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CAS Letter to NHTSA Administrator Friedman: Proper Enforcement of Stalling Recalls Could Have Prevented GM Ignition Deaths
The Center for Auto Safety is the nation’s premier independent, member driven, non-profit consumer advocacy organization dedicated to improving vehicle safety, quality, and fuel economy on behalf of all drivers, passengers, and pedestrians.
May 21, 2014
The Honorable David J. Friedman
Acting Administrator
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE, West Building Washington, D.C. 20590
Dear Administrator Friedman:
NHTSA has defended its failure to investigate defective General Motors ignition switches in Chevrolet Cobalts, Saturn Ions and related models (hereinafter “Recalled Models”) by pointing to GM’s failure to tell NHTSA that the ignition switch moving from run to accessory would deactivate the airbag. However, NHTSA failed to investigate a far simpler defect in the GM ignition switch that could and should have resulted in a recall and that would have prevented the airbag deaths – stalling due to 1 ignition switch failure. There have been well over 300 safety recalls conducted for vehicle stalling. Two of these recalls are virtually identical to the GM ignition switch failure – Chrysler recall 11V-139 and VW recall 11V-141. In 11V-139, Chrysler described the defect as: “Some vehicles may experience inadvertent ignition key displacement from the run to accessory position while driving causing the engine to shut off.”2
The Honorable David J. Friedman
Acting Administrator
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE, West Building Washington, D.C. 20590
Dear Administrator Friedman:
NHTSA has defended its failure to investigate defective General Motors ignition switches in Chevrolet Cobalts, Saturn Ions and related models (hereinafter “Recalled Models”) by pointing to GM’s failure to tell NHTSA that the ignition switch moving from run to accessory would deactivate the airbag. However, NHTSA failed to investigate a far simpler defect in the GM ignition switch that could and should have resulted in a recall and that would have prevented the airbag deaths – stalling due to 1 ignition switch failure. There have been well over 300 safety recalls conducted for vehicle stalling. Two of these recalls are virtually identical to the GM ignition switch failure – Chrysler recall 11V-139 and VW recall 11V-141. In 11V-139, Chrysler described the defect as: “Some vehicles may experience inadvertent ignition key displacement from the run to accessory position while driving causing the engine to shut off.”2
Read the full CAS Letter to NHTSA Administrator Friedman: Proper Enforcement of Stalling Recalls Could Have Prevented GM Ignition Deaths.