Under intense legal scrutiny, General Motors has begun to review the way it decides what cars get recalled. This has led to a company audit, and additional recalls.

The inciting incident in this series of recalls was a problem with the ignition circuitry of several major car lines that has been blamed in a constellation of malfunctions. It is reported that the issue can cause the car’s ignition system to switch off, shutting down the engine while deactivating the airbags. According to the company, this issue caused 13 deaths, though GM ignition switch recall lawyers allege that the number is more than 60. Despite this potentially life-threatening issue, it has taken nearly a decade for GM to recall vehicles potentially affected by the defect.

Because of the delay, GM has come under intense scrutiny. Both Congress and the Department of Justice have started investigations into GM. Additionally, GM is conducting internal reviews of potential issues with its vehicles, including previous recalls. This led to an expansion of some of older recalls, including the Chevy Aveo, over issues with its headlights that could  lead to fires.

More recently, GM has expanded the recall of Pontiac G6s. The initial recall arose in response to concerns about a faulty brake light, which could prevent the brake lights from turning on when the vehicle stops, potentially causing accidents. According to GM, this issue has caused 13 accidents and 2 injuries. However, GM only recalled some of the affected vehicles. Saturn Aura and Chevrolet Malibu, nearly identical vehicles, were not recalled at the time.

GM’s documents and statements have indicated that they believed that the issue could be corrected by minor adjustments on later models. However, this may not have been the case. Additionally, GM only told dealers, not car owners, about the issues. Many G6s’ brake lights were not corrected for years. GM monitored the additional vehicles after the recall through warranty claims and complaints.

GM spokesmen have stated the company changed the way recalls are managed. Specifically, GM resolved to issue recalls based on the seriousness of the issue, not the number of complaints or warranty claims it receives. The various recalls this year have resulted in a total of 13.8 million vehicles recalled, more than the previous record of 10.75 million vehicles recalled in all of 2004.