Reassessment: Amid stricter scrutiny, GM recalls vehicles

Total number brought back now reaches 106,000.

NEW YORK:

General Motors announced four more vehicle recalls, totaling about 106,000 in North America, including one to fix an air-bag system likely tied to one crash involving an injury.

GM, which faces tough scrutiny from US regulators and lawmakers amid an ignition-recall scandal it links to 13 deaths, said the majority of the cars affected –89,126 – were in the United States.

The largest US automaker is recalling 31,520 model years 2012 Buick Verano and Chevrolet Camaro, Cruze and Sonic compact cars to address a faulty connection within the air-bag system that can cause the bag not to deploy in a crash.

GM said it was aware of one crash with an injury which appeared linked to the problem. It said it knew of other crashes where air bags did not deploy, but was not aware if they were related to that problem.

GM is also recalling 57,512 model year 2014 Chevrolet Silverado LD, 2014 GMC Sierra LD and other vehicles in which the base radio may not work, preventing audible warnings if the key is in the ignition when the driver’s door is opened.

GM said it did not know of any crashes or injuries linked to the problem, or to the problems involving the other two recalls, each of which involved fewer than 100 vehicles.

GM has recalled millions of cars since February after the largest US automaker ignored a deadly ignition-switch problem for more than a decade.

On Thursday, GM Chief Executive Mary Barra said the company had fired 15 employees over the ignition debacle.

Barra said an internal investigation into why GM did not act on the problem for 11 years concluded there had been no concerted company effort to hide it, but there was a “deeply troubling” history of “incompetence and neglect.”

Published in The Express Tribune, June 8^th, 2014.

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