Murphy, Committee Leaders Announce Investigation into GM Recall

Press Release

Documents Requested to Determine What GM and NHTSA Knew

Representative Tim Murphy, Chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Oversight & Investigations, announced today an investigation regarding the recall of six General Motors (GM) vehicle models. Murphy will discuss the investigation today on CNBC's Closing Bell at 3:30 PM and Fox Business News' Willis Report at 5:10 PM.

Chairman Murphy, along with the bipartisan leadership of the Energy and Commerce Committee, wrote to the General Motors Company (GM) and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) requesting information about their response to consumer complaints related to problems with stalling, airbag deployment, and ignition switches in certain vehicles. General Motors recently announced a recall of six vehicle models in the U.S. to correct ignition defects that have been linked to 31 frontal crashes and 13 fatalities. While GM first announced the recall last month, reports showed that consumers had filed a series of complaints with NHTSA relating to ignition switch, airbag, and stalling problems over the past 10 years.

"NHTSA and General Motors were aware of complaints involving ignition switches, stalls and airbags since 2004 to the point that both parties conducted reviews of these incidents according to federal law. The families who've lost loved ones during this timeframe have every right to ask whether the agency and GM should have detected a trend and acted sooner in the interest of public safety," said Rep. Murphy.

The letters today were sent to General Motors Company Chief Executive Officer Mary Barra and NHTSA Acting Administrator David Friedman requesting documents detailing the problems and related consumer complaints. The committee requested responses by March 25, 2014.

The letters were signed by full committee Chairman Fred Upton (R-MI), Ranking Member Henry A. Waxman (D-CA), Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee Chairman Tim Murphy (R-PA), Ranking Member Diana DeGette (D-CO), Commerce Manufacturing and Trade Subcommittee Chairman Lee Terry (R-NE), Ranking Member Jan Schakowsky (D-IL), Vice Chairman of the Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee Michael C. Burgess, M.D. (R-TX), Chairman Emeritus Joe Barton (R-TX), full committee Vice Chairman Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), and Rep. John Dingell (D-MI).

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