GM's top brass spared as carmaker sacks 15 after report on safety scandal
Ignition switch fault that led to at least 13 deaths ignored for 11 years until recall in February
General Motors issued a report on Thursday detailing how for 11 years it turned a blind eye to an ignition-switch problem linked to at least 13 deaths.
The report, which will be the subject of upcoming US congressional hearings, describes shortcomings of GM engineers, including a failure to understand "how the car was built". Meanwhile, it said, the highest levels of the company were not made aware.
Providing a rare peek into the operations of one of the world's biggest carmakers, the internal investigation said GM had a long-running corporate culture in which nobody took responsibility for problems.
The "GM nod" was how chief executive Mary Barra described that culture, "when everyone nods in agreement to a proposed plan of action, but then leaves the room and does nothing", the document said.
In February, GM finally began recalling vehicles for repairs. So far, 2.6 million vehicles have been identified. This recall, coupled with others announced by GM this year, has cost the company about US$1.7 billion so far.
By 2011, three years before the recalls began, outside lawyers were warning GM's in-house counsel that they needed to act, the report said.