GM Apologizes For 13 Deaths Over Recall Delay - Is That Good Enough?

General Motors Co. — which Tuesday doubled the size of its recall for older cars with faulty ignition switches that can cause air bags not to deploy in crashes — spent nearly a decade studying the issue and repeatedly opted not to recall the vehicles or pay for potentially expensive fixes.

The Detroit automaker said it will recall more than 1.6 million cars worldwide after reports of 13 deaths and 31 crashes linked to the issue. The decision that came less than two weeks after the automaker insisted it needed to recall only about 780,000 cars.

A chronology of its actions turned over to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration on Monday showed GM downplayed the ignition switch issue in prior years, including canceling in 2005 an approved redesign of the ignition key head. By the end of 2007, GM said it knew of 10 frontal crashes in which air bags didn’t deploy — linked to the ignition problem — but the automaker opted not to recall the cars.

GM North America President Alan Batey said the company was “deeply sorry” for the issue, a rare apology for the automaker over a safety issue.

w222 - 2/26/2014 12:49:18 PM

+3 Boost

Hope they pay through the roof to the victims

randy3023 - 2/26/2014 1:46:12 PM

+2 Boost

Is it good enough? I'm sure a jury will decide this.

Thegeek - 2/26/2014 9:59:23 PM

+2 Boost

Where was the National Highway Traffic Safety administration during all this? Asleep at the switch, just like Government Motors? Thanks, Goverment Motors for the wonderful CheapHeapRolets, Pontiacs and Saturns that you have produced. And thanks to Obama who saved you out of oblivion by raping the American taxpayer. Yes, the biggest blunder in the history of the United States of America! Government Motors who SO WILLINGLY accepted Obama's generosity so they can continue to make CheapHeapRolets, etc. that are worth nothing in five to ten years because of their swift loss of value in the resale market. Why did the American presidents who were in office allow Packard, Studebaker, American Motors, Hudson and others to go off into oblivion? Too bad... Government Motors, you will become the recall champion, it is just a matter of time.

randy3023 - 2/27/2014 2:46:56 PM

+1 Boost

EXCELLENT question.

Last we heard from the NHTSA, there had just been about three Tesla fires in two years and they were busy saving everyone from the fourth.

Dexter1 - 2/27/2014 9:04:22 AM

+1 Boost

Ooops. Sorry about that. Have a nice day!

aussie2u - 2/27/2014 11:24:17 PM

+1 Boost

13 deaths in GM's and no news and a delayed recall. A piece of debris causes a tesla to start smoking and the media runs it on the front page...