GM Delayed Other Car Recalls

General Motors is currently under federal scrutiny for its delays recalling the Chevrolet Cobalt, but that was hardly the company's only example of evading recalls. The New York Times reports that GM has repeatedly relied on a series of stopgap safety measures to avoid timely safety recalls. Often, GM used service bulletins, which identified problems but did not issue repairs or recalls. In 2005, GM issued three separate safety bulletins for the Saturn Ion regarding steering issues. During that time, more than 40 percent of complaints to federal officials about the Ion were in regards to steering problems, including cases of drivers losing control of their cars or being unable to maneuver them to the side of the road.The company did not issue a recall for the Ion until last month. “Joan Claybrook, a former head of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the federal agency that regulates auto safety, said “I’m shocked. I can see it happening occasionally, but not as a routine."