General Motors has been
in the news quite a bit the past several weeks due to a recall on a defectiveignition part on many of its’ vehicles. GM has recalled 2.6 million vehicles, including the: Chevrolet Cobalt;
Saturn Ion; and other Saturn and Pontiac models. The cars’ ignitions could slip
out of the “on” position, cutting power to the vehicle. There have been 13
deaths reported. GM has recalled those vehicles, and also disclosed that
defective parts may have been used in earlier repairs on those vehicles. Last
week, GM said it would replace ignition lock cylinders “and cut, and if
necessary, reprogram new keys.”The cost of GM’s recall, originally set at $300
million, has now ballooned to $1.3 billion, including some other
vehicles.
Forbes magazine reported last week that key memo that
was issued in 2006 points out when and how the mistake with the ignition part
was made. Dated May 27, 2006, the memo includes a document that explains
information that supported GM’s part change, and includes GM’s approval to make
the change, according to the House Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee,
which released more than 200,000 pages of documents.
One
page of the memo was released previously, but that page has been updated with
additional information, and the fax cover sheet makes it clear who made the
fateful GM decision. It cites GM Ray DeGiorgio, who has been placed on leave by
GM, as knowing about the change to the ignition part, and allowing the switch
to happen without the typical step of creating a new part number. Engineers
told Automotive News that the step was a
“cardinal sin’ in product design, and GM Chief Executive Mary Barra was
roundly criticized for the action during Congressional testimony last week.
GM is
going to see multiple lawsuits against. First, suits will be brought for the
wrongful deaths of the drivers and/or passengers involved in car accidents
caused by the ignition failures. They will also see consumer class action
lawsuits brought by all those who owned the vehicles and will require
replacements and repairs for the defective parts.
If you
or someone you love has been injured in a Chicago car accident or as a result
of a Chicago auto defect, then call Chicago personal injury attorney, Aaron
Bryant, for a free legal consultation at 312-614-1076.