U.S lawmakers have concluded that General Motors auto manufacturers have shown a recurring pattern of ignoring safety issues, in particular those raised in internal emails detailing problems with ignition switches in some of the company's models.
The conclusion came after federal investigators presented new evidence indicating that a GM employee emailed company mangement to alert them about a need for a comprehensive and potentially costly recall after discovering the major ignition switch problem. The emails were sent as far back as 2005.
Since GM's issue went public, the company has issued at least 44 recalls, including one citing ignition flaws. The problem with the car's ignition caused 47 crashes and 13 deaths over a decade. In total, the company recalled more than 20 million vehicles, mostly from the United States; 6.5 million of these were due to the ignition switch problem.
Federal investigators released a 2005 email from GM employee Laura Andres on Wednesday. In it, Andres informed company engineers about a 2006 Chevy Impala Special car she owned that stalled as she drove it from paved to gravel roads. She also mentioned that a technician told her the problem might have stemmed from the car's ignition switch.
"I think this is a serious safety problem, especially if this switch is on multiple programs. I'm thinking big recall," Andres wrote to 11 other GM employees, reports Reuters. The emails were also sent to the vice president of North American engineering.
GM CEO Mary Barra faced some tough questioning during her appearance before Congress to explain the company's actions and its own internal investigation that revealed GM repeatedly ignored safety warnings related to defects for more than ten years. The company has recently decided to overhaul its legal department to prevent future delays with recall announcements.
"I want this terrible experience permanently etched in our collective memories," CEO Barra said in her testimony, emphasizing, "This is a tragic problem that never should have happened. And it must never happen again."
