GM files documents to NHTSA. 200K pages related to recall.
General Motors Co said it has submitted most of the answers that U.S. safety regulators sought from the automaker about a defective聽ignition switch聽linked to at least 13 deaths.
In response to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration,聽GM聽filed some 200,000聽pages of documents聽to the safety agency by a Thursday midnight deadline,聽GM聽spokesman Greg Martin said on Friday. The company has provided answers to nearly 65 percent of the 107 questions that the NHTSA asked, he said.
"GM聽is cooperating fully with NHTSA and is keeping the agency apprised at every step of its progress as it works to respond to the remaining questions within the special order," Martin said in an email.
NHTSA said in a statement it has been receiving documents from聽GM聽and "will take appropriate action based on the agency's review." The agency did not provide a timetable for making the documents public.
In addition to the NHTSA, the U.S.聽Senate聽and House of Representatives are investigating why聽GM聽took more than a decade to recall 2.6 million聽cars聽to replace the faulty聽switches. The largest U.S. automaker also faces a criminal probe by the聽Department of Justice.
Without warning, the聽switches聽can make vehicle engines stall while operating, stop air bags from deploying, and power steering and power brakes from operating.
骋惭听颁丑颈别蹿 Executive Officer Mary Barra endured a withering attack at a聽Senate聽hearing on Wednesday that opened with accusations that the company fostered "a culture of cover-up." Barra also faced a House panel on Tuesday.
Since February,聽GM聽has recalled 2.6 million聽vehicles. And so far this year,聽GM聽has recalled a total of nearly 7 million聽vehicles, or about the same number recalled in the previous four years combined.
GM聽also confirmed the hiring of聽Jeff Eller, a crisis management adviser, to help in its response to the recall. Eller declined to comment, referring questions to聽GM.
Eller was chairman at Public Strategies Inc, which represented聽Bridgestone Corp's Firestone during its聽tire聽recall in 2000. He was also director of media affairs during President聽Bill Clinton's administration.
"As we have from the start, we are drawing upon those who have deep experience and expertise in these matters,"聽GM's Martin said. "Jeff will join a team who is helping us guide our response.
It is聽GM's third high-level outside hire since the defective聽switches聽came to light.
On Tuesday, Barra said聽GM聽had hired attorney Kenneth Feinberg to examine what steps the company might take for families of crash victims. Barra said this week聽GM聽would take up to 60 days to evaluate the matter.
Feinberg administered funds to compensate victims of the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks, the聽BP聽Plc oil spill, and聽BostonMarathon bombing.
Safety advocates said the move indicated the company was exploring setting up a victims' compensation fund, although聽GM聽has not confirmed that.
GM聽has also hired former U.S. Attorney聽Anton Valukas聽to lead the company's internal probe of why it took so long to discover the defective聽switches. Barra said this week that would wrap up in 45 to 60 days.
Valukas was the court-appointed examiner in the Lehman Brothers bankruptcy. His probe resulted in a report in 2010 that detailed the causes of the firm's spectacular collapse.
The automaker has said it would take a charge of $750 million in the first quarter, mostly for the recalls announced in that period, including ones linked to the defective ignition switch. That was increased from $300 million.
On Thursday,聽GM聽said in documents filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission it will also take a $400 million charge in the first quarter because of currency changes in聽Venezuela.
Separately,聽Ford Motor聽Co said on Tuesday it would take a first-quarter charge of $350 million to resolve currency issues with its business in聽Venezuela. (Reporting by Ben Klayman and Bernie Woodall in聽Detroit; Editing by Jeffrey Benkoe)
