General Motors has recalled 3.2 million cars for faulty ignition switches, cars including popular models like the Buick Lacross and the Chevy Impala. This latest recall is in addition to the 2.6 million Chevrolet Cobalts that General Motors had previously recalled for a similar problem. The main problem is in the ignition switch, which experts say could cause inserted keys with extra weight to slip out of position and shut the vehicle off abruptly during a “jarring event”.
GM has issued 44 recalls in North American this year alone and more than 20 million vehicles have been affected worldwide. In a statement released by General Motors, the company said it was aware of eight crashes. The defect has been linked to at least 13 deaths and 54 crashed and an internal investigation revealed GM knew about the problem for at least a decade before the recalls began. Fifteen employees have since been fired since the investigation began and federal and state criminal investigations are pending.
GM’s chief executive Mary Barra is set to testify today in Congress about why the company waited so long to recall the first 2.6 million vehicles they knew had the defected ignition switches.
Photo credit: Senator McCaskill / Foter / Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivs 2.0 Generic (CC BY-ND 2.0)
