Facing an onslaught of congressional criticism, the head of General Motors on Tuesday said the company is “deeply sorry” for its failure to swiftly recall vehicles with a dangerous ignition switch flaw.
GM CEO Mary Barra, testifying before Congress for the first time since taking the helm in January, expressed remorse to the people in the hearing room who lost family members in crashes linked to the defect.
“Today’s GM will do the right thing. That begins with my sincere apologies to everyone who has been affected by this recall, especially the families and friends who lost their lives or were injured. I am deeply sorry,” Barra said.
{mosads}Lawmakers pressed Barra to explain why it took so long for GM to address the problem with the vehicles, which rolled off assembly lines in the mid-2000s but were not recalled until earlier this year.
“GM knew about this problem in 2001,” said Rep. Diana DeGette (D-Colo.). “They were warned again and again over the next decade, but they did nothing.”
DeGette held up an ignition switch with keys hanging from it to illustrate how easily the ignition in the vehicles could be cut.