General Motors to Unveil Probe of Recall Controversy

VOA News
5 June 2014 (8:04AM)

U.S. automaker General Motors will release the results of an internal probe Thursday into its failure to address a safety defect that has been linked to several deadly car crashes.

Documents say GM engineers knew for more than a decade about a faulty ignition switch that caused engines to stall and led to electrical failures, but failed to take action until this year, when it recalled about 2.6 million small cars.

The automaker said the defect has caused at least 13 deaths.

News outlets say the internal investigation is expected to clear CEO Mary Barra and other top executives of any wrongdoing in the scandal. Barra will hold a news conference to discuss the report's findings after meeting with GM employees.

The federal government last month fined GM $35 million, the maximum amount allowed by law, for its delayed response to the problem. The automaker is under investigation by the Justice Department and the Securities and Exchange Commission, as well as the U.S. Congress and several states.

GM is also facing a number of lawsuits by families of crash victims.