GM to pay $35 million to U.S. government over bungled ignition recall

(Image credit: Bill Pugliano/Getty Images)

last updated 8 January 2015

General Motors has agreed to pay a huge fine to the U.S. government for not acting quickly enough in recalling a faulty ignition switch that plagued several of its vehicles, reports CNBC. The auto manufacturer is expected to pay $35 million in response to a probe being conducted by the Department of Transportation.

GM employees reportedly knew of the broken ignition switch as early as 2004, but didn't issue a recall until February of this year. The flaw caused vehicles to suddenly shut off while driving, and has been linked to at least 13 deaths.

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Jordan Valinsky is the lead writer for Speed Reads. Before joining The Week, he wrote for New York Observer's tech blog, Betabeat, and tracked the intersection between popular culture and the internet for The Daily Dot. He graduated with a degree in online journalism from Ohio University.