303 Deaths Linked To Faulty GM Airbags

The world's largest automaker, General Motors (GM), is facing the possibility of civil and criminal charges due to a decades-long problem involving defective ignition switches. To make matters worse the company, researchers at the Center for Auto Safety claim to have discovered 303 deaths linked to the problem.

Why GM Airbags Weren't Properly Deploying

GM has known about the faulty ignition switch in certain make and model vehicles for quite some time. Basically, vehicles suffering from this problem would shut off without warning while the vehicle was driving. Not only did this lock up the steering, but it also deactivated the airbags.

The company reported 12 deaths were linked to the problem. GM has since issued a recall on the affected vehicles.

The Real Numbers

The Center for Auto Safety, a watchdog group founded by Ralph Nadar and the Consumers Union, performed their own independent investigation of the faulty GM airbags. According to their reports, 303 deaths were caused by the ignition switch/airbag problem, which is a great deal more than GM's reported 12 deaths.

"The data available to NHTSA at the time did not contain sufficient evidence of a possible safety defect trend that would warrant the agency opening a formal investigation," said the agency.

But GM disputes the report presented by the Center for Auto Safety.

"Without rigorous analysis, it is pure speculation to attempt to draw any meaningful conclusion. In contrast, research is underway at GM and the investigation of the ignition switch recall and the impact of the defective switch is ongoing," said GM officials in a response to the reported airbag flaw.

What's Next For GM?

There are a few complaints both the consumers and the federal government has regarding GM and its response to the faulty ignition. For starters, GM apparently identified the problem 13 years ago! However, they just recently issued a recall for the vehicles in question. If the company knew about the problem back in 2001, why did they wait until February 2014 to issue the recall?

GM is also being scrutinized for its lack of response to numerous reports and investigations involving automobile accidents caused by the faulty ignition switch.

If you own a GM vehicle, visit the company's official website to run the VIN and see whether or not it was recalled. If your vehicle is one of the 1.6 million recalled cars and trucks, you should take it to a local GM center immediately.

Do you think GM should face criminal charges for the failed airbag systems? Let us know in the comments section below!