GM Dismisses 2 Engineers in Wake of Recalls, Asks NASA for Help

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Mary Barra, CEO of General Motors, listens during a Senate Consumer Protection, Product Safety, and Insurance subcommittee hearing in Washington, D.C., on April 2, 2014.

Image: Andrew Harrer

By Todd Wasserman2014-04-10 20:08:06 +0300

General Motors put two engineers on leave who are connected to the company's ignition switch glitch, and reached out to NASA to confirm that its recalled vehicles can be driven safely. The two engineers were not named.

"This is an interim step as we seek the truth about what happened," GM CEO Mary Barra told USA Today on Thursday. "It was a difficult decision, but I believe it is best for GM."

See also: Why Are There So Many Auto Recalls These Days?

Barra's decision comes after meeting with Anton Valukas, the former U.S. attorney overseeing an independent probe related to the recalls. Congress grilled Barra in hearings earlier this month. One persistent question addressed why no one was fired as a result of the to the ignition switch-related recalls, which affected Chevrolet Cobalts, HHRs and other Pontiac and Saturn models made during the 2000s.

The defect, which causes cars to switch off their power while in motion and thus disables the vehicles' airbags, has been linked to 13 deaths. Barra was waiting for Valukas' report before making any personnel decisions related to the recalls.

GM is also calling on a team from NASA team to verify Barra's claim that the affected cars are safe to drive if no additional weight hangs from the ignition key.

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Topics: Business, GM, mary barra, NASA, recalls, U.S.