House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Rep. Fred Upton (R-Mich.) announced on Monday that the committee would launch an investigation into how General Motors and the National Highway Administration handled a recent recall.
Committee members will probe GM’s and NHTSA’s response to consumer complaints related to issues with the ignition switch in some vehicles. GM announced last month that it would recall six vehicle models, but the NHTSA has allegedly received complaints related to the ignition switches for ten years.
GM said the ignition switches could be linked to 31 frontal crashes that caused 13 fatalities.
Upton authored the Transportation Recall Enhancement, Accountability and Documentation Act that was singed into law in 2000. The measure was designed to improve communication between vehicle manufacturers and the federal government, and it provides more oversight by the NHTSA.
“Congress passed this bipartisan solution with the intention of exposing flaws and preventing accidents and fatalities,” Upton said. “Yet, here we are over a decade later, faced with accidents and tragedies, and significant questions need to be answered….”
Upton said the committee would seek information from the NHTSA and GM ahead of a hearing on the handling of the ignition switch recall that will be scheduled in the coming weeks.