{"id":77250,"date":"2014-06-05T11:49:39","date_gmt":"2014-06-05T15:49:39","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.thedetroitbureau.com\/?p=77250"},"modified":"2014-06-05T11:49:40","modified_gmt":"2014-06-05T15:49:40","slug":"pattern-of-incompetence-and-neglect-led-to-ignition-switch-defect-says-gms-barra","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thedetroitbureau.com\/2014\/06\/pattern-of-incompetence-and-neglect-led-to-ignition-switch-defect-says-gms-barra\/","title":{"rendered":"Pattern of \u201cIncompetence and Neglect\u201d Led to Ignition Switch Defect, Says GM\u2019s Barra"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Dan Ammann, left, Mary Barry and Mark Reuss field questions about the ignition switch recall report.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

A pattern of \u201cincompetence and neglect\u201d led General Motors to ignore for a decade a problem with a faulty ignition switch linked to the deaths of at least 13 people, CEO Mary Barra acknowledged on Thursday, during a news conference called to respond to an outside probe of the problem and, more broadly, GM\u2019s overall handling of safety-related issues.<\/p>\n

The investigation by former federal prosecutor Anton Valukas was harsh in its assessment, though the final report cleared Barra and predecessor Dan Akerson of involvement in the scandal. It did, however, point to a number of other engineers, managers and senior executives who failed to take the appropriate actions that could have caught the defect years earlier. As a result 15 employees have been terminated, with another five disciplined.<\/p>\n

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On Top of the News!<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Over half of those were employed at the \u201csenior or executive level,\u201d according to Barra.<\/p>\n

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Mary Barra, GM's CEO, said the report about the ignition switch recall investigation was disturbing.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The embattled Detroit maker also noted that it is moving ahead rapidly to set up a special compensation fund \u201cfor all those\u201d who have been killed or injured due to the ignition switch debacle, noted GM President Dan Ammann. And while the carmaker continues to maintain at 13 the number of fatalities linked to the ignition switch defect, Ammann said additional victims could be added to the list. A report by the Reuters news service this week contended that the death toll might actually be 74.<\/p>\n

It was \u201cenormously troubling to see our shortfalls laid out so thoroughly\u201d by the Valukas report, said CEO Barra during a speech to more than 1,000 employees at the GM world headquarters in Detroit\u2019s Renaissance Center.<\/p>\n

Barra, who was named to replace Akerson late last year, acknowledged that the report revealed a \u201cfundamental failure\u201d to respond to a critical safety issue, then promised that, \u201cWe will do the right thing for those who were harmed. We will accept responsibility and make sure that this never happens again.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Valukas report took a microscope to GM\u2019s ignition switch problem, while also more broadly examining the automaker\u2019s process of dealing with safety-related issues. It found major flaws across the board.<\/p>\n

From the very beginning, employees mishandled the ignition switch issue, failing to flag that the part did not meet GM\u2019s own performance standards. The basic issue is that the switch was prone to occasionally moving out of the Run position, into either ACC or Off. If that happened, a vehicle\u2019s engine would cut out, while the airbag system would be disabled. According to Barra, it was handled as a \u201ccustomer satisfaction\u201d issue, rather than a safety matter \u2013 even after the maker began receiving reports that the defect had resulted in crashes and fatalities.<\/p>\n

And then, around 2005, GM employees ordered a revision to the part without following normal procedures, notably by maintaining the same part number which failed to flag there was a problem that might have triggered a recall years earlier. The service action was only announced in February of this year, ultimately impacting 2.6 million vehicles sold in the U.S. alone.<\/p>\n

From a 35,000-foot viewpoint, the report found a number of fundamental flaws in the GM safety system:<\/p>\n