GM Chose Not to Implement a Fix for Ignition Problem

nbcnews.com

“Engineers at General Motors found a way to stop ignition switches from shutting off nine years ago, but made a “business decision” not to order the partial fix to a problem that has now been linked to a dozen deaths, NBC News has learned.

“Certain GM cars are vulnerable to shutting off when their keys are bumped by drivers or stressed by heavy keychains, a problem the automaker cited in recalling 1.6 million vehicles last month. Two GM executives confirmed during a lawsuit filed by the parents of a Georgia woman killed in the crash of her Chevrolet Cobalt that the company had found a partial fix for the problem in 2005 — a measure that a witness for the plaintiffs estimated would have cost as little as $1 per car.

“A high-level GM executive told NBC News the company was “deeply troubled with some decisions that were made in the past and is hoping to move forward.” More