General Motors has recalled nearly 1.4 million cars in the United States, saying that the ignition switch can shut off a car’s engine and electrical system, and disable its air bags.
Christopher Jensen writes in the New York Times that the deaths of 13 persons have been linked to the problem, and the first fatalities were an early warning in what would become a decade-long failure by G.M. and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to address a problem that engineers and regulators had been alerted to years ago.
For a resurgent General Motors, which has twice apologized, the recall is a major embarrassment as it tries to escape the shadow of its bankruptcy and government takeover. It has been sued, and now faces an investigation by the safety agency and the possibility of a criminal investigation, similar to the criminal inquiry Toyota is facing after recalls over the unintended acceleration of its vehicles.
The G.M. recall started on Feb. 13 with 619,000 cars in the United States before more than doubling last week. The recall also poses the first big test for Mary T. Barra, G.M.’s new chief executive, Jensen writes, who has promised a relentless focus on consumers. Ms. Barra, a career G.M. employee who the automaker said was not involved in the Cobalt’s development, has made no statements about the recall and was not available for an interview on Sunday, said Greg Martin, a G.M. spokesman.
Additionally, G.M. has not made anyone available to answer questions about the recall, offering only public statements and what it has filed with regulators.
The recall is also an embarrassment for federal safety regulators. After two of the Cobalt crashes, the regulators took a close look at the cause, each time raising the possibility of a defect. They also met with G.M. about the issue. But despite the red flags, they never opened a broader investigation into whether the car was defective.
