GM Head Grilled over Deadly Ignition Switch Recall
The head of General Motors faced the congressional hot seat Monday as lawmakers sought answers on why the company took more than a decade to address a problem involving a deadly defect in ignition switches.
The defect is linked to 13 deaths. The faulty switch could turn off at any second, unexpectedly shutting down the car power and safety systems, including the airbags.
On Monday, families of the victims called on GM to come clean.
"Our daughters and sons are gone because they were a cost of doing business GM style," Lauren Christian, one victims mother, said.
General Motors has recently recalled 2.6 million cars because of the defect. But congressional investigators say GM rejected a proposal to fix the problem in 2005, citing the length of time needed for the repair and the costs involved.
While in the hot seat on Capitol Hill, GM CEO Mary Barra vowed the company will be "fully transparent" and "will not shirk from our responsibilities now and in the future."
"Today's GM will do the right thing," she said. "That begins with my sincere apologies to everyone who has been affected by this recall, especially to the families and friends of those who lost their lives or were injured. I am deeply sorry."
Right before GM's testimony the company made another major announcement: More than 1.3 million more vehicles are now being recalled with dangerous power steering problems.
