General Motors Co. CEO Mary Barra is scheduled to face Congress at 2 p.m. today regarding the delayed recall of 2.6 million vehicles with faulty ignition switches that have been linked to 13 deaths and 31 crashes. The hearing – entitled “The GM Ignition Switch Recall: Why Did It Take So Long?” – was called by the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigation.
Live streaming video by UstreamVideo: The GM Ignition Switch Recall: Why Did It Take So Long?
DETROIT, MI- General Motors Co. CEO Mary Barra is scheduled to face Congress at 2 p.m. today regarding the delayed recall of 2.6 million vehicles with faulty ignition switches that have been linked to 13 deaths and 31 crashes.
The hearing – entitled “The GM Ignition Switch Recall: Why Did It Take So Long?” – was called by the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigation.
Witnesses include Barra and National Highway Traffic Safety Administration administrator David Friedman. Both are expected to answer a variety of questions into the ignition switch problem and delayed recall.
Barra is expected to be asked questions regarding what took the Detroit-based automaker so long to recall 2.6 million vehicles, including 2.2 in the U.S.; what prevented GM from identifying the defect sooner; why GM approved ignition switches that did not meet its specifications for torque; and the company’s overall recall processes.
According to documents submitted to federal officials, GM knew about the faulty ignition switches in the early-2000s but did not recall the vehicles until last month.
The 2.6 million vehicles, including 2.2 million in the U.S., affected by the ignition switch recall include 2003-2007 Saturn Ions, 2007-2010 Saturn Skys, 2005-2011 Chevrolet HHRs, 2006-2010 Pontiac Solstices, and 2005-10 Chevrolet Cobalt and Pontiac G5 models
In the first three months of 2014, GM has recalled a total of nearly 7 million vehicles worldwide, which is just less than the previous four years combined.
Friedman, who became acting administrator May 15, 2013, is expected to field questions regarding why the vehicle safety watchdog declined to open an official investigation into the vehicles and what prevented NHTSA from identifying a safety defect in GM recalls relating to airbag non-deployment.
The faulty ignition switches can move out of the “run” position to the “accessory” or “off” positions, leading to a loss of power. The risk may be increased if the key ring is carrying added weight or if the vehicle goes off road or experiences some jarring event, including rough roads. If the key turns to one of those positions, officials say the front air bags may not work if there's a crash.
Follow along with the hearing in the comments section below.
Click here for more on the GM's ignition switch recall.
Michael Wayland covers the automotive industry for MLive. Email him at MWayland@mlive.com & follow him on Twitter @MikeWayland or Google+.