As families begin to settle with GM over crashes, is it too little too late?

Last week, more than a dozen families were given a choice to accept a settlement or fight GM in a potentially lengthy court battle over deaths in crashes tied to faulty ignition switches. The families of two Wisconsin girls killed in the 2006 crash of Chevrolet Cobalt accepted offers from GM, dropping a lawsuit in favor the settlement.

The crash that killed 18-year-old Natasha Weigel and 15-year-old Amy Rademaker was one of the first blamed on the faulty switches. According to ABC News, a Wisconsin state trooper investigating the crash made the connection between the position of the ignition switch and the air bags not deploying. An investigation into GMs delay in handling the recall found that both GM and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) were aware of the trooper’s report, but largely ignored it.

Despite evidence from this crash and others that faulty ignition switches were causing engines to stall and air bags to be disabled, […]

NHTSA coming under fire for not acting fast enough on recalls

An investigation by The New York Times into the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), has found that the safety organization has been slow to identify and act on vehicle safety issues. According to The New York Times, the failures go well beyond its slow reaction to the GM ignition switch defect.

The Associated Press reported that this week Congressional Republicans charged that the NHTSA was years late in detecting the deadly problem with General Motors’ cars and lacks the expertise to oversee increasingly complex vehicles.

The congressional report stated that safety regulators should have discovered GM’s faulty ignition switches seven years before the company recalled 2.6 million cars to fix the deadly problem. It also raised serious questions about the NHTSA’s ability to keep the public safe.

The New York Times reported that by the time GM started the recall, […]

At least 19 deaths now linked to GM ignition switch

General Motors will pay compensation for 19 deaths linked to a faulty ignition switch, according to multiple news sources. This is more than the 13 deaths they originally estimated to have been linked to the GM ignition switch, and some lawmakers have estimate the death toll is close to 100.

According to the Automotive News, independent compensation expert, Kenneth Feinberg said the GM fund has now received 445 claims, including 125 for deaths, 58 for serious injuries and 262 for brief hospitalization or outpatient care. They have since approved 31 claims, including 19 for deaths. According to CNN, most of the remaining claims are still being reviewed. Camille Biros, the deputy administrator of the program, told Automotive News that no claims have been rejected thus far.

GM has admitted knowing about the ignition switch problem for more than a decade, […]

How to find out if your used car has been recalled

It will now be easier for used cars buyers to find out if the car they are purchasing has been involved in a recall. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has launched a new web tool where you can enter a vehicle’s VIN number to view recalls. You can find it at www.safercar.gov/vinlookup. The site will also show you if the recall work has been completed or not on that particular vehicle. The accuracy of the tool is reliant on receiving regularly updated information from the automakers.

Every year, millions of vehicles are recalled due to safety defects. USA Today reported that 1 in 4 recalled cars never get the recommended recall work done, which could mean potential safety hazards for future car owners. CarFax, an online service that tracks vehicles histories, estimates there are more than 36 million vehicles on U.S. […]

GM issues more recalls for safety issues

General Motors issued six more recalls on Friday totaling more than 312,000 vehicles. The recalls put GM’s total for the year to 66 recalls of just over 29 million cars and trucks.

Friday’s recalls included more than 215,000 Saturn Vue SUVs, 2002 through 2004 model years for an ignition key cylinder problem, saying the keys can be removed when the ignitions are not in the off position and the engine is still running. The problem has been linked to crashes. GM has discontinued this vehicle and the Saturn brand.

Other GM U.S. recalls that were announced Friday include:

• 2013 Cadillac ATS four-door sedans and 2013 Buick Encores in the U.S. for an issue with front seat belt pretensioner cables.
• 2014-2015 Chevrolet Impala sedans for a problem with the front console storage compartment latch opening in a rear crash. […]