General Motors CEO Mary Barra and other top executives are the target of congressional investigators wanting to know what they knew about the faulty ignition switch...and when.
Congressional investigators are asking if General Motors Chief Executive Mary Barra and other senior executives knew more than they have admitted publicly about when the automaker considered how to deal with a faulty ignition switch issue linked to at least 13 deaths.
The Reuters news agency, citing unnamed sources, said Congressional investigators also are examining whether executives acted fast enough, once they learned of the problem, which has led to the recall of 2.6 million passenger cars and cost the automaker more than $1.3 billion.
At issue is who knew about and was responsible for an internal investigation in 2011-2013 that eventually discovered the switch issue, according to Reuters, who said sources for the information were not at liberty to speak publicly.
The investigators have gone over emails and internal reports released by congressional investigators, show two former Barra lieutenants, Terry Woychowski and Jim Federico, worked with the GM field engineer who ran the internal probe from August 2011 to December 2013.
Dan Akerson, who was then GM chairman and chief executive officer, appointed Barra had GM product development in early 2011. The appointment effectively made Barra GM’s chief engineer with responsibility for the design and testing as well as the repair of any defects in the company’s vehicles. Before her appointment as head of product development, Barra had worked in GM’s manufacturing operations.
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Documents reviewed by congressional investigators give no indication if Woychowski or Federico had informed Barra of the problem, according to Reuters, who noted investigators are still working to understand GM structure, who made decisions on the probe, and who was accountable for the work.
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However, Federico left GM recently after 36 years with the company, including several years in which he was one of he automaker’s top vehicle development engineers. Senior development engineers are typically deeply involved in decision balancing the technology used in a vehicle against cost targets, involving the cost of components.
GM officials have insisted Federico’s departure was not linked to the ignition switch controversy.
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GM hired Anthony Valukas, a former federal prosecutor, to investigate how it handled the switch probe, and former CEO Dan Akerson, who ran the company during the 2011-2013 probe. Spokespeople for Akerson and Valukas said they declined to comment.
GM spokesman Jim Cain reiterated the company’s position that top executives did not learn of the defect until January 31 of this year, when the decision to recall was made. That echoes Barra’s testimony in early April before congressional subcommittees.