The Error That Caused Deaths in General Motors Cars

This error, which was not noticed at first, was discovered by examining the cars that crashed unexpectedly and emerged with the strange details noticed in these accidents.

Alright General Motors is associated with a huge scandal What was the reason for this error?

The problem with the cars produced by General Motors was related to the ignition key.

This ignition switch malfunction occurs while the vehicle is in motion. causing the engine and airbags to shut down. If the driver was using a heavy key fob, he or she could inadvertently turn off the ignition or switch it to accessory mode while driving.

When this happens, the engine will shut down; the car would lose the ability to power steering and power braking. Before the manufacturer realized this mistake, many accidents occurred and 13 people lost their lives due to this ignition switch problem.

Afterwards, General Motors CEO Mary Barra terminated the employment of 15 employees and disciplined 5 employees due to this mistake.

Afterwards, the company recalled the Chevrolet Cobalt, Chevrolet HHR, Saturn SL, Saturn Sky, Pontiac G5 and Pontiac Solstice models produced between 2003 and 2011. changing keys free of charge and offering rental cars to drivers in the process he offered.

However, it was too late and General Motors, which recalled approximately 780 thousand vehicles, was ordered by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration of the US Department of Justice. He was fined $35 million.

In fact, General Motors engineers were aware of this faulty switch in 2004.

The company investigated the problem several times, with the opinion of a project engineering manager. thought ignition switch repair would be too costly and ignored this problem.

Even though they approved the design change a year later, this malfunction could not be resolved again for unclear reasons. In 2006, a General Motors engineer approved a new ignition switch design to increase torque performance, but the company He didn’t take action again.

Because of all these reasons An investigation was opened against General Motors and it has been confirmed that company employees have been ignoring this error for many years.

According to experts, this switch seemed relatively easy to fix.

A handyman is involved in this process, which is possible at a cost of $10. will unscrew a few screws, remove the connector, install the new switch and the transaction would be finished.

When this situation was presented to the CEO of General Motors, Barra said, In the past, they gave more importance to cost, but now they focus on safety and quality. expressed. In summary, the only reason that dragged General Motors into this scandal was their stinginess.

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