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There are new questions about whether General Motors was candid with US traffic safety authorities in regard to ignition switch failures that led to at least 13 deaths, the New York Times reported on Wednesday.
A defective ignition switch led to the recall of some 2.6 million of GM’s Cobalt and Ion models after it was shown to be the cause of power failures affecting engines, brakes and air bags. GM ignored the flaw for more than a decade.
In one fatal crash a GM engineer concluded that a sudden power failure had led to the non-deployment of air bags, according to the newspaper. When the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) questioned the company about the deadly accidents, GM was either evasive or did not answer the questions at all.
The report is likely to make GM head Mary Barra uncomfortable when she appears before the US Congress for the fourth time on Thursday.
The primary question is whether GM purposely concealed the ignition switch problem, which it acknowledged cost the lives of 13 people. An investigative report initiated by Barra absolved the company of such a charge.
The company has paid a fine of $35 million to transportation safety authorities as a result of its protracted recall.
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