• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia
General Motors

GM’s profit plunges 83% on recall costs

By
Ben Geier
Ben Geier
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Ben Geier
Ben Geier
Down Arrow Button Icon
July 24, 2014, 8:41 AM ET
General Motors Posts Biggest Quarterly Profit In Six Years
MIAMI - AUGUST 12: A General Motors sign is seen on the Kendall Chevrolet-Dadeland dealership lot on August 12, 2010 in Miami, Florida. General Motors announced it posted second-quarter net income $1.3 billion, or 2.55 a share and on the same day their CEO Edward Whitacre Jr. announced he was stepping down. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)Photo by Joe Raedle—Getty Images

General Motors said Thursday its second-quarter profit plunged 83% due to the cost of numerous recalls and the expected cost of a compensation fund for those killed or injured by a faulty ignition switch linked to at least 13 deaths.

The automaker said its net income in the quarter fell to $200 million, compared with $1.2 billion in the same period a year earlier.

The quarter included charges for the establishment of a victims’ compensation fund, which GM said could cost the company as much as $600 million, as well as an additional $874 million for the cost of repairing the nearly 30 million cars it has recalled so far this year.

The automaker’s results come after a quarter in which GM has issued myriad recalls and seen CEO Mary Barra called to testify in front of Congress multiple times. The company took a $35 million fine from the Department of Transportation and National Highway Transportation Administration, and could still be looking at even bigger charges from the Justice Department for the ongoing faulty ignition switch scandal.

GM’s (GM) revenue for the quarter was mostly flat from a year prior, with total money brought in sitting at $39.6 billion compared with $39.1 billion the year before.

On Wednesday, GM announced six new vehicle recalls, expanding beyond the ignition switch defect that has dogged the automaker for much of this year, bringing its total recall number for the year to 60 involving almost 30 million vehicles worldwide.

For much of the year, GM has been overwhelmed by a safety crisis set off by faulty ignition switches in millions of older cars that the automaker has linked to multiple deaths.

WATCH: GM’s profits crash like its cars

About the Author
By Ben Geier
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon

Latest in

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • World's Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
  • Lists Calendar
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in

Man in blue suit and red tie.
C-SuiteMeta
Mark Zuckerberg’s AI ambitions back in the spotlight as Meta execs begin ‘moonshot’ mission for $9.5 trillion valuation and massive payouts
By Amanda GerutApril 28, 2026
3 hours ago
Elon Musk arrives at the federal courthouse as opening statements begin in the trial over Elon Musk's lawsuit against OpenAI in Oakland, California, on April 28, 2026.
LawElon Musk
Elon Musk accuses Google co-founder of loving robots as much as people: ‘Larry Page called me a ‘specieist”
By Eva RoytburgApril 28, 2026
7 hours ago
Disneyland implements facial recognition to keep the lines moving, but guests say they didn’t know it was optional
CybersecurityDisney
Disneyland implements facial recognition to keep the lines moving, but guests say they didn’t know it was optional
By Catherina GioinoApril 28, 2026
7 hours ago
trump
Economynational debt
The $39 trillion national debt just got its own version of the viral Doomsday essay
By Nick LichtenbergApril 28, 2026
7 hours ago
Screen displaying stock market index performance in green and red.
NewslettersEye on AI
Bloomberg, the OG of financial data firms, has a potent new AI agent. How it built it holds lessons for other companies
By Jeremy KahnApril 28, 2026
8 hours ago
torsten slok
AIJobs
A 160-year-old paradox explains why AI will create more lawyers and accountants—not fewer, top economist says
By Jake AngeloApril 28, 2026
8 hours ago

Most Popular

Apple cofounder Ronald Wayne—whose stake would be worth up to $400 billion had he not sold it in 1976—says that at 91, he has no regrets
Success
Apple cofounder Ronald Wayne—whose stake would be worth up to $400 billion had he not sold it in 1976—says that at 91, he has no regrets
By Preston ForeApril 27, 2026
2 days ago
‘The cost of compute is far beyond the costs of the employees’: Nvidia executive says right now AI is more expensive than paying human workers
AI
‘The cost of compute is far beyond the costs of the employees’: Nvidia executive says right now AI is more expensive than paying human workers
By Sasha RogelbergApril 28, 2026
22 hours ago
The U.S. military may have already used up half of its most expensive missiles, and it could take up to 4 years to rebuild its stockpiles
Politics
The U.S. military may have already used up half of its most expensive missiles, and it could take up to 4 years to rebuild its stockpiles
By Sasha RogelbergApril 24, 2026
4 days ago
OPEC shocker as UAE leaves oil cartel days after negotiating swap lines with Scott Bessent’s Treasury
Energy
OPEC shocker as UAE leaves oil cartel days after negotiating swap lines with Scott Bessent’s Treasury
By Nick LichtenbergApril 28, 2026
15 hours ago
Current price of silver as of Tuesday, April 28, 2026
Personal Finance
Current price of silver as of Tuesday, April 28, 2026
By Joseph HostetlerApril 28, 2026
16 hours ago
Current price of gold as of April 28, 2026
Personal Finance
Current price of gold as of April 28, 2026
By Danny BakstApril 28, 2026
16 hours ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.