As General Motors’ CEO Mary Barra offered up more details about her company’s switch issues before lawmakers on Wednesday, U.S. safety regulators have started investigating a second Detroit auto company, Chrysler.
The two probes are examining air bag issues in which a defective switch may prevent the safety device from properly deploying in over 1 million Jeep, Dodge and Chrysler models, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).
There are no deaths or injuries associated with the safety issues, the NHSTA said.
The NHSTA also said that the investigations “are an outcome of communication with automotive manufacturers and suppliers regarding airbag design and performance related to the position of the vehicle ignition switch.” The agency added, “As part of NHTSA’s broader efforts to evaluate this issue, the agency examined all major manufacturers’ airbag deployment strategies as they relate to switch position.”
Chrysler also released a statement saying that it is “awaiting additional information from (NHTSA). The company is prepared to cooperate fully with the investigation.” It is currently unknown whether or not the investigations will lead to recalls of the Chrysler models.
The General Motors (GM) recalls, meanwhile, now include over 20 million vehicles worldwide. They started in February, and have been linked to the deaths of 13 individuals and 54 crashes.
