law to prevent the next auto tragedy,” Waxman said.
Today’s hearing before the committee will focus on ignition switches that turned off when jarred, cutting power to the car. Barra has said she didn’t know why it took so long to recall the 2.6 million vehicles affected.
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http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-04-01/gm-s-recall-woes-worsen-as-ceo-prepares-for-house-hearing.html
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