General Motors took another hit on Monday, announcing a 3.36 million-vehicle recall related to ignition switch problems similar to the infamous small car recall earlier this year, The New York Times reported.
The recalls have both been connected with engines that can shut off while the car is moving if the key is bumped, simultaneously disabling the airbags; both issues are hallmark problems of faulty ignition switches in other models that were apparently found to be problematic more than a decade ago.
The latest recall comprises the Buick Lacrosse from model years 2005-'09; Chevrolet Impala from 2006-'14; Cadillac Deville from 2000-'05; Cadillac DTS from 2004-'11; Buick Lucerne from 2006-'11; Buick Regal LS and RS from 2004-'05; and Chevrolet Monte Carlo from 2006-'08, according to the Times.
Eight accidents and six injuries have been connected with this week's announcement; the earlier recall of 2.6 million small cars including the Chevrolet Cobalt and Saturn Ion has been linked to at least 13 deaths and 54 crashes.
A House subcommittee is investigating the faulty switches, and GM CEO Mary Barra has been tapped to testify on Wednesday.
"This latest recall raises even more questions about just how pervasive safety problems are at GM," Energy and Commerce Committee chairman Fred Upton, R-Mich., said in a statement. "This is not just a Cobalt problem. Drivers and their families need to be assured that their cars are safe to drive."
The 3.36 million vehicles recalled this week have a different ignition switch than the earlier recall, but the components had the same designer, according to Bloomberg News.
Barra has fired 15 employees in the wake of the devastating ignition switch recall that started in February. Ray DeGiorgio, the engineer linked to the faulty component, has been let go along with a vice president for regulatory affairs and at least three senior corporate lawyers.
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