The recall trend line is up, as electronics and manufacturing defects prompt most recalls. Automotive electronics are the fastest growing cause of customer dissatisfaction.
The House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Fred Upton (R-MI) last night announced that the committee has opened an investigation into the deadly General Motors (GM) and the National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration (NHTSA) responses to consumer complaints about GM ignition switch problems.
In the dysfunctional ways of now completely partisan Washington, the Republican controlled “do nothing” House is looking for political advantage here while giving the appearance that it is actually performing its legislative duties. This laughable proposition – given the record of the past decade – is increasingly hard to put forth to skeptical taxpayers of both parties, and it should be noted Democrats on the committee agreed to the inquiry as well for the same craven political reasons.
This is not the independent investigation needed in the GM ignition switch matter that is called for by AutoInformed. (Where is the Independent Investigation of NHTSA for Failure to act on Deadly GM Switches?)
As AutoInformed has reported in detail, a Delphi ignition switch used in 1.6 million small GM cars is associated with 31 frontal crashes and 13 fatalities. While the recalls were first announced last month, a recent New York Times report claims NHTSA has received a large number of complaints expressing safety concerns and describing these problems spanning over the past 10 years.
It has been more than a decade since the enactment of the Transportation Recall Enhancement, Accountability, and Documentation (or TREAD) Act, which was passed by Congress to enhance the federal government’s ability to protect against auto safety defects. Chairman Upton, back when Republicans were less obstructionist authored the TREAD Act after show investigations into the Ford-Firestone tire malfunctions as then-chairman of the Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee. As a person following the hearings quite closely, I was impressed by just how stupid and corrupt those hearing were.
The legislation was intended to improve communication between auto manufacturers and the federal government and increase NHTSA’s ability to collect and analyze information about potential threats.
Fred Upton TV pitch – House Rotunda 2013.
Upton claims that “in light of GM’s safety problems, the House Energy and Commerce Committee will seek a progress report on the TREAD Act’s implementation and pursue answers relating to the complaints filed with NHTSA, the response, and the eventual recalls.”
The usual rhetoric follows:
“Did the company or regulators miss something that could have flagged these problems sooner? If the answer is yes, we must learn how and why this happened, and then determine whether this system of reporting and analyzing complaints that Congress created to save lives is being implemented and working as the law intended. Americans deserve to have the peace of mind that they are safe behind the wheel. We plan to seek detailed information from both NHTSA and GM and will hold a hearing in the coming weeks,” said Upton.
