通用汽车挨罚：2.8万美元起步，每天加7千

    NHTSA则表示，它不反对通用汽车多花一些时间来回答技术性问题。但文森特的信件显示，许多尚未回答的问题都很简单。

    其中一个问题和通用汽车重新设计点火开关有关。通用汽车一位工程师在2006年4月份批准了对点火开关的改动，但相关零部件的编号一直未变——这种做法很不寻常，上周一些国会议员就此指责通用汽车掩盖真相。

    汽车零部件制造商Delphi从2007年开始向通用汽车供应经过重新设计的点火开关。NHTSA在调查中询问，通用汽车是否在其他时间批准了对点火开关的改动。文森特的信件表明，通用汽车没有回答这个问题以及其他一些质询。

    文森特在信中写道：“宣布召回这些车辆两个月后，通用汽车仍然不愿意或者无法告知NHTSA是否在其他时间更改过点火开关的设计，这一点让人深感不安。”

    提交给美国众议院监督与调查附属委员会（House Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations）的文件显示，早在2001年，对2003年款土星Ion的试产报告就已经发现点火开关有问题。2004年，通用汽车接到投诉称，一辆2005年款雪佛兰Cobalt的车钥匙会在行驶过程中从“开”变成“关”。通用汽车就此展开了技术性调查，但最终没有采取任何行动。一年后，一位同年款雪佛兰Cobalt的驾驶者在撞车事故中丧生。NHTSA对这次事故进行调查后发现，前置安全气囊并未打开，这辆车的钥匙处于“附件”位置，而非“行驶”。

    受召回车辆的维修成本影响，通用汽车今年第一季度的费用已经增加了一倍以上，达到7.50亿美元。其中，今年3月份的三次召回产生的费用为3.00亿美元，其他费用来自本次点火开关召回事件。（财富中文网）

    译者：Charlie

    NHTSA says it didn't object to GM taking additional time to respond to technical engineering questions. Many of the requests that GM has yet to respond to are basic questions, according to the letter.

    Among them was a question regarding the redesign of the ignition switch. A GM engineer approved changes to the ignition switch in April 2006, but the parts number was never changed -- a highly unusual practice that prompted congressional lawmakers last week to accuse the automaker of a cover-up.

    Delphi began providing GM with the redesigned switch during the 2007 model year. In its investigation, NHTSA asked GM if it approved a change to the ignition switch at any other time. GM failed to respond to that, and other requests, according to the Vincent letter.

    "It is deeply troubling that two months after recalling the vehicles, GM is unwilling or unable to tell NHTSA whether the design of the switch changed at any other time," Vincent wrote in the letter.

    Problems with the ignition switch were identified as early as 2001 in a pre-production report for the model year 2003 Saturn Ion, according to documents provided to the House Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations.In 2004 GM opened an engineering inquiry to look into a complaint that a 2005 Chevrolet Cobalt vehicle could be "keyed off" while driving. Ultimately, no action was taken. A year later, the driver of a 2005 Chevrolet Cobalt was killed in a crash. A NHTSA investigation determined the frontal airbag system didn't deploy and that the vehicle power mode status was in "accessory," not "run."

    GM has more than doubled its first-quarter charge to $750 million to cover the cost of recall-related repairs. This amount includes a previously disclosed $300 million charge for three safety actions announced in March and the ignition switch recall.