GM’s CEO acknowledges interview in ignition switch probe

DETROIT – General Motors CEO Mary Barra confirmed Tuesday that she has been interviewed by the Justice Department in its criminal probe of how the company handled a deadly ignition switch problem in older small cars.

Barra told reporters the interview happened last year but said she didn’t know when the U.S. attorney’s office in Manhattan would release the results of its probe.

“We have cooperated fully. We continue to do that,” she said. “It is their timeline,” she said about when charges could be filed.

Wire fraud likely is among the statutes being considered by federal investigators because GM used electronic communications to interact with the government’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Investigators are focused on whether GM failed to notify the agency of the switch problems and potentially tried to hide them. Automakers must notify NHTSA within five days of finding out about a safety defect.

The switches in cars such as the Chevrolet Cobalt and Saturn Ion can slip out of the run position, shutting off the engine and disabling power steering, power brakes and air bags. The problem has caused at least 111 deaths and hundreds of injuries. GM has acknowledged knowing about the problem for more than a decade, yet it didn’t recall the 2.6 million cars until last year.

Last year the same U.S. attorney’s office forced Toyota to pay a $1.2 billion civil penalty for delays and cover-ups in unintended acceleration cases. Toyota settled the case but acknowledged hiding information about defects. The department also filed a wire fraud charge against Toyota that will be dismissed in 2017 if the company complies with the terms of the settlement.