GM failed to issue a recall for several years over a power steering motor problem on 2004-2007 Saturn Ions. It finally issued a recall March 31.
The hits keep coming for General Motors as it was revealed that the automaker waited for years to recall more than 330,000 Saturn Ions for a power steering issue.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) released documents revealing that GM waited despite thousands of consumer complaints and more than 30,000 warranty repair claims.
In 2004-2007 Saturn Ions, the power steering could fail without warning. The driver could control the car, but it required more effort and the driver is taken by surprise resulting in a loss of control of the vehicle.
The damning information doesn’t cast NHTSA in a favorable light either. The agency opened an investigation more than two years ago and discovered 12 crashes and two injuries, but failed to force GM to issue a recall on the compact cars.
GM ultimately issued a recall on its own on March 31 of 1.5 million vehicles for the problem. In addition to the Ion, the Saturn Aura, Pontiac G6 and Chevrolet Malibus were recalled and the power steering motors replaced.
The recall in March was not the first time some of the vehicles had been recalled for power steering issues. The company’s new global safety chief, Jeff Boyer, referenced this when GM issued the power steering recall on March 31.
“We have recalled some of these vehicles before for the same issue and offered extended warranties on others, but we did not do enough,” Boyer said. “With these safety recalls and lifetime warranties, we are going after every car that might have this problem, and we are going to make it right.”
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While GM and its CEO Mary Barra have been excoriated in recent weeks over the handling of faulty ignition switch and the 31 injuries and 13 deaths officially tied to the problem, NHTSA’s also taken some lumps during the process and this is likely to further raise the ire of the members of the U.S. Congress investigating the ignition recall.
“This raises more troubling concerns about GM’s and NHTSA’s actions, as well as questions about whether NHTSA has the capability to effectively do its job,” said Rep. Diana DeGette, D-Colo., according to the Associated Press. “I intend to aggressively pursue these issues as our congressional investigation into GM and NHTSA continues.”
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DeGette is a member of a House subcommittee that questioned Barra earlier this month during a hearing on the ignition switch problems.
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In its defense, NHTSA said Saturday it was “actively working to bring this investigation to a resolution” when GM issued the recall.
“Over the past 10 years, NHTSA defect investigations resulted in 1,299 recalls involving more than 95 million vehicles and items of motor vehicle equipment, which has helped us reduce vehicle fatalities to historic, all-time lows,” the agency said in an e-mailed statement, according to AP.